Thermal storage concept for solar thermal power plants with direct steam generation

Abstract

One possibility to increase the efficiency and thus economic viability of solar thermal power plants is to increase their operating temperature. This approach demands the substitution of the state-of-the-art heat transfer fluid that limits the operating temperature. If water/steam is uses as heat transfer fluid in a solar thermal power plant, the process can only be economic if there is a suitable thermal storage concept for direct steam generation. The poster shows a storage approach for such a solar thermal power plant. This storage consists of a latent PCM-Module for evaporating and a sensible three tank storage system with molten salt for pre- and superheating of the heat transfer fluid. This storage layout considers the temperature depended change of the specific heat capacity of superheated steam.