Pre-design of a mini CSP plant

Abstract

The REELCOOP project funded by the European Union aims at developing and demonstrating three small scale solar electricity generating units with two of them using thermal power cycles and one using PV. The system described here includes parabolic trough collectors and an organic Rankine cycle (ORC), enhanced by a biogas boiler and a thermal storage. With a net aperture area of 979 m² the solar field supplies saturated steam at 170°C to the ORC which produces a nominal electrical output of 60 kW. Excess thermal energy will be stored in a novel vertical spiral plate heat exchanger with phase change material. Additionally a biogas boiler can deliver steam at the desired pressure to the ORC. Detailed planning of the hydraulic circuit is ongoing. Several components, mainly solar field and ORC, are under fabrication so that their construction on-site is expected for next winter, followed by commissioning envisaged for March 2015.