Core equipment for solar thermal power generation

What are solar thermal technologies for power generation?

This chapter also covers the recent developments in solar thermal technologies for power generation. In recent times, solar thermal technologies are integrated with conventional fossil-fuelled power plants as well as other renewable energy sources such as biomass, geothermal to improve its performance.

Can solar thermal power plants be integrated with conventional power plants?

Solar thermal power plants have enormous potential to be integrated with the existing conventional power plants. The integration of CSP systems with conventional power plants increases the efficiency, reduces the overall cost, and increases the dispatchability and reliability of the solar power generation system.

What are the applications of solar thermal system?

Apart from power generation and process heating, the solar thermal system can also be used for various applications such as air-conditioning, space heating, cooling, cooking desalination, etc. (Kalogirou, 2004). 4.1. Solar steam augmentation with conventional fossil fuel fired power plant

Are solar thermal power plants controllable?

Since power generation can be flexibly adapted to demand, solar thermal power plants are referred to as controllable power plants. Solar thermal power plants have an additional advantage. If there is little solar radiation for several days due to the weather, they can be operated in hybrid mode.

How to integrate solar thermal energy systems with industrial processes?

The integration of solar thermal energy systems with the industrial processes mainly depends on the local solar radiation, availability of land, conventional fuel prices, quality of steam required, and flexibility of system integration with the existing process.

What are solar collectors and thermal energy storage systems?

In these applications, solar collectors and thermal energy storage systems are the two core components. This paper focuses on the latest developments and advances in solar thermal applications, providing a review of solar collectors and thermal energy storage systems.