569results about "Steam generation using solar heat" patented technology

An electricity generation system is presented. The electricity generation system includes a solar preheater for preheating compressed discharge air, a combustor to receive the heated compressed air from the solar preheater, burn a fuel using the heated compressed air to generate hot burned gas, a first turbine to receive the hot burned gas from the combustor, expand the hot burned gas to generate exhaust gas, a heat recovery steam generator to receive the exhaust gas from the first turbine, generate vapor by heating a condensed fluid using the exhaust gas, a solar evaporator / superheater to receive a heated working fluid from the heat recovery steam generator, generate solar vapor by heating the heated working fluid, and a second turbine to drive a second generator using vapor and the solar vapor.

A system to convert the heat collected by solar thermal collectors into electricity using a Rankine cycle generator with multiple working fluids and multiple temperature-level heat sources is disclosed.

A solar thermal power generator includes an inclined elongated boiler tube positioned in the focus of a solar concentrator for generating steam from water. The boiler tube is connected at one end to receive water from a pressure vessel as well as connected at an opposite end to return steam back to the vessel in a fluidic circuit arrangement that stores energy in the form of heated water in the pressure vessel. An expander, condenser, and reservoir are also connected in series to respectively produce work using the steam passed either directly (above a water line in the vessel) or indirectly (below a water line in the vessel) through the pressure vessel, condense the expanded steam, and collect the condensed water. The reservoir also supplies the collected water back to the pressure vessel at the end of a diurnal cycle when the vessel is sufficiently depressurized, so that the system is reset to repeat the cycle the following day. The circuital arrangement of the boiler tube and the pressure vessel operates to dampen flow instabilities in the boiler tube, damp out the effects of solar transients, and provide thermal energy storage which enables time shifting of power generation to better align with the higher demand for energy during peak energy usage periods.

A method for storing heat from a solar collector CSTC in Concentrating Solar Power plants and delivering the heat to the power plant PP when needed. The method uses a compressed gas such as carbon dioxide or air as a heat transfer medium in the collectors CSTC and transferring the heat by depositing it on a bed of heat-resistant solids and later, recovering the heat by a second circuit of the same compressed gas. The storage system HSS is designed to allow the heat to be recovered at a high efficiency with practically no reduction in temperature. Unlike liquid heat transfer media, our storage method itself can operate at very high temperatures, up to 3000° F., a capability which can lead to greater efficiency. Due to material constraints and cost considerations in the rest of the system the maximum temperature is presently limited to between 1700° F. and 2000° F. The method can be applied to all current solar collector designs. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

A method for storing heat from a solar collector CSTC in Concentrating Solar Power plants and delivering the heat to the power plant PP when needed. The method uses a compressed gas such as carbon dioxide or air as a heat transfer medium in the collectors CSTC and transferring the heat by depositing it on a bed of heat-resistant solids and later, recovering the heat by a second circuit of the same compressed gas. The storage system HSS is designed to allow the heat to be recovered at a high efficiency with practically no reduction in temperature. Unlike liquid heat transfer media, our storage method itself can operate at very high temperatures, up to 3000° F., a capability which can lead to greater efficiency. Due to material constraints and cost considerations in the rest of the system the maximum temperature is presently limited to between 1700° F. and 2000° F. The method can be applied to all current solar collector designs. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

A method for storing heat from a solar collector CSTC in Concentrating Solar Power plants and delivering the heat to the power plant PP when needed. The method uses a compressed gas such as carbon dioxide or air as a heat transfer medium in the collectors CSTC and transferring the heat by depositing it on a bed of heat-resistant solids and later, recovering the heat by a second circuit of the same compressed gas. The storage system HSS is designed to allow the heat to be recovered at a high efficiency with practically no reduction in temperature. Unlike liquid heat transfer media, our storage method itself can operate at very high temperatures, up to 3000° F., a capability which can lead to greater efficiency.

A thermal collection system has a first tank for storing relatively hot working fluid and a second tank for storing relatively cold working fluid. A heat exchanger is connected for receiving the relatively hot working fluid from the first tank for providing heat to the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger discharges the working fluid at a lower temperature than a temperature of the relatively hot working fluid of the first tank. A solar panel collector is connected for receiving the lower temperature working fluid from the heat exchanger and for heating the lower temperature working fluid and feeding same to a first control valve. The first control valve is operative for feeding working fluid from the solar collector selectively to one of the first tank and the second tank. The second tank has a second control valve selectively operative for permitting working fluid from the second tank to flow to the solar collector. Improved collection efficiencies in the solar collector may be obtained using the two tank structure for passing working fluid through the solar collector.

Systems and methods for the desalination of water are disclosed. A system includes a concentrated solar power (CSP) system, the CSP system operable to concentrate solar energy to increase temperature and pressure of a heat transfer fluid and operable to produce steam utilizing heat from the heat transfer fluid; a photovoltaic (PV) system, the PV system operable to collect solar energy to produce electricity; a desalination system in fluid communication with the CSP system and in electrical communication with the PV system, the desalination system operable to produce desalinated water from a salt water source utilizing the steam from the CSP system and electricity from the PV system; and a pump station in fluid communication with the CSP system and the desalination system, and in electrical communication with the PV system, the pump station operable to transmit the desalinated water to consumers for use.

A combustion turbine power generation system can be combined with a solar Rankine power generation system such that the integrated system has improved power generation efficiency over two stand-alone systems. This novelty has the solar heat input providing the heat of vaporization as well as a certain amount of superheat such that if the combustion turbine is not available, or is used in a different and more economical mode of operation, the solar Rankine cycle can be operated independently in a cost effective and efficient manner. In addition, to further improve the method of independent cycle operation, regenerative feedwater heating is proposed to be added to the solar Rankine cycle and to simplify the independent operation of the two cycles. The reheat cycle, as proposed by Cohen, is eliminated. Finally, the concept of variable pressure operation is proposed for this novelty to further ease the operation and improve the economics of independent cycle operations.

The invention discloses a solar power generation method and a solar power generation system taking a biomass boiler as an auxiliary heat source. The system comprises a solar condensation heat collecting device, a biomass boiler device and a steam turbine generator system, wherein the solar condensation heat collecting device takes water as a medium and is combined by adopting medium-pressure solar vacuum heat collecting pipes in a series-parallel matrix; the outlet of the solar condensation heat collecting device is communicated with the bottom of a steam pocket of the biomass boiler; and the steam outlet of the steam pocket of the biomass boiler is connected with a cylinder of a steam turbine generator. A de-aerator and a water supply pump are connected in series in the water inlet pipeline of the solar condensation heat collecting device. A steam re-heater is connected in series in the connected pipeline of the steam outlet of the steam pocket of the biomass boiler and the cylinder of the steam turbine generator; the steam re-heater is connected to the cylinder of the steam turbine generator; and the steam re-heater is placed in a flue of the biomass boiler. A water supply tank is a desalting water storage tank, and the desalting water storage tank is connected with the de-aerator through the water supply pump and connected with the outlet of the solar condensation heat collecting device through a first control valve.

A solar concentration plant which uses water / steam as a heat-carrying fluid, in any thermodynamic cycle or system for the exploitation of process heat, which is comprised of an evaporation subsystem, where saturated steam is produced under the conditions of pressure of the system, and a superheater subsystem through which the steam reaches the required conditions of pressure and temperature at the turbine inlet, and in which an attemperation system (10) may be incorporated, these being physically separated and interconnected by means of a drum (5) in which the separation of water and steam takes place, and in which a strategic control of the pointing of the field of heliostats (1) towards either of the subsystems (evaporator or superheater) may be carried out, with individual or group pointing of the heliostats, in such a way that they jointly control both the pressure within the drum (5) and the outlet temperature of the superheated steam (11).

An apparatus for generating steam within a heat exchanger. In one aspect, the invention can be a heat exchanger comprising: a shell having an inner surface forming a cavity, the shell comprising an inlet for introducing the shell-side liquid into the cavity and an outlet for allowing the vapor to exit the cavity; a tube bundle comprising a plurality of tubes for carrying a tube-side fluid located in the cavity and having a longitudinal axis; a shroud circumferentially surrounding the tube bundle and positioned between the tube bundle and the inner surface of the shell so that an annular space exists between the shroud and the inner surface; an opening in a bottom portion of the shroud that forms a passageway between the annular space and the tube bundle; and an opening in a top portion of the shroud that forms a passageway between the annular space and the tube bundle.

The invention discloses a sensible heat accumulating type direct steam generation system based on parallel connection regulation as well as a method. The sensible heat accumulating type direct steam generation system comprises an outlet header, outlet connecting pipes, a heat accumulator, heat exchange tube bundles, a first temperature sensor, a sealed thermal insulation layer, motor operated valves, inlet connecting pipes, an inlet header, a circulating water pipe, a flow meter, a control cabinet, a water replenishing connecting pipe, a water storage tank, a second temperature sensor and a third temperature sensor. With the method of parallel connection of heat exchange pipelines, the problem that the heat exchange area per unit and the heat exchange power per unit are reduced continuously due to continuous reduction of the temperature in a heat exchange process of the sensible heat accumulator is solved effectively by changing the heat exchange area and reducing flow in single pipeline, the stability of output power of the system is improved, an effective solution is provided for replacing small and medium-sized coal burning boilers and electric boilers and providing stable steam with peak-valley electricity, and very good application prospect is provided.

A collector is provided including at least one photovoltaic cell for converting solar energy into electric energy, and at least one heat sink for converting solar energy into heat energy by heating a fluid, arranged so as to receive solar energy through the photovoltaic cell. The photovoltaic cell includes a plurality of vertically adjacent semiconductor junctions having different forbidden energy bands, each semiconductor junction having a forbidden energy band of greater than or equal to 1.2 eV, in particular greater than or equal to 1.4 eV.

In order to provide a method of operating a solar thermal power plant, in which a heat transfer medium is evaporated endothermally by solar radiation in an evaporator section, wherein the evaporator section comprises a plurality of evaporator branches, among which the heat transfer medium is distributed, in which method non-uniform radiation conditions of the evaporator section may be effectively taken into consideration, it is provided that the mass flow distribution at the evaporator section is controlled, wherein the mass flows are adjusted individually at all or a majority of the evaporator branches and a controlled variable is a variable characterizing a spatial energy rise in a respective evaporator branch in a region of the evaporator branch where the heat transfer medium has not yet evaporated.

A power generation system comprises a turbine and a fluid warming device in communication with the turbine. The fluid warming device may comprise a housing, an inlet pipe carried by the housing, an outlet pipe carried by the housing, and a plurality of solar collection members carried by the housing between the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe. The plurality of solar collection members may have a plurality of channels to receive fluid. The inlet pipe, the plurality of solar collection members, and the outlet pipe are in fluid communication with one another.

The invention discloses a solar water purifier based on interface solar photo-thermal conversion, which comprises a solar interface evaporator and a distilled water collector, the solar interface evaporator comprises an open water storage tray and a light absorber with high photo-thermal conversion efficiency, the light absorber is of a double-layer structure and is formed by compounding an upper-layer photo-thermal conversion material and a lower-layer thermal insulation material, and a dust-free cloth is arranged between the upper-layer material and the lower-layer material. During use, it needs to be guaranteed that the dust-free cloth can continuously make contact with the liquid level in a water storage disc, so that it is guaranteed that enough water is conveyed to the surface of thelight absorber to guarantee continuous evaporation. Only solar energy is used as driving energy, other energy sources are not consumed, meanwhile, the problem of replacement of a filter element of aconventional water purifier is avoided, and the device has the advantages of being portable, low in price, high in water purification efficiency and the like and can be stably applied to seawater desalination, sewage treatment and outdoor drinking water purification for a long time.

A run-up method for a solar steam power plant is proposed. In the run-up method an auxiliary steam is used to generate seal steam for a steam-turbine of the power plant. The auxiliary steam is produced by a heat-exchanger-system that is to provide, during a subsequent power-mode, overheated steam for driving the steam-turbine.

The invention relates to a medium-and-low temperature calcium cycling thermochemical energy storage device and method. The device comprises a solar heat collection device, an energy storage system and a power generation system. According to the Ca(OH)2 / CaO thermochemical energy storage system, energy storage is conducted through interconversion between thermal energy and chemical energy, when solar irradiation is sufficient, Ca(OH)2 solid particles are subjected to an endothermic decomposition reaction under the action of high-temperature water vapor generated by solar energy, and received heat is stored in decomposition products, namely CaO and H2O, in a chemical energy form; when the heat is released, CaO and H2O are subjected to a backward thermochemical reaction at normal pressure, and the chemical energy stored in CaO and H2O are inversely converted into the thermal energy and released out. The device and method are high in energy storage density, high in cycle efficiency and environmentally friendly, the structure is simple, and flexible control and application under variable working conditions are achieved.

A thermal power plant includes carbon dioxide capture scrubbing equipment that suppresses reductions in the efficiency and output of a steam turbine, and, at the same time, reduces variations in the amount of steam supplied from a solar heat collection apparatus to a reboiler and variations in the temperature and pressure of reboiler generated steam, and stably carries out reactions for separating carbon dioxide from an absorbent by heating. The thermal power plant includes the carbon dioxide capture scrubbing equipment for capturing carbon dioxide from a boiler exhaust gas and the solar heat collection apparatus. Steam generated by the solar heat collection apparatus is supplied to the reboiler provided for a regeneration tower of the carbon dioxide capture scrubbing equipment.

A solar receiver is disclosed. The solar receiver is modular, has multiple tube panels in a rectangular / square / polygonal / circular configuration, and is designed for use with molten salt or another heat transfer fluid. The heat transfer fluid flows in a vertical serpentine path through the sides (facets) of the solar receiver. The solar receiver can be shop assembled and can be used with a support tower to form a solar power system.

A solar-thermal power plant is provided. The solar-thermal power plant includes a working fluid circuit, a solar steam generator based on direct evaporation and a steam turbine for relieving the working fluid on a relief path while the working fluid supplies technical work. The solar-thermal power plant also includes at least one intermediate superheater, which can be heated using the working fluid. The working fluid may be removed from the circuit upstream of the intermediate superheater and superheated using the working fluid thereof, which can be fed downstream of the heating removal using the relief path. A method for operating a solar-thermal power plant is also provided.

The invention discloses a solar energy high-temperature storing and releasing system based on a thermochemical method. The solar energy high-temperature storing and releasing system comprises a heat transferring fluid supply subsystem, a reaction subsystem, a heat exchange subsystem, a condensing subsystem, a water steam generating subsystem, a water supply system and a Rankine steam electric generator set. Heat transferring fluid in a cold storing tank absorbs solar heat through a solar heat collector to become high-temperature heat transferring fluid and then enters a heat storing tank. At the time of heat storing, the high-temperature heat transferring fluid flows out from the bottom of the heat storing tank, flows into a heat exchange pipe inlet of a heat storing / releasing reactor and provides the heat for the reactor. Hydroxides on a reaction bed layer are subjected to a heat absorption and decomposition reaction to achieve heat energy storing. At the time of heat releasing, a steam generator provides water steam for the reactor, a hydration reaction is conducted, a large amount of heat is released, and heat energy is provided for the Rankine steam electric generator set through two modes of direct and indirect heat exchange. According to the solar energy high-temperature storing and releasing system, the requirement for energy saving and emission reduction can be met, the efficient, stable and high-grade heat energy is provided for solar energy heat power generating, and continuous operation of the heat power generating system is achieved.

Direct solar thermal steam generator with an ultra-compact linear Fresnel reflector field that has “travel and turn” capability by means of independent linear and rotational motion of reflectors.Method of positioning and orienting the reflectors of the traveling field such that the reflected energy of the field is maximized at all timesCrescent like rotational support rail of the reflector with its gravitational center in the center of the crescent. The curvature of the reflector is customized for each row of the fieldUltra-light, collector-absorber structure, with cable suspended arch-like tubular absorber, wide aperture, and secondary reflector with optimized light entrapmentFlow distribution and control method of the large horizontal solar thermal steam generation field.

An oil recovery system and method is disclosed. The system includes a solar power tower for receiving a first portion of water from a water treatment device. The solar power tower heats the first portion of water directly using solar radiation and generates a first steam. Further, the system includes a boiler for receiving a second portion of water from the water treatment device. The boiler heats the second portion of water and generates a second steam. Further, the system includes a flow control device coupled to the solar power tower and the boiler to receive at least one of the first steam and the second steam. The flow control device injects at least one of the first steam and the second steam to an oil field.

A system (112) for generating electric power from solar energy is provided. The system is comprised of a solar concentrator (302) formed of an optically reflective material having a curved surface. The curved surface defines a focal center or a focal line toward which light incident on the curved surface is reflected. A thermal energy collector (310) is positioned substantially at the focal center or along the focal line. A thermal energy converter (116-1) is operatively coupled to the thermal energy collector. The thermal energy converter is configured for converting thermal energy collected by the thermal energy collector to electric power. A fuel based power generation system (128) is also provided. The fuel based power generation system is operatively connected to the thermal energy converter. The thermal energy converter provides electric power to the fuel based power generation system for generating a fuel and an oxidizer when the thermal energy collector is exposed to solar radiation.

A solar plant including a solar field for production of steam, a turbine using steam, and an excess steam storage and draw off system. The system includes a latent heat thermal storage module and a liquid displacement thermal storage module including a liquid volume and a steam blanket. The modules are connected together so that the steam produced passes through the steam blanket before passing through the latent heat module, condensing, to be injected in the liquid volume, the lower part of the liquid volume being connected to the solar field and to an outlet of the turbine to let in or return cold liquid. The liquid volume acts as a liquid displacement reservoir.

Apparatus (1) for storing energy, comprising: a high pressure storage vessel (10) for receiving high pressure gas, the high pressure storage vessel (10) comprising high pressure heat storage means comprising a first chamber housing a first gas-permeable heat storage structure (14); and a low pressure storage vessel (11,12) for receiving low pressure gas, the low pressure storage vessel (11,12) comprising low pressure heat storage means comprising a second chamber housing a second gas-permeable heat storage structure (16,18); wherein the first heat storage structure (14) has a mean surface area per unit volume which is higher than a mean surface area per unit volume of the second heat storage structure (16,18).

The solar-based power generator is a system for producing usable electricity from water, which is heated through concentration of ambient, environmental light. The generator includes a reservoir having an open upper end. The reservoir receives a volume of water therein. A convex lens is mounted on an upper edge of the reservoir. The convex lens covers the open upper end. A steam output port is in fluid communication with a steam-based electrical generator. The convex lens concentrates ambient light on the water stored within the reservoir, thus heating the water and to converting the liquid water to steam. Additionally, a methane-burning electrical generator is in communication with the reservoir. Pollutants in the water produce methane during heating and decomposition, which is burned by the methane-burning electrical generator.