parabol\ ic troughs, dish/engine systems, )Tj

0 -1.2 TD
(and central-receiver systems. These technologies can be used to generate\ electricity for a variety of )Tj
T*
(applications, ranging from remote power systems as small as a few kilowa\ tts \(kW\) up to grid-connected )Tj
T*
(applications of 200-350 megawatts \(MW\) or more. A concentrating solar \ power system that produces 350 )Tj
T*
(MW of electricity displaces the energy equivalent of 2.3 million barrels\ of oil. )Tj
/T1_1 1 Tf
0 -2.55714 TD
(Trough Systems )Tj
/T1_0 1 Tf
0 -1.2 TD
(These solar collectors use mirrored parabolic troughs to focus the sun's\ energy to a fluid-carrying receiver )Tj
T*
(tube located at the focal point of a parabolically curved trough reflect\ or. The energy from the sun sent to the )Tj
T*
(tube heats oil flowing through the tube, and the heat energy is then use\ d to generate electricity in a )Tj
T*
(conventional steam generator. )Tj
0 -2.55714 TD
(Many troughs placed in parallel rows are called a "collector field." The\ troughs in the field are all aligned )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(along a north-south axis so they can track the sun from east to west dur\ ing the day, ensuring that the sun is )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(continuously focused on the receiver pipes. Individual trough systems cu\ rrently can generate about 80 MW )Tj
T*
(of electricity. Trough designs can incorporate thermal storage\227settin\ g aside the heat transfer fluid in its hot )Tj
T*
(phase\227allowing for electricity generation several hours into the even\ ing. )Tj
0 -2.55714 TD
(Currently, all parabolic trough plants are "hybrids," meaning they use f\ ossil fuels to supplement the solar )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(output during periods of low solar radiation. Typically, a natural gas-f\ ired heat or a gas steam boiler/)Tj
T*
(reheater is used. Troughs also can be integrated with existing coal-fire\ d plants. )Tj
/T1_1 1 Tf
0 -2.55714 TD
(Dish Systems )Tj
/T1_0 1 Tf
0 -1.2 TD
(Dish systems use dish-shaped parabolic mirrors as reflectors to concentr\ ate and focus the sun's rays onto a )Tj
T*
(receiver, which is mounted above the dish at the dish center. A dish/eng\ ine system is a stand-alone unit )Tj
T*
(composed primarily of a collector, a receiver, and an engine. It works b\ y collecting and concentrating the )Tj
T*
(sun's energy with a dish-shaped surface onto a receiver that absorbs the\ energy and transfers it to the )Tj
T*
(engine. The engine then converts that energy to heat. The heat is then c\ onverted to mechanical power, in a )Tj
T*
(manner similar to conventional engines, by compressing the working fluid\ when it is cold, heating the )Tj
T*
(compressed working fluid, and then expanding it through a turbine or wit\ h a piston to produce mechanical )Tj
T*
(power. An electric generator or alternator converts the mechanical power\ into electrical power. )Tj
0 -2.55714 TD
(Dish/engine systems use dual-axis collectors to track the sun. The ideal\ concentrator shape is parabolic, )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(created either by a single reflective surface or multiple reflectors, or\ facets. Many options exist for receiver )Tj
T*
(and engine type, including Stirling cycle, microturbine, and concentrati\ ng photovoltaic modules. Each dish )Tj
T*
(produces 5 to 50 kW of electricity and can be used independently or link\ ed together to increase generating )Tj
T*
(capacity. A 250-kW plant composed of ten 25-kW dish/engine systems requi\ res less than an acre of land. )Tj
0 -2.55714 TD
(Dish/engine systems are not commercially available yet, although ongoing\ demonstrations indicate good )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(potential. Individual dish/engine systems currently can generate about 2\ 5 kW of electricity. More capacity )Tj
T*
(is possible by connecting dishes together. These systems can be combined\ with natural gas, and the )Tj
ET
EMC
/Artifact <</Type /Pagination /BBox [18 5.33281 582 14 ]/Attached [/Bottom ]>>BD
C
Q
BT
/T1_0 1 Tf
8.66719 0 0 8.66719 18 7.42256 Tm
(http://www.eere.energy.gov/erec/factsheets/csp.html \(2 of 6\)6/5/2004 6\ :10:04 AM)Tj
ET
EMC
endstream endobj 81 0 obj 4601 endobj 82 0 obj<</Length 81 0 R>>stream
/Artifact <</Type /Pagination /BBox [18 778.33282 582 787 ]/Attached [/Top ]>>BD
C
0 0 0 rg
0 i
BT
/T1_0 1 Tf
0 Tc 0 Tw 0 Ts 100 Tz 0 Tr 8.66719 0 0 8.66719 18 780.42256 Tm
(Concentrating Solar Power: Energy from Mirrors)Tj
ET
EMC
/Article <</MCID 0 >>BDC
q
0 18 612 756 re
W* n
BT
/T1_0 1 Tf
13.4823 0 0 13.4823 12.51927 754.71603 Tm
(resulting hybrid provides continuous power generation. )Tj
/T1_1 1 Tf
0 -2.55714 TD
(Central Receiver Systems )Tj
/T1_0 1 Tf
0 -1.2 TD
(Central receivers \(or power towers\) use thousands of individual sun-tr\ acking mirrors called "heliostats" to )Tj
T*
(reflect solar energy onto a receiver located on top of a tall tower. The\ receiver collects the sun's heat in a )Tj
T*
(heat-transfer fluid \(molten salt\) that flows through the receiver. The\ salt's heat energy is then used to make )Tj
T*
(steam to generate electricity in a conventional steam generator, located\ at the foot of the tower. The molten )Tj
T*
(salt storage system retains heat efficiently, so it can be stored for ho\ urs or even days before being used to )Tj
T*
(generate electricity. Therefore, a central receiver system is composed o\ f five main components: heliostats, )Tj
T*
(receiver, heat transport and exchange, thermal storage, and controls. )Tj
0 -2.55714 TD
(By using thermal storage, power tower plants can potentially operate for\ 65 percent of the year without the )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(need for a back-up fuel source. Without energy storage, solar technologi\ es like this are limited to annual )Tj
T*
(capacity factors near 25 percent. The power tower's ability to operate f\ or extended periods of time on stored )Tj
T*
(solar energy separates it from other renewable energy technologies. )Tj
/T1_1 1 Tf
0 -2.55714 TD
(Solar One, Two, "Tres" )Tj
/T1_0 1 Tf
0 -1.2 TD
(The U.S. Department of Energy \(DOE\), and a consortium of U.S. utilitie\ s and industry, built this country's )Tj
T*
(first two large-scale, demonstration solar power towers in the desert ne\ ar Barstow, California. Solar One )Tj
T*
(operated successfully from 1982 to 1988, proving that power towers work \ efficiently to produce utility-)Tj
T*
(scale power from sunlight. The Solar One plant used water/steam as the h\ eat-transfer fluid in the receiver; )Tj
T*
(this presented several problems in terms of storage and continuous turbi\ ne operation. To address these )Tj
T*
(problems, an upgrade of Solar One was planned \227Solar Two. Solar Two o\ perated from 1996 to 1999. Both )Tj
T*
(systems had the capacity to produce 10 MW of power. )Tj
0 -2.55714 TD
(Solar Two demonstrated how nitrate salt \(molten salt\) could be used as\ the heat-transfer fluid in the )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(receiver and as the heat storage media as well. At Solar Two, the molten\ nitrate salt reached approximately )Tj
T*
(1,050\260F \(565\260C\) in the receiver and then traveled to a storage t\ ank, which had a capacity of 3 hours of )Tj
T*
(storage. Solar Two demonstrated how solar energy can be stored efficient\ ly and economically as heat in )Tj
T*
(tanks of molten salt so that power can be produced even when the sun isn\ 't shining. It also fostered )Tj
T*
(commercial interest in power towers. Two of the project's key industry p\ artners have been pursuing )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(commercial solar power tower plant opportunities in Spain. )Tj
0 -2.55714 TD
(Solar energy premiums and other incentives under review in Spain create \ an attractive market opportunity, )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(providing the economic incentives needed to reduce the initial high cost\ and risk of commercializing a new )Tj
T*
(technology. The Spanish project, called "Solar Tres" or Solar Three, wil\ l use all the proven molten-salt )Tj
T*
(technology of Solar Two, scaled up by a factor of three. Although Solar \ Two was a demonstration project, )Tj
T*
(Solar Tres will be operated by industry as a long-term power production \ project. This utility-scale solar )Tj
T*
(power could be a major source of clean energy worldwide, offsetting as m\ uch as 4 million metric tons of )Tj
T*
(carbon equivalent through 2010. )T