TY - GEN
T1 - Techno-economic optimization of a scaled-up solar concentrator combined with CSPonD thermal energy storage
AU - Musi, Richard
AU - Grange, Benjamin
AU - Diago, Miguel
AU - Topel, Monika
AU - Armstrong, Peter
AU - Slocum, Alexander
AU - Calvet, Nicolas
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Author(s).
PY - 2017/6/27
Y1 - 2017/6/27
N2 - A molten salt direct absorption receiver, CSPonD, used to simultaneously collect and store thermal energy is being tested by Masdar Institute and MIT in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Whilst a research-scale prototype has been combined with a beam-down tower in Abu Dhabi, the original design coupled the receiver with a hillside heliostat field. With respect to a conventional power-tower setup, a hillside solar field presents the advantages of eliminating tower costs, heat tracing equipment, and high-pressure pumps. This analysis considers the industrial viability of the CSPonD concept by modeling a 10 MWe up-scaled version of a molten salt direct absorption receiver combined with a hillside heliostat field. Five different slope angles are initially simulated to determine the optimum choice using a combination of lowest LCOE and highest IRR, and sensitivity analyses are carried out based on thermal energy storage duration, power output, and feed-in tariff price. Finally, multi-objective optimization is undertaken to determine a Pareto front representing optimum cases. The study indicates that a 40° slope and a combination of 14 h thermal energy storage with a 40-50 MWe power output provide the best techno-economic results. By selecting one simulated result and using a feed-in tariff of 0.25 /kWh, a competitive IRR of 15.01 % can be achieved.
AB - A molten salt direct absorption receiver, CSPonD, used to simultaneously collect and store thermal energy is being tested by Masdar Institute and MIT in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Whilst a research-scale prototype has been combined with a beam-down tower in Abu Dhabi, the original design coupled the receiver with a hillside heliostat field. With respect to a conventional power-tower setup, a hillside solar field presents the advantages of eliminating tower costs, heat tracing equipment, and high-pressure pumps. This analysis considers the industrial viability of the CSPonD concept by modeling a 10 MWe up-scaled version of a molten salt direct absorption receiver combined with a hillside heliostat field. Five different slope angles are initially simulated to determine the optimum choice using a combination of lowest LCOE and highest IRR, and sensitivity analyses are carried out based on thermal energy storage duration, power output, and feed-in tariff price. Finally, multi-objective optimization is undertaken to determine a Pareto front representing optimum cases. The study indicates that a 40° slope and a combination of 14 h thermal energy storage with a 40-50 MWe power output provide the best techno-economic results. By selecting one simulated result and using a feed-in tariff of 0.25 /kWh, a competitive IRR of 15.01 % can be achieved.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85023619138&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1063/1.4984484
DO - 10.1063/1.4984484
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85023619138
T3 - AIP Conference Proceedings
BT - SolarPACES 2016
T2 - 22nd International Conference on Concentrating Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems, SolarPACES 2016
Y2 - 11 October 2016 through 14 October 2016
ER -
