Plantwide Operation of Hybrid Solar Thermal Power Plant with Salt Storage Tank

Abstract

This paper addresses the need for sustainable energy solutions by focusing on solar thermal power plants (STPP) integrated with thermal energy storage (TES) technology. STPP harnesses solar energy through mirrors or lenses to generate steam, which drives turbines for electricity production. Integration of TES systems, particularly two-tank indirect TES, with molten salt, enhances the reliability and flexibility of STPPs. The study considers a hybrid STPP where both parabolic trough collector (PTC) and linear fresnel reflector (LFR) act as solar concentrators. This hybrid STPP is integrated with molten salt energy storage enabling uninterrupted electricity generation even in adverse weather conditions such as cloud cover and during nighttime hours. A detailed plantwide dynamic simulation study of the hybrid STPP equipped with molten salt storage has been presented. The resulting plant performance has been evaluated using different performance metrics. Simulations over a two-day period demonstrate that with the use of salt storage, the hybrid STPP is capable of continuously generating power, including at nighttime as well as during cloud cover periods in the daytime.

Keywords: Solar thermal power plant, Molten salt storage, Dynamic modeling, Parabolic trough collector, Linear fresnel reflector, Heat exchanger