How does a solar power tower system work and how is it different from parabolic trough systems?
In a solar power tower system, computer-controlled mirrors track the position of the sun to reflect light onto a ‘central receiver’ or boiler sitting atop a tower. The boiler, containing water, is designed to be heated from the outside to produce superheated pressurized steam. The steam is then transported to a traditional steam turbine generator to produce electricity. By contrast, parabolic trough systems use synthetic oil as an intermediate ‘heat-transfer fluid’ to absorb heat, which is then pumped through heat-collecting pipes mounted in the focus of parabolic trough-shaped mirrors. The pipes pass through a heat exchanger to generate steam, which drives a turbine generator to produce electricity.
Related Questions
- For the parabolic trough systems, what effect does using a different fluid for the solar field HTF and the storage fluid number have on the system output?
- BrightSource says that power tower systems are actually easier to implement than parabolic trough systems. Why is this?
- How does a solar power tower system work and how is it different from parabolic trough systems?
