Method and system for controlling the operation of a csp receiver

Abstract

There is provided a concentrated solar energy collection system including an array of heliostats and a solar receiver including a plurality of tubes having at least one inlet and at least one outlet for carrying a heat transfer fluid. A flow control arrangement is provided for controlling the flow of heat transfer fluid through the tubes, and includes at least one radiation sensor such as a pyranometer for sensing values representative of the aggregate solar radiation falling on the solar receiver via the heliostats. At least one temperature sensor measures input temperature of the heat transfer fluid (HTF) at or near the inlet. A controller responsive to the radiation sensor and the at least one temperature sensor regulates the outlet temperature of the HTF by controlling the flow of HTF through the tubes via the flow control arrangement. A pressure differential sensor arrangement measures pressure differential across the flow control arrangement, providing an input to the controller.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to a method and a system for controlling the operation of a CSP (Concentrated Solar Energy) receiver, and a CSP installation comprising such a system. Background technique [0002] In one form of tower-based CSP, solar reflection is used as a heat source by using an array of sun-tracking heliostats to focus the sun onto a tower-based receiver to heat a heat transfer fluid (HTF). The HTF flows through the receiver and is heated to the target outlet temperature. It is desirable to minimize variations in outlet temperature, both to improve process control of the power block, and to reduce stress variations and increase the life of mechanical and structural components affected by HTF temperatures. [0003] Since the heat input of a CSP device relies on focusing the sun on the receiver, it can go from full to zero power almost instantly. This can happen involuntarily, as clouds and other atmospheric disturbances block the sun...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0005] Because of the significant time delay in the effect of changes in receiver heat input on the outlet temperature, closed-loop control of flow using outlet temperature feedback is relatively unstable and leads to significant over-and-under-shoots of the outlet temperature

Closed-loop control can be improved by using thermal imaging to measure the temperature of the receiver, however, while this reduces the time delay in the feedback, the control is still relatively unstable

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