Heliostat cost reduction for power tower plants.

Date
2017-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Heliostats typically contribute to about 40 % of the total installed costs in a concentrated solar power (CSP) tower plant. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of heliostat size on the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). These effects are analysed in a power tower with a net capacity of 100 MWe with 8 hours of thermal energy storage in Upington, South Africa. A large, medium and a small sized heliostat with a total area of 115.56 m2, 43.33 m2 and 16.69 m2 respectively are considered for comparison. The heliostat cost per unit is calculated separately for the three different heliostat sizes and the effects due to size scaling, learning curve benefits and the price index is considered. The annual operation and maintenance (O&M) costs are estimated separately for the three heliostat fields, where the number of personnel required in the field is determined by the number of heliostats in the field. The LCOE values are used as a figure of merit to compare the different heliostat sizes. The lowest theoretical LCOE value of 0.1960 $/kWhe is achieved using the medium size heliostat with an area of 43.33 m2 for this power tower configuration.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Heliostate dra gemiddeld 40 % by tot die totale geïnstalleerde kostes van ‘n sentrale toring gekonsentreerde sonkrag stasie. Die doel van hierdie studie is om die effek van heliostaat grote op die huidige waarde van die gemiddelde jaarlikse totale koste, [“Levelized Cost of Electricity” (LCOE)] van só ‘n kragstasie te ondersoek. Hierdie effekte word ondersoek op ‘n toring met ‘n kapasiteit van 100 MWe, en 8 ure se termiese stoor kapasiteit, in Upington, Suid Afrika. ’n Groot, medium en klein heliostaat sal gemodelleer word, met oppervlak areas van 115.56 m2, 43.33 m2 en 16.69 m2 elk, om die resultate te vergelyk. Die heliostaat eenheidskostes word apart bereken vir elk van die drie grotes, met die effekte van opskalering, leer-kurwe voordele en prys-indekse in ag geneem. Die jaarlikse operasionele en onderhoud kostes word vir elke grote apart beraam, waar die hoeveelheid personeel benodig bepaal word deur die hoeveelheid helsiostate in die veld. Die LCOE waardes vir elke grote word gebruik om die meriete daarvan te bepaal. Die laagste teoretiese LCOE wat bereik is, was 0.1960 $/kWhe, vir die 43.33 m2 heliostaat.
Description
Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2017.
Keywords
Heliostat, Solar power plants -- Cost control, Concentrating solar power, UCTD
Citation