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A software tool for the preliminary performance modelling of central receivers and associated power cycles
A software tool for assisting in the preliminary performance modelling of central receiver solar thermal plants was developed using Matlab®. Scope was limited to the thermodynamic study of the power cycle and receiver. The receiver model was validated by comparing results to published data. The mode...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Energy Research Centre
2016
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| _version_ | 1867613886475141120 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Smith, Lee |
| author2 | Bennett, Kevin |
| author_browse | Bennett, Kevin Smith, Lee |
| author_facet | Bennett, Kevin Smith, Lee |
| author_sort | Smith, Lee |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | A software tool for assisting in the preliminary performance modelling of central receiver solar thermal plants was developed using Matlab®. Scope was limited to the thermodynamic study of the power cycle and receiver. The receiver model was validated by comparing results to published data. The model was able to simulate billboard, C-cavity and cylindrical receivers within 1% in cases involving single-phase fluids and by at most 3% - 5% for water. Performance studies were conducted to demonstrate the usefulness of the model. Power cycle studies investigated the performance limits on non-reheated cycles as well as the effects of reheat and regenerative feedwater heating. The results showed expected trends of efficiency increasing with turbine inlet temperature and pressures. Also, efficiency was shown to increase asymptotically with number of feedwater heaters and reheat was shown to improve exhaust quality and efficiency. Billboard and cylindrical receivers were studied in detail using a number of heat transfer fluids, namely thermal oil, molten salt, molten sodium and water to compare the relative performance over a range of rated powers. Water and thermal oil were shown to be the best performing fluids for use in billboards and cylindrical receivers, respectively. Water and salt were shown to require the least area for use in billboards and cylindrical receivers, respectively. The effects of power cycle performance on receiver performance and size were investigated from which it was found that receiver efficiency increases marginally with power cycle efficiency but the required area is reduced significantly. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/18584 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:16.495Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publishDateRange | 2016 |
| publishDateSort | 2016 |
| publisher | Energy Research Centre |
| publisherStr | Energy Research Centre |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/18584 A software tool for the preliminary performance modelling of central receivers and associated power cycles Smith, Lee Bennett, Kevin Energy Studies A software tool for assisting in the preliminary performance modelling of central receiver solar thermal plants was developed using Matlab®. Scope was limited to the thermodynamic study of the power cycle and receiver. The receiver model was validated by comparing results to published data. The model was able to simulate billboard, C-cavity and cylindrical receivers within 1% in cases involving single-phase fluids and by at most 3% - 5% for water. Performance studies were conducted to demonstrate the usefulness of the model. Power cycle studies investigated the performance limits on non-reheated cycles as well as the effects of reheat and regenerative feedwater heating. The results showed expected trends of efficiency increasing with turbine inlet temperature and pressures. Also, efficiency was shown to increase asymptotically with number of feedwater heaters and reheat was shown to improve exhaust quality and efficiency. Billboard and cylindrical receivers were studied in detail using a number of heat transfer fluids, namely thermal oil, molten salt, molten sodium and water to compare the relative performance over a range of rated powers. Water and thermal oil were shown to be the best performing fluids for use in billboards and cylindrical receivers, respectively. Water and salt were shown to require the least area for use in billboards and cylindrical receivers, respectively. The effects of power cycle performance on receiver performance and size were investigated from which it was found that receiver efficiency increases marginally with power cycle efficiency but the required area is reduced significantly. 2016-04-05T11:37:17Z 2016-04-05T11:37:17Z 2011 Master Thesis Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18584 eng application/pdf Energy Research Centre Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Energy Studies Smith, Lee A software tool for the preliminary performance modelling of central receivers and associated power cycles |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | A software tool for the preliminary performance modelling of central receivers and associated power cycles |
| title_full | A software tool for the preliminary performance modelling of central receivers and associated power cycles |
| title_fullStr | A software tool for the preliminary performance modelling of central receivers and associated power cycles |
| title_full_unstemmed | A software tool for the preliminary performance modelling of central receivers and associated power cycles |
| title_short | A software tool for the preliminary performance modelling of central receivers and associated power cycles |
| title_sort | software tool for the preliminary performance modelling of central receivers and associated power cycles |
| topic | Energy Studies |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18584 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT smithlee asoftwaretoolforthepreliminaryperformancemodellingofcentralreceiversandassociatedpowercycles AT smithlee softwaretoolforthepreliminaryperformancemodellingofcentralreceiversandassociatedpowercycles |