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4. Solar Thermal Energy Storage 391

Vertical-Axis Tracker
Type of Sun Trackers Two-Axis Sun Tracker Azimuth-Elevation Tracker
acker
Tilted-Axis Tracker
One-Axis Sun Tr
Horizontal-Axis Tracker

FIGURE 12.13 Tilt-Roll (or Polar) Tracker
Some solar tracking platforms.
Reproduced from Adapted K.-K. Chong, C.-W. Wong, General Formula for On-Axis sun-tracking system, in: R.
Manyala (Ed.), Solar Collectors and Panels, Theory and Applications, Sciyo, 2010.

4. SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE
Solar thermal storage (STS) refers to the accumulation of energy collected by a
given solar field for its later use. In the context of this chapter, STS technologies
are installed to provide the solar plant with partial or full dispatchability, so that
the plant output does not depend strictly in time on the input, i.e., the solar irradia-
tion. STSs are TES systems where the source of heat is provided by the solar field,
capturing the excess of energy not directly converted into power or other useful util-
ity. As such, most TES technologies known can be adapted and have been adopted in
solar applications, in particular for power production. A detailed review on this topic
can be found in the literature. 9e12
The selection of an STS is determined by a set of physical, chemical, environ-
11
mental, and economic properties :
• Energy density of the storage material
• Heat transfer and mechanical properties
• Chemical compatibility and stability

9
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temperature thermal energy storage for power generation. Part 1 - Concepts, materials and modelliza-
tion, Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 14 (2010) 31e55.
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M. Medrano, A. Gil, I. Martorell, X. Potau, L.F. Cabeza, State of the art on high-temperature thermal
energy storage for power generation. Part 2 e Case studies, Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 14 (2010)
56e72.
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S. Kuravi, J. Trahan, D.Y. Goswami, M.M. Rahman, E.K. Stefanakos, Thermal energy storage tech-
nologies and systems for concentrating solar power plants, Prog. Energy Combust. Sci. 39 (2013)
285e319.
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M. Liu, N.H. Steven Tay, S. Bell, M. Belusko, R. Jacob, G. Will, W. Saman, F. Bruno, Review on
concentrating solar power plants and new developments in high temperature thermal energy storage
technologies, Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 53 (2016) 1411e1432.