Page 23 - Design of Solar Thermal Power Plants

16 1. INTRODUCTION

FIGURE 1.5 Kuraymat parabolic trough/natural gas combined-cycle testing facilities.
Picture: Iberdrola, 2011.

In addition to utilizing thermal storage technology, a CSP generation
system can conduct a combined cycle with coal, fuel, natural gas,
biomass, and similar forms of power generation (Fig. 1.5)to
overcome its disadvantages of discontinuity and instability, realize
all-weather uninterrupted power generation, and achieve optimal
technical economy. The Beijing Badaling CSP testing power plant
can perform complementary operational experiments between
gas/fuel power plants and parabolic trough and solar tower power
plants (Fig. 1.6) [5].
Also, CSP generation can be combined with the thermochemical
process to realize highly efficient solar thermochemical power
generation. Waste heat of CSP generation can be used for seawater
desalinization (Fig. 1.7), space heating, and other uses, resulting in
integrated utilization. Recently, some scientists have also proposed
using CSP generation technology for the gasification and
liquidation of coal and for forming long-distance gas or liquid
fuels:
2. Power grid access. The instability of photovoltaic power generation
has created major challenges for power grid operation, whereas CSP
power generation can be connected to the power grid just as in
conventional thermal power generation without any adverse effects.
CSP power generation is a green power supply for the basic load.