Page 6 - Design of Solar Thermal Power Plants

xii PREFACE

examples by integrating with practices of the author, so as to facilitate the
understanding of readers.
Solar irradiation serves as the basis for solar power utilization. The
evaluation of solar resources used by CSP generation is the most funda-
mental process for solar power plant design and site selection. Although
it has been stated in numerous articles, the author further discusses solar
resource evaluation by integrating his own research, especially stressing
its relationship with the site selection of thermal power plants.
Solar concentrators, solar receivers, and thermal storage are three ma-
jor core components for CSP systems. The section of the book that dis-
cusses these topics mainly explains equipment application, evaluation
methods for equipment performance, and the thinking and methods for
equipment design.
In equipment performance evaluation, great difficulties have been
encountered in the facula error analysis of the heliostat. The book offers
mathematical approaches and test methods corresponding to facula error
analyses of various types of heliostats, which basically have been derived
from the research achievements of the author and his graduate students.
Heat loss of receivers is the subject at the core of receiver design, with a
variety of analysis methods. The book offers a relatively simple calcula-
tion method and corresponding examples.
The book was preliminarily defined as a reference book similar to a
design manual by specifically referring to China’s state standard of
“Code for Design of Small-size Thermal Power Plant” (GB 50049), which
may be recognized by readers from its general arrangement. However, as
writing progressed, the author discovered that books about and refer-
ences for CSP generation technologies had rarely been seen in China,
while many methods were still under development and evolution.
Thus, it was determined that the major concepts and methods should
be explained more explicitly to benefit readers. By introducing these de-
scriptions and analyses, the book is easier to be understand and greater
reference value as well. These gains were made by sacrificing its original
style as a “design manual.”
The book was mainly composed by Wang Zhifeng with coauthors Guo
Minghuan (2.4, 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.2.3, 4.2.2, 4.2.3), Li Xin (5.5), Yu Qiang (2.6),
Gong Bo (4.7), and others.
The book was summarized and made by the author, his colleagues and
students, and the coauthors based on multiple years of research and engi-
neering practice in CSP technology. It is written by following the princi-
ples of sharing his own “fruits planted by himself” with readers and
thus striving for fewer examples extracted from the achievements of
others. The writing work started at the beginning of 2010 with a hope
that the book could be finished within a year and be capable of catching
up to “Chinese National 11th Five-Year Plan” 863 Program project