An integrated computational model for the optimisation and simulation of the heliostat field and receiver components of central receiver concentrating solar power (CSP) facilities has been developed. The model has several unique features such as surface mesh description of all system components, consideration of real site topography, ray tracing based heliostat layout optimisation, and integrated optics, heat transfer and stress modelling. The model has been deployed in a multi-platform computer software package with a graphical user interface called Heliosim. In this paper, an overview of the user interface and physical modelling is presented, and case studies demonstrating the heliostat field layout and receiver geometry optimisation capabilities are described.
REFERENCES
1.
T.
Wetzel
et al, AIMS Energy
2
(1
), 89
–98
(2014
).2.
C. K.
Ho
and B. D.
Iverson
, Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev.
29
, 835
–846
(2014
).3.
C. K.
Ho
, “A new generation of solid particle and other high-performance receiver designs for concentrating solar thermal (CST) central tower systems”, in Advances in Concentrating Solar Thermal Research and Technology
, edited by M.
Blanco
and L.R.
Santigosa
(Woodhead Publishing
, 2017
), pp. 107
–128
.4.
Australian Renewable Energy Agency
, “Optimisation of central receivers for advanced power cycles
”, 2017
. [Online]. Available: https://arena.gov.au/projects/optimisation-of-central-receivers-for-advanced-power-cycles/. [Accessed: 07-Aug-2017].5.
D.
Potter
, A.
Burton
, and J.
Kim
, “Optimised Design of a 1 MWt Liquid Sodium Central Receiver System
”, in Proceedings of the Asia Pacific Solar Research Conference
, edited by R.
Egan
and R.
Passey
(Australian PV Institute
, 2015
), p. 10
.6.
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
, “Workspace: Scientific Workflow Platform
”, 2017
. [Online]. Available: . [Accessed: 07-Aug-2017].7.
P.
Cleary
, M.
Bolger
, L.
Hetherton
, B.
Morris
, C.
Rucinski
and D.
Watkins
, “Workspace: Scientific Workflow Platform
”, in Proceedings of the 7ᵗʰ eResearch Australasia Conference
(2013
). [Online]. Available: https://eresearchau.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/eresau2013_submission_89.pdf. [Accessed: 07-Aug-2017].8.
P.
Benito
, “Tonatiuh GitHub repository
”, 2017
. [Online]. Available: http://iat-cener.github.io/tonatiuh/. [Accessed: 07-Aug-2017].9.
C.-A.
Asselineau
, “Tracer GitHub repository
”. [Online]. Available: https://github.com/casselineau/Tracer. [Accessed: 07-Aug-2017].10.
T.
Wendelin
, “SolTRACE: A New Optical Modeling Tool for Concentrating Solar Optics
”, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
, Golden, CO, NREL/TP-5500-59163
, 2013
. [Online]. Available: http://proceedings.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/proceeding.aspx?articleid=1573456. [Accessed: 07-Aug-2017].11.
Belhomme
, R.
Pitz-Paal
, P.
Schwarzbözl
, and S.
Ulmer
, J. Sol. Energy Eng.
131
(3
), 031002
–1
–031002-8 (2009
).12.
N.
Ahlbrink
, B.
Belhomme
, R.
Flesch
, D. M.
Quinto
, and A.
Rong
, “STRAL: Fast Ray Tracing Software With Tool Coupling Capabilities for High-Precision Simulations of Solar Thermal Power Plants
”, in Proceedings of SolarPACES 2012
, (2012
).13.
S. G.
Parker
et al, ACM Trans. Graph.
29
(4
), 66:1
–66:13
(2010
).14.
OpenCascade
, “SALOME: The Open Source Integration Platform for Numerical Simulations
”, 2017
. [Online]. Available: http://www.salome-platform.org/. [Accessed: 07-Aug-2017].15.
J.-S.
Kim
, D.
Potter
, W.
Gardner
, Y.
Chean
, S.
Too
, and R. V.
Padilla
, AIP Conference Proceedings
1850
(1
), 030030
–1
–030030-9.16.
L.
Siebers
and J. S.
Kraabel
, “Estimating convective energy losses from solar central receivers
”, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Livermore, CA, SAND84-8717
, 1984
. [Online]. Available: http://www.osti.gov/scitech/biblio/6906848. [Accessed: 07-Aug-2017].17.
H. G.
Weller
, G.
Tabor
, H.
Jasak
, and C.
Fureby
, Comput. Phys.
12
(6
), 620
–631
(1998
).18.
The OpenFOAM
Foundation
“OpenFOAM
”, 2017
. [Online]. Available: http://www.openfoam.org. [Accessed: 07-Aug-2017].19.
K.
Rupp
et al, SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing.
38
, 412
–439
(2016
).20.
S. G.
Johnson
, “The NLopt nonlinear-optimization package
”, 2017
. [Online]. Available: http://ab-initio.mit.edu/nlopt. [Accessed: 07-Aug-2017].21.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
, “Solar Power tower Integrated Layout and Optimization Tool
”, 2017
. [Online]. Available: https://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpilot.html. [Accessed: 07-Aug-2017].22.
F. J.
Collado
and J.
Guallar
, Renew. Energy.
46
, 49
–59
(2012
).23.
J.
Noone
, M.
Torrilhon
, and A.
Mitsos
, Sol. Energy.
86
(2
), 792
–803
(2012
).
This content is only available via PDF.
© 2018 Author(s).
2018
Author(s)
