Weather influence on solar thermal power plants operation on mars

Abstract

For many years space researchers realized that in some specific situations solar dynamic power systems can provide significant savings in life cycle costs when compared with conventional photovoltaic power systems with battery storage (Menetrey 1963; Secunde et al. 1989; Prisnjakov 1991; Prisnjakov et al. 1991). A standard solar dynamic power system uses a mirror to concentrate solar radiation onto an absorber structure. By conduction through a solid material or circulation of a working fluid, the absorber heat is transferred to a thermal engine (i.e. a turbogenerator, Stirling engine, termocouple or thermionic-emitter). Alternators coupled to these thermal engines may generate electrical energy. Previous practice proved that three different cycles can be used for thermodynamic conversion of solar radiation: Brayton, Rankine and Stirling (Menetrey 1963; Prisnjakov 1991; Prisnjakov et al. 1991). For continuos operation during dark periods the use of melted materials to store thermal energy is being considered. Among the advantages of dynamic power systems one could quote their ability to provide electrical energy and heat simultaneously, the fact that the power plant may be unified by using either solar or nuclear energy or their relative invulnerability to corpuscular particles and to electromagnetic radiation and the possibility of power control according to a given power consumption schedule (Prisnjakov 1991). © 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.