Design of Field Layout for Central Receiver System to Generate 100–150 kW Solar Thermal Power

Abstract

In harvesting Solar Energy via, solar thermal power, design of optical field layout is one of the important parameter for efficient land usage and also optimizing the field for energy efficiency available in a given region. Thus, in concentrated solar power (CSP) we investigate a procedure for the design and optimization of heliostat field layout for a thermal power 100–150 kW having 5–7 operational hours. First, in the design of heliostat for a given power requirement, we propose the position of the heliostat, along with curvature and dimension of the heliostat. Second, for the optimal layout, shadow lengths, altitude, and azimuthal angles were considered along with different seasons at different times with respect to Jodhpur location latitude and longitude angles. The position of the heliostat were considered, which gives minimum cosine losses. The total number of heliostat considered were ranging from 50 to 60, having varying curvature depending on its distance from the receiver, were used in the layout design. Each mirror having 6.25 m2 area and are approximately arranged in the field of 0.57 acres area of land. The field layouts are discussed in details in terms of blocking and shadowing effects. Finally, a proposed layout is discussed for the application of CSP.