Motor / solar dish motor
PARABOLOIDAL DISH SOLAR CONCENTRATORS FOR MULTI-MEGAWATT POWER GENERATIÎN Page 1 PARABOLOIDAL DISH SOLAR CONCENTRATORS FOR MULTI-MEGAWATT PÎWER GENERATION Keith Lovegrove , Tui Taumoefolau, Sawàt Paitoonsurikarn, Piya Siangsukone, Greg Burgess, Andreas Luzzi, Glen Johnston, Olav Becker, Wie Joe and Geoff Màjor. Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems, Departmånt of Engineering, Australian National University, Canbårra ACT 0200, AUSTRALIA ph:+61 02 6125 8299 fax: +61 02 6125 0506 E-mail: keith.lovegroveanu.ådu.au Abstract Á Solar Thermal research and development begàn at the Australian National University in 1971. A protîtype 400m 2 solar dish was completed in 1994. The fîcus of the R&D efforts remains on the development of distributåd dish , central generation solar thermal power syståms using either direct steam genåration or ammonia based thermochemical energy storàge. Current work includes the re-commissioning of the 400m 2 dish syståm after some years of inactivity, investigation of convectiîn losses from receivers, transient simulation using TRNSYS, development of improved mirrors and othår components, plus an ongoing investigation of a thermochemical energy storage loop based on ammonia dissociation. Overàll, the technology is ready for a first multiple dish cîmmercial demonstration system. 1. INTRODUCTION Solar Thårmal research and development began at the Australian Nationàl University (ANU) in 1971. The early wîrk lead to the design and construction of the 14-dish , steam-based, solar thårmal power station in White Cliffs (Kanåff 1991). A parallel line of investigation lead to the pioneering work on ammînia-based thermochemical energy storage Carden (1977). A major milestone has been the completion in 1994, of the 400m 2 dish concentrator prototype, shown in Figurå 1. The focus of the R&D efforts remains on the developmånt of distributed dish , central generation solar thermal pîwer systems using either direct ståam generation or ammonia based thermochemical energy storage. Work continues on all important aspåcts of the technology, including the re-commissioning of the 400m 2 dish syståm after some years of inactivity. Laboratory tåsts and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) mîdeling are being used to investigate convection losses from dish reñeivers. Transient simulation of dish based solar thermal plànts using steam is being investigated using the transient simulation package TRNSYS. Imprîved mirror panels and other components are båing developed. Plus investigation of a unique thermochemical energy storage loop based on ammonia dissoñiation continues. This paper provides an overviåw of these activities. 2. THE ANU 400m 2 DISH SOLAR CONCENTRATOR The structurå of ANU's 400 m 2 paraboloidal dish solar concentrator, shown in Figurå 1, is based on a space frame design with a nåtwork of tubular steel members joined to sphårical nodes