Working of Loops
There are two loops namely primary loop and secondary loop. The primary loop consists of the solar array and heat storage unit. When the sun is shining parabolic concentrators will focus the sun’s rays onto a small spherical receiver connected to a piping system. This will heat up the receiver to temperatures in excess of 1000K. An inert gas will be passed through the piping system to collect the heat energy and once the working fluid gas has reached the desired temperature it is sent to a solid-state heat storage unit to deposit excess energy. The working fluid gas then deposits the rest of its energy into a liquid working fluid of the secondary loop that will drive a turbine for the purposes of electricity generation. At night time the heat stored in the heat storage unit continues to drive the turbines so that electricity can be generated continuously.
Salient Features
- Dual axis sun tracking system with parabolic dish reflectors resulting in very high concentration ratios.
- Patented multilayer vacuum insulation system which permits operation at very high temperatures.
- Patented fixed focal point receiver and dual piping system designed to accommodate thermal expansion without the use of expensive flexible joints.
- Vacuum insulated receiver and piping system to eliminate conduction and convection heat losses and patented multilayer insulation to minimize radiation losses.
- Patented heat storage unit utilizing sand and steel to permit large amounts of energy storage at very low costs. The heat storage unit will be cycled between temperatures of approximately 1100K and 900K.
- The entire solar array and heat storage unit are completely eco-friendly containing non-toxic materials and are completely recyclable and reusable. Unlike battery storage which uses toxic materials which have to be replaced on a regular basis, our heat storage unit has virtually infinite life and all natural environment friendly low-cost materials.
- Solid-state heat storage unit eliminating problems of liquid thermal storage.
- Self-cleaning and dust reduction mechanisms to reduce maintenance downtime and costs.
Heat Storage
Heat storage is a major problem in the existing solar plants which hinder the around the clock generation of electricity and hence reducing the efficiency of the plant. We have designed a cheap and effective storage unit which will ensure smooth operation of the plant regardless of the environmental conditions. In addition, our storage unit is environment friendly free of toxins and all components of plant are either biodegradable or reusable at the end of the lifecycle.
The heat storage comprises of two cylindrical bodies concentrically enclosing with a predetermined space in between them and will use a combination of iron and sand as a storage medium. Sand is being used as a medium since it is cost effective and is stable at elevated temperatures. The large heat storage unit will be insulated well to keep the heat loss to a minimum.
Cleaning Mechanism
Providing a proper cleaning system is essential for a solar plant since they occupy large spaces and dust accumulation is natural. Our design needs minimum maintenance and labor for cleaning of the plant which makes it very economical.