Type of solar thermal

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System
System Posts: 2,511 admin
in Advanced Solar Electric Technical Forum #1
Hi

i'm doing a study about the way to use the solar heat in solar plants (specially for producing electricity).

I've found that there are 4 types for concentrating the energy:
-parabolic trough
-Stirling (parabolic) dish
-Linear Fresnel Reflectors
-solar tower with heliostats

in addition, there is another type that doesn't concetrate the energy, but uses solar energy to produce electricity: the solar tower (chimney) that heats the aire and produces a vertical ascendet flow that moves a turbine.


There are any other (even strange) types to use the thermal energy? Thats my question. Thanks everybody!!
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,447 admin
    #2
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    Re: Type of solar thermal

    The working fluid(s) such as some type of oil to collect the heat, perhaps a water boiler to generate steam for turbines, various types of materials to stor the heat for later use, etc.

    Some use an inert gas with a self contained Stirling Engine...

    And you don't even have to solar directly for the heat--there are co-generation sites that use waste heat from generator plants to heat businesses, dry fruit, etc. There are geothermal sites that use heat in the ground to generate steam for turbines (PDF File download), etc...

    You can break down the question into Energy type, working medium, storage (if any), output (generator, hot air, etc.).

    In the end, the larger the difference between the "hot" and the "cold", the "easier" it is to generate power... In theory, you could float a boat in tropical water and use the warm surface water for heat and the very cold sea water thousands of feet down for cooling. People are trying--but the cost for such a system (ship, piping, pumping, maintenance, etc.) for such a low potential temperature difference makes it difficult to do economically (plus potential environmental issues for this, and any other large scale power plant).

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #3
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    Re: Type of solar thermal

    well, thanks for the answer, but i was hoping for some more concret answer

    i just want more types to use the thermal in solar plants (not domestic house). Anyone has more ideas?
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #4
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    Re: Type of solar thermal

    There is this company called Solar & Thermal http://solarandthermal.com/ that has a amusingly funny website and some interesting factoids about solar energy. They boil ammonia to make electricity... sounds like a plan to me.
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