Potential uses of a prototype linear Fresnel concentration system

Abstract

This study analyzes the energy potential of a linear Fresnel solar (LFS) system based on a case study of the equipment mounted in the city of San Carlos, Salta province, Argentina. The average thermal power and thermal losses from the absorber and field pipes to the environment were calculated by hour, taking into account the hourly direct normal irradiance (DNI) obtained by Liu-Jordan method, based on global horizontal irradiation (GHI) measurements. This paper shows the amount of thermal energy that the LFS under study is able to generate for processes such as hard water desalination, electric power generation, and drying of vegetables. The results of the calculations show that the linear Fresnel system is capable of producing steam with thermal energy in the range of 460–1200 MJth, which means an annual production of 243 GJth. As for the power block, it is possible to obtain an annual generation of 1.5 GWhe, depending on operating conditions of the steam engine (288 rpm regime at 6 bar). The production of desalinated water reaches the range of 98–112 m3, depending on whether the steam is previously used for power electric generation or not.