TEST RESULTS FROM A 10 kW_t SOLAR/NATURAL GAS HYBRID POOL BOILER RECEIVER

摘要

Dispatchability of solar-electric energy conversion systems which utilize fossil fuel to augment solar energy has major economic benefits over systems utilizing solar energy only. For hybridization to be effective, the combustion system must be durable, low cost, produce a low level of emissions, and operate over a wide power range. Thermal energy must be delivered uniformly and reliably to the engine during varied operating conditions, such as intermittent cloud cover.A 10 kW_t hybrid solar receiver using a natural gas burner to augment solar energy was built and tested. The program objective was met with on-sun testing at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) High-Flux Solar Furnace test facility in Golden, Colorado. Constant power was delivered to a thermal load at constant temperature over a wide range of solar insolation, with natural and simulated cloud cover. Pool temperature varied by less than 10°C when solar inputs varied from 6 kW to zero. Stable boiling and good overall performance was also demonstrated over a wide range of steady-state and transient conditions.