A 50 KWe solar power module.

摘要

This thesis addresses the comprehensive design analysis of a solar power station being designed and built by Power Kinetics, Inc. which can deliver 50 kilowatts of electricity to a utility grid. To backup the solar-fired boiler, an oil-fired boiler and superheater have been integrated into the system. The 300 m{dollar}sp2{dollar} solar collector, the largest collector (by 50%) in the world, is essentially an assembly of aluminum and glass. The tracking portion of the collector, a framework roughly 60 feet square, rotates on a polar axis between a north and south pier.; To track the sun, two motions are required. The first, provided for by the right ascension drive, moves the collector from east to west following the sun at a constant speed throughout the day. The second is powered by the declination drive which adjusts the rows of mirrors to compensate for the seasonal changes of the apparent motion of the sun and turns the mirrors down to prevent buildup of dirt, ice and snow. Controls use shadowbands to track the sun when the sun is out and use position data when the sky is cloudy. To minimize the wind profile during the night, or when the system is shut down, the collector faces south, or up. Solar energy is reflected into a receiver located on a bipod in front of the mirrors. The aperture of the receiver is 30 inches diameter which results in an average concentration ratio of about 730:1. Thermal energy delivered by the solar collector is converted into mechanical energy through the use of a reciprocating steam engine. The performance of the engine is 0.20 thermal to mechanical energy at 430{dollar}spcirc{dollar}C, at 800 psi. An induction generator has been specified which eliminates the requirements for synchronizing the output to the utility grid. The materials in a module and a tabulation of the energy required to produce them is listed. An estimate of the time to replenish the fuel and electricity invested in this solar equipment is then made.