Sizing of Direct-Contact Preheater-Boilers for Solar-Pond Power Plants

摘要

The methods available for sizing a direct-contact preheater/boiler for an organic (pentane) Rankine cycle coupled to a solar pond are critically reviewed. The overall operation of the pond, power cycle, and heat exchanger is described. Methods are described for determining the cross-sectional areas of the liquid/liquid and vaporization zones, and heat transfer in each zone is discussed. Heat exchanger designs are described, including packed towers and spray towers, and estimated costs are compared. Areas requiring further research are defined and include confident sizing of heat exchangers. Methods exist for predicting the cross-sectional area and height of the liquid/liquid preheat section, but agreement between the methods is found to be poor. Correlations for the boiling section are found to be inadequate for use in designing a plant. Direct contact is found to offer greatly reduced cost. (ERA citation 07:049779)