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Solar Thermal Energy: Can Be The Future

Solar thermal energy can be used to produce electricity through concentrated solar power (CSP) systems. There are three main types of CSP systems: solar power towers, solar dish systems, and linear concentrators such as parabolic troughs and linear Fresnel reflectors. CSP systems use mirrors to focus sunlight onto receivers that collect solar energy as heat, which is then used to drive steam turbines that generate electricity. Solar thermal energy is a renewable source but has the disadvantages of high initial costs and being dependent on weather conditions.

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Louis Okyere-Gyamfi
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71 views23 pages

Solar Thermal Energy: Can Be The Future

Solar thermal energy can be used to produce electricity through concentrated solar power (CSP) systems. There are three main types of CSP systems: solar power towers, solar dish systems, and linear concentrators such as parabolic troughs and linear Fresnel reflectors. CSP systems use mirrors to focus sunlight onto receivers that collect solar energy as heat, which is then used to drive steam turbines that generate electricity. Solar thermal energy is a renewable source but has the disadvantages of high initial costs and being dependent on weather conditions.

Uploaded by

Louis Okyere-Gyamfi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Solar Thermal Energy

Can be the future

Z.M.T
Introduction
• Solar energy is one of the most important available energy sources
that can be exploited, as it is an unlimited and environmentally
friendly energy compared to some other sources (oil, coal...). The
primary forms of solar energy are heat and light. Sunlight and heat
are transformed and absorbed by the environment in a multitude of
ways.
• Solar energy is divided into two types:
<< Photovoltaique solar energy
<<Solar thermal energy
What is solar thermal energy ?
Solar thermal energy
Solar thermal energy is the type which depend on
converting solar irradiations into thermal energy either
for heating or electricity production
Classification
Passive systems

Active systems
Heating

Solar
thermal

CSP Systems

Electricity
Passive systems
• Passive systems are the systems which dosen’t have any mechanical devices
(fans, pompes..) and use dierctly the sunlights as heat energy like in greenhouses
, solar oven , house heating

No Pumps No Fans
House Heating
thermal mass near the window
placed some distance from the glass.
The sunlight causes the thermal mass
and the air between the glass and
thermal mass to be warmed. The less
dense hot air goes to the top, enters
the room, and is replaced by cold air
from the room. The convective flow
is continued until a balanced
temperature is attained in the room.
Solar Cocker
Solar cookers are devices that use
direct sunlight as heating energy to
cook food and enable
important processes such as
sterilization and pasteurization. The
principle of the solar cookers
is to catch UV light rays and convert
them to longer infrared light rays
while not allowing them
to escape. The sun rays are this way
converted into heat energy
Solar Cocker Types

Solar panel cooker Solar Spherical


Solar Box Cocker
SCocker
Active systems
• The non-concentrating solar collectors
A solar collector is a device that actively gathers solar radiation, convert it to heat
and
transform such heat to a receiving medium such as air, water or solar fluid which is
then
used for domestic purposes.
• There is two main types non-concentrating solar collectors :
>> Flat Plate Solar Collector
>> Evacuated tube solar collector
Working principle of solar collector system
A solar thermal system converts sunlight into heat and
consists of the following components:
• collector
• storage technology (e.g. boiler, combined storage)
• solar regulator system (e.g. temperature difference
control)
The key element of solar thermal system is the solar
thermal collector, which absorbs solar radiation. The
purpose of the collector is to convert the sunlight very
efficiently into heat. Solar heat is transmitted to a fluid,
which transports the heat to the heat exchanger via
pumps with a minimum of heat loss. The exchanger
transfers the heat into the domestic hot water store.
The distance between collector and storage tank should
be as short as possible to minimise
Solar collector types
Flat Plate Solar Collector
Flat plate solar collector was developed in the 1950s,
and several techniques and methods
have been deployed to enhance its thermal
performance and efficiency .A flat plate solar
collector consists of various components such as
aluminium rails, insulation, absorber, glass,
back sheet, riser and header pipes. The surface is
covered with glass for optimal heat
transmission to the absorber. For high efficiency,
absorbers are made from aluminium coated
with a high absorbing material
Solar collector types
Evacuated tube solar collector
This solar collector is made up of evacuated glass
pipes with outer and inner tubes. The transparent
form of the outer tube allows light rays to penetrate
reaching the inner tube where it is absorbed. For
maximal absorption, a copper pipe is welded and
coated to an absorber plate before being inserted .
Due to the minimal reflection of both tubes, sun rays
penetrate through the outer tube while the heat
isreserved inside the inner tube. Solar radiation
trapped between two tubes by creating a vacuum
thatis then fused on top of each
other with no trapped air. The radiated heat from the
sun stays inside the inner tube where it is effectively
utilized.
How can solar thermal energy
produce electricity ?
CSP Systems
• For produce electricté by solar thermal energy it is used CSP systems(
Concentrated solar power )which depend on focus the solar irradiations into
thermal energy by groupe of mirrors .
• There is three main types of CSP systems :
>> Solar power system
>> Solar dish system
>> Linear concentrator :
■ Prabolic Trough systems
■ Linéarité Fresnel reflector systemes
Solar power system
Solar power system depend on a tower
surrounded by a groupe of mirrors
( heliostats) which reflect and focus the
solar irradiations during the daylight into
the top of the tower where there is the
molten salt which has the ability to stor
heat , the molten salt generats the steam
turbine that driven by generator to
produce electricity .
Linear concentrator
Linear concentrator that type of collector depend on a
groupe of curved mirrors which reflect and focus the
solar irradiations into a heat-collecting tube , the
reflected solar irradiation pass through the vaccum
layers into anti-reflection coting of the tube and
heating up the synthetic oil composites inside , while
the vaccum layers prevent heat losess , to maximise
efficiency mirrors would trace sunlight,the thermal
energy collected is used to heat up the liqued oil
composites , the hight-temperature liqueds flow into
the exchangers from the tubes to boiling water until it
evaporates driving the turbine to generate electricity .
• There is two major types of linear concentrator systems:

Prabolic Trough systems Linéarité Fresnel reflector


systemes
Solar dish system
Solar dish system is the cocentrating
type collector which uses prabolic dish
to focus radiation on receiver to
absorb and collect the heat and
transfert it to thermal engine , the
mechanical power which created by
thermal engine is used to run the
genrator or alternaor to produce
electricity.
The most most common type of
thermal engine used today in solar
dish is the stirling engine.
Advantage & Disadvantage
Advantage Disadvantage

>> Renewable source Of energy >> High Initial Investment


>> Round the The clock operation >> Issue Of Thermodynamic Fluid
>> Space Efficient Technology (Water)
>> Ecological Issues
>> Cost-Efficient Technology
>> Larger Space Requirement
>> Environment-Friendly Technology >> Weather-Dependent
Conlusion
Solar thermal power technology is the only viable alternative to fossil
fuels in the long run. The global solar thermal potential is estimated to
be sufficient to provide for the global electricity demand. This implies
that we can lower our carbon emissions without compromising on
energy production.
Any Questions ?

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