Libro

Descripción

Parabolic trough technology is the most mature technology among the different concentrated solar power plant technologies. In spite of this, it has some technical and priority environmental concerns that should be resolved to enable more efficient and secure facilities. In commercial technologies, the maximum working temperature range is constrained by the thermal-oil used as heat transfer fluid, which has a huge environmental impact when compared to “Solar Salt^®” or “Hitec^®”. Thus, the sector endeavours to replace the thermal-oil and rise the maximum operating temperature for improving the Rankine cycle efficiency. Therefore, over the last years, researchers have been undertaking investigations in molten salts which might improve security and meet PT technical requirements. Mainly, binary, ternary, and quaternary nitrate molten salts were proposed to increase the heat storage capacity broadening the working temperature range by lowering the melting point with respect to “Solar Salt^®”, where the same fluid would work as both Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) and final heat storage medium disposal. It might lead to higher efficiency with Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) reductions.  This book offers a glimpse of these low melting formulations to replace synthetic oil with a review of their main thermophysical properties, as well as their potential use.