Construction of Central Receiver -Type Field of Solar Power Plant Model

Abstract

The use of central receiver (or Power-Tower type) of heliostat as concentrators on absorber plate (target), used practically as boiler, proved convenient and favorable both in performance and cost. In this work a model of solar thermal power plant field was designed, analyzed, fabricated and studied in details using central receiver type. The model is constructed on flat, smooth, rigid and strong plywood board used as a base for the model fixed on an inclined base at an angle of 20º. The field area was set on quarter circle to arrange the heliostats; and at the centre of a circle the tower is carrying a copper plate target was fixed. Two sets of heliostat field [(540) and (1097) mirror] were tested experimentally. Experimental data and results obtained showed that the use of solar energy in power generation is a very promising application .The temperatures achieved for target were in the range of steam boilers operation temperatures (268- 578)C ̊. The number of heliostat has a major effect on the target temperature; the power concentration factor and the overall efficiency of the system.