Concentrating Solar Thermal Energy

Concentrating Solar Thermal Energy

by Gilles Flamant
Released October 2022
Publisher(s): Wiley-ISTE
ISBN: 9781789450798

Read it now on the O’Reilly learning platform with a 10-day free trial.

O’Reilly members get unlimited access to books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.

Start your free trial

Book description

The Sun, our star, has inspired the research of many scientists and engineers and brings hope to many of us for a paradigm shift in energy. Indeed, the applications of solar energy are manifold, primarily because it concerns both light and heat. Photovoltaic (PV) conversion is the most well-known among these, but other modes of conversion include photochemical, photobiological, photoelectrochemical, thermal and thermochemical.

This book covers the entire chain of conversion from the Sun to the targeted energy vector (heat, electricity, gaseous or liquid fuels). Beginning with the state of the art, subsequent chapters address solar resources, concentration and capture technologies, the science of flows and transfers in solar receivers, materials with controlled optical properties, thermal storage, hybrid systems (PV-thermal) and synthetic fuels (hydrogen and synthetic gas).

Written by a number of experts in the field, Concentrating Solar Thermal Energy provides an insightful overview of the current landscape of the knowledge regarding the most recent applications of concentrating technologies.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Introduction
  5. 1 Solar Power Plants: State of the Art
    1. 1.1. Introduction
    2. 1.2. History
    3. 1.3. Various configurations of solar power plants
    4. 1.4. Paradigm of solar power plants, optimum temperature – concentration factor
    5. 1.5. Parabolic trough solar power plants
    6. 1.6. Solar power plants with linear Fresnel concentrators
    7. 1.7. Tower power plants
    8. 1.8. Dish–Stirling modules
    9. 1.9. Perspectives: deployment, capacity factor, costs, environmental impact and new concepts
    10. 1.10. Conclusion
    11. 1.11. References
  6. 2 Solar Resource Management, Assessment and Forecasting
    1. 2.1. Measurement and assessment of the solar resource
    2. 2.2. Forecasting of direct normal irradiance
    3. 2.3. Conclusion
    4. 2.4. Nomenclature
    5. 2.5. References
  7. 3 Optics of Concentrating Systems
    1. 3.1. Introduction
    2. 3.2. History
    3. 3.3. Performances and limitations
    4. 3.4. Optical qualification of parabolic trough concentrators
    5. 3.5. The heliostat fields of tower power plants
    6. 3.6. Conclusion
    7. 3.7. References
  8. 4 Solar Receivers
    1. 4.1. Introduction
    2. 4.2. Absorber tubes for linear concentrators
    3. 4.3. Solar receivers for tower power plants
    4. 4.4. Conclusion
    5. 4.5. References
  9. 5 Heat Transfer Fluids for Solar Power Plants
    1. 5.1. Introduction
    2. 5.2. Review of thermal transfer physics
    3. 5.3. Fluids, stability and properties
    4. 5.4. Fluid–wall heat transfer coefficients
    5. 5.5. Solutions being developed
    6. 5.6. Conclusion
    7. 5.7. References
  10. 6 Numerical Simulations of Flows and Heat Transfers of Solar Receivers
    1. 6.1. Introduction
    2. 6.2. Modeling approaches
    3. 6.3. Direct numerical simulation and thermal large-eddy simulation
    4. 6.4. Dynamic and thermal couplings – physical approach
    5. 6.5. Conclusion
    6. 6.6. References
  11. 7 Materials for Concentrated Solar Power
    1. 7.1. Introduction
    2. 7.2. Optical properties of materials
    3. 7.3. Reflective components: solar mirrors
    4. 7.4. Transparent components: protective glass
    5. 7.5. Absorbing components: solar absorbers
    6. 7.6. Conclusion
    7. 7.7. References
  12. 8 Thermal Energy Storage
    1. 8.1. Introduction
    2. 8.2. Two-tank molten salt storage
    3. 8.3. Thermocline storage
    4. 8.4. Processes with steam accumulator
    5. 8.5. Solar power plant with particle receiver
    6. 8.6. Research and development of latent heat processes
    7. 8.7. Thermochemical storage
    8. 8.8. Comparison of the cost of stored solar power
    9. 8.9. Conclusion
    10. 8.10. References
  13. 9 Hybrid PV–CSP Systems
    1. 9.1. Introduction
    2. 9.2. Hybrid strategies
    3. 9.3. Non-compact hybrid strategies
    4. 9.4. Compact hybrid strategies
    5. 9.5. Innovative hybrid systems
    6. 9.6. Conclusion
    7. 9.7. References
  14. 10 Synthetic Fuels from Hydrocarbon Resources
    1. 10.1. Introduction to solar fuels
    2. 10.2. Conversion of carbonaceous materials using solar energy
    3. 10.3. Conclusion and perspectives
    4. 10.4. References
  15. 11 Solar Fuel Production by Thermochemical Dissociation of Water and Carbon Dioxide
    1. 11.1. Introduction
    2. 11.2. Direct H2O and CO2 thermolysis
    3. 11.3. Thermochemical cycles
    4. 11.4. Conclusion
    5. 11.5. References
  16. List of Authors
  17. Index
  18. Wiley End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: Concentrating Solar Thermal Energy
  • Author(s): Gilles Flamant
  • Release date: October 2022
  • Publisher(s): Wiley-ISTE
  • ISBN: 9781789450798