System and methods for integration of concentrated solar steam generators to Rankine cycle power plants

A system for integrating fluidically and functionally a concentrated solar steam generator in a hybrid, Rankine cycle power plant, comprising:

• (a) a solar heating section comprising:
• at least one solar receiver configured to collect solar radiation and heat a heat transfer fluid (HTF);
• at least one primary solar super-heater configured to generate superheated steam using solar energy;
• (b) at least one natural circulation steam generator, comprising:
• an evaporation section having a downcomer and a plurality of boiler tubes in a harp tube bundle configured to raise saturated steam in a natural circulation evaporation loop;
• at least one primary super-heater configured to superheat the saturated steam raised in the evaporation section;
• at least one heat exchanger selected from a group consisting of:
• (A) a steam injector configured to be located at an entrance of each boiler tube of the plurality of boiler tubes of the at least one natural circulation steam generator, the steam injector configured to inject the steam heated by the solar heating section coaxially to an upward flow of steam and water at the entrance of each boiler tube;
• and
• (B) a shell-water, HTF-in-tube heat exchanger configured as a saturated steam generator and configured to be installed downstream of the downcomer and upstream of the plurality of boiler tubes of the at least one natural circulation steam generator to heat the upward flow of steam and water at the entrance of each boiler tube using the heat transfer fluid (HTF) heated by the solar heating section;
• (c) a solar heat transfer circuit configured to circulate the heat transfer fluid (HTF) heated by the solar heating section to the at least one natural circulation steam generator;
• and
• (d) a power generation section configured to receive superheated steam from the at least one primary super-heater of the at least one natural circulation steam generator and to partially expand the superheated steam in a steam turbine and generate power in an electric generator;
• wherein additional saturated steam generation due to the at least one heat exchanger in the evaporation loop results in buoyancy forces that create and sustain the upward flow of steam and water in the plurality of boiler tubes, preventing flow stagnation in the steam generation process;
• and
• wherein a fuel consumption of the Rankine cycle power plant is adjusted based on effective amounts of steam produced by the solar heating section.