Method for operating a linear concentrator solar power plant, and linear concentrator solar power plant

A method for operating a linearly concentrating solar power plant, in which

• the linearly concentrating solar power plant is a parabolic trough solar power plant or a Fresnel power plant and
• a heat transfer medium flows through a pipeline loop having at least one receiver, the heat transfer medium having a flow velocity which is such that the flow in the pipeline loop is turbulent and/or the heat transfer medium being able to be heated uniformly from all sides so that no inadmissible temperature differences occur within the pipeline loop,
• wherein at least part of the heat transfer medium, upon exit from the pipeline loop, is extracted and is recirculated into the pipeline loop, wherein that part of the heat transfer medium which is recirculated into the pipeline loop is mixed, before introduction into the pipeline loop, with the heat transfer medium delivered to the pipeline loop, and
• wherein, to mix that part of the heat transfer medium which is recirculated into the pipeline loop and the heat transfer medium delivered to the pipeline loop, a tank is used as mixing device, into which the recirculated part of the heat transfer medium and the delivered heat transfer medium are introduced and out of which a mixture of recirculated heat transfer medium and of delivered heat transfer medium is fed into the pipeline loop and
• wherein the tank is also configured as an emptying tank, wherein during the operation of the linearly concentrating solar power plant, the tank is partly filled and the non-filled volume is dimensioned such that the heat transfer medium contained in the pipeline loop can flow out into the emptying tank.