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US 9,003,795 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for operating a solar steam system
AssigneeBrightsource Industries (Israel) Ltd.
InventorsSami Katz, Israel Kroizer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosed subject matter relates to methods and systems for operating a solar steam system in response to a detected or predicted reduced insolation condition (for example, sunset or a cloud condition). In some embodiments, for a period of time, enthalpy stored within a solid material of a conduit via which steam travels en route to a steam turbine is used to heat the steam to drive the turbine. In some embodiments, a net migration of heliostats away from the steam superheater is carried out in response to the detected or predicted reduced insolation condition.
Claims20
A solar steam system comprising:
- an upstream solar receiver configured to subject pressurized water flowing therein to an insolation-driven phase change to produce pressurized steam;
- a downstream solar receiver in fluid communication with the upstream solar receiver and configured to use insolation directed thereon to superheat the pressurized steam from the upstream solar receiver;
- a steam turbine coupled to receive a flow of steam exiting from the downstream solar receiver and configured to be driven by superheated steam;
- a plurality of heliostats configured to re-direct insolation onto the upstream solar receiver or the downstream solar receiver;
- and
- a control apparatus for regulating at least one of flow and insolation properties of the solar steam system, the control apparatus being configured to respond to a diminishing insolation event by re-aiming at least some of the plurality of heliostats to effect a net migration of heliostats from aiming at the downstream solar receiver to aiming at the upstream solar receiver so as to reduce an extent of superheating in the downstream solar receiver while the steam turbine continues to be driven by steam that is further heated after exiting the downstream solar receiver en route to the steam turbine.
3 more elements
A solar steam system comprising:
- a first solar receiver configured to use insolation directed thereon to superheat steam;
- heliostats arranged to reflect insolation onto the first solar receiver so as to superheat the steam therein;
- a thermal mass thermally coupled to steam flowing from the outlet of the first solar receiver to an inlet of a steam turbine;
- and
- a controller programmed to re-aim at least one of the heliostats away from the first solar receiver and heat the steam from the first solar receiver with the thermal mass in response to a temperature of the steam at an outlet of the first solar receiver being less than a threshold temperature required for use by the steam turbine.
2 more elements
A method for providing solar heated steam to a steam turbine, comprising:
- at a first time, aiming heliostats in a solar field so as to direct insolation onto a superheating receiver;
- at the first time, flowing superheated steam exiting the superheating receiver into contact with a thermal mass and then to the steam turbine;
- at a second time when a temperature of the steam exiting the superheating receiver for the steam turbine drops below or is predicted to drop below an operating threshold temperature, re-aiming at least some of the heliostats away from the superheating receiver;
- and
- at the second time, passing the steam exiting the superheating receiver into thermal contact with the thermal mass and then to the steam turbine such that the thermal mass heats the exiting steam to a temperature above the operating threshold temperature prior to entering the steam turbine.
2 more elements
A method for providing solar heated steam to a steam turbine, comprising:
- at a first time, aiming heliostats in a solar field so as to direct insolation onto a superheating receiver, and flowing superheated steam exiting the superheating receiver into contact with a thermal mass and then to the steam turbine, a temperature of the steam exiting the superheating receiver being greater than a predetermined threshold temperature;
- and
- after the first time, re-aiming at least some of the heliostats away from the superheating receiver, and passing the steam exiting the superheating receiver into thermal contact with the thermal mass and then to the steam turbine, the temperature of the steam exiting the superheating receiver being less than the predetermined threshold temperature, wherein the thermal mass heats the exiting steam to greater than the predetermined threshold temperature prior to entering the steam turbine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.