Processes development for high temperature solar thermal Kalina power station

• Main Authors: Ganesh Shankar N., Srinivas Tangellapalli
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: VINCA Institute of Nuclear Sciences 2014-01-01
• Series: Thermal Science
• Subjects: energy; efficiency; heat recovery; high temperature; Kalina; vapor absorption
• Online Access: http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0354-9836/2014/0354-98361300020G.pdf

Kalina cycle system (KCS) operates at a heat source temperature up to 600ºC with an improved heat recovery. The current work focuses on thermodynamic processes development and assessment of a KCS configuration to augment the power from a heat recovery of solar thermal collectors operating from 250ºC to 600ºC. There are three pressure levels in current cycle i.e. high pressure (HP), intermediate pressure (IP) and low pressure (LP). The superheated vapor expands from HP to LP and the separator is located at IP. The current work develops a new methodology for thermodynamic evaluation with more flexibility compared to the reported method in literature. Separator inlet condition (temperature and concentration), turbine inlet condition (pressure, temperature and concentration) and solar radiation have been identified as key parameters for the plant evaluation. The performance is improving with an increase in separator temperature, turbine inlet pressure, source temperature and solar radiation. But it is decreasing with an increase in separator and turbine inlet concentrations. The cycle efficiency, plant efficiency and specific power have been found as 23.5%, 7.5% and 675 kW at 0.3 separator concentration and 0.5 turbine concentration.