Advances in Concentrating Solar Power Tower

The paper examines design and operating data of current concentrated solar power (CSP) solar tower (ST) plants. The study includes CSP with or without boost by combustion of natural gas (NG) and with or without thermal energy storage (TES). The study then reviews the novel trends to produce better ratio of solar field power to electric power, better capacity factor, better matching of production and demand, lower plant’s cost and increased life span of plant’s components. The key areas of progress of CSP ST technology briefly summarized are materials and manufacturing processes, design of solar field and receiver, receiver and power block fluids, power cycle parameters, optimal management of daily and seasonal operation of the plant, new thermal energy storage concepts, integration of solar plant with thermal desalination, integration of solar plant with combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) installations and finally, specialization and regionalization of the project specification.