340 Mwatts of Solar Thermal Energy Proposed for Mojave Desert
The proposed Hualapai Valley Solar Project (HVS Project) is a 340MW concentrating solar power (CSP) plant in Mohave County, Arizona, approximately 27 miles north of Kingman and 100 miles south of Las Vegas on approximately 4,000 acres of private land. The HVS Project will use a proven technology that has been operational in the United States since the 1980’s.
The HVS Project will use CSP technology to capture heat generated by sunlight and turn that heat into electricity using the standard Rankine cycle process. The HVS Project will also store excess heat using molten salts so that it can provide electricity when it is most needed during on-peak hours.
The HVS Project is in the early design and permitting stages, with a construction start anticipated in November 2010 and start of operations in June 2013. HVS is working with Fichtner Solar of Germany (www.fichtnersolar.com), the leading worldwide designer of concentrating solar trough projects, to design the project.
| The HVS Project will use concentrating solar power (CSP) technology to capture heat generated by sunlight and turn that heat into electricity. The HVS Project will be composed of three main components.
Solar Field — The solar field is composed of rows of parabolic-shaped mirrors. The mirrors follow the sun to catch as much energy as possible. The curvature of these mirrors focuses the sunlight on a central receiver tube that runs the length of the mirror. The central receiver tubes are hollow and filled with a heat transfer fluid (HTF). The HTF, warmed by the sunlight to more than 700°F, then flows to the power block or the thermal energy storage system, depending on the mode of operation. Power Block — Hot HTF is transported to the power block where it is used to boil water to generate steam for use in a conventional steam generator to produce electricity. Thermal Energy Storage System — Hot HTF is also transported to thermal storage tanks. The heat from the HTF is transferred to the molten salts where it is stored for later use. This process allows electricity to be produced when it is needed (e.g., when clouds pass by, after sunset, or before sunrise) and not just when the sun is shining. Solar energy is a renewable resource and is constantly replenished, whereas fossil fuel (coal, oil, and natural gas) resources are limited and subject to market pricing and volatility |
The following characteristics associated with the HVS Project site make it ideal for a solar project: 1. High incoming solar radiation (insolation) value 2. Minimal slope 3. Proximity to electric grid 4. Water availability 5. Proximity to transportation corridors 6. Located on private land |
Short URL: http://www.solarthermalmagazine.com/?p=553
Posted by Tracey A. Smith
on Jan 17 2010. Filed under Projects and Installations, U.S..
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