Improvement of Concentrating Solar Field Operation through Mass Flow Determination Using Operational Data Analysis
Solare Energie- und Systemforschung / Solar Energy and Systems Research
Thomas Kraft
Hrsg.: Fraunhofer ISE
2026, 148 S., num., mostly col., illus. and tab., Softcover
Sprache: Englisch
Freiburg, Univ., Diss., 2025
Fraunhofer Verlag
ISBN 978-3-8396-2160-8

zur Open Access Version

Inhalt
Concentrating solar-thermal (CST) systems with parabolic trough collectors (PTC) can provide low-emission heat and electricity with temporal flexibility. Conventional plants typically deploy numerous temperature sensors for thermal balancing but, for economic reasons, lack sufficient mass-flow sensors to quantify the mass-flow distribution within the solar field.

This work advances the Time-of-Flight method, using commercial power-plant data, specifically for line-focusing CST to determine the mass flow distribution across the solar field. The approach enables straightforward localization of underperforming collectors and, moreover, attribution of losses - for example, distinguishing optical from thermal causes such as vacuum losses. Because the method is simple, safe, cost-effective, precise, and fully non-invasive, it offers substantial potential to enhance the competitiveness of line-focusing CST systems.

Verfügbare Formate

Softcover
EUR 45.00 (* inkl. MwSt.)
Sofort lieferbar