POINT-FOCUS CONCENTRATING SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGIES

PRESOL - Forecast of Solar Radiation at the Receiver of a Solar Power Tower

Participants: CIEMAT-PSA, Almería University, Huelva University.

Contact: Jesús Ballestrín, email:jesus.ballestrin@psa.es

Funding agency: This research has been funded by the Spanish government in the framework of the PRESOL project (Ref. ENE2014-59454-C3-3-R) with ERDF funds.

Background: Power generation from Solar Power Towers (SPT) -where DNI is a critical input- is experiencing a rapid growth worldwide. The greater challenge posed by these large solar installations is the grid integration. To this end, it is crucial to have an accurate forecast of the DNI levels reaching the receiver, which affects not only the plant operation but the energy price market.

Objectives: The project goal is to produce a short-term forecast of the DNI reaching the SPT receiver. To this end, we propose to forecast the DNI arriving to the heliostat field and develop techniques to determine and forecast the reflected solar radiation attenuation on its path to the receiver.

Results in 2017: Atmospheric extinction of solar radiation reflected by heliostats to receiver is recognized as an important cause of energy loss in the increasingly large solar tower plants. During the design of these plants would be desirable extinction maps similar to those of direct normal irradiance. Unfortunately, the reality is that there is currently no reliable measurement method for this quantity and at present these plants are designed, built and operated without knowing this local parameter.

Nowadays, digital cameras are used in many scientific applications due to their ability to convert available light into digital images. Their broad spectral range, high resolution and high signal to noise ratio, make them an interesting device for extinction measurement. A novel measurement system for solar extinction at ground level based on two digital cameras and a Lambertian target has been developed. The first experimental results show that the system can measure solar extinction in the bandwidth 400-1000 nm with an accuracy of less than an absolute ±2%. This measurement system is currently running on a daily basis at Plataforma Solar de Almería.

Digital cameras and Lambertian target, layout.

Publications

  1. J. Ballestrín, A. Marzo

    2. “Solar radiation attenuation in solar tower plants”. Solar Energy 86 (2012) 388–392. ISSN: 0038-092X

  2. J. Ballestrín, R. Monterreal, M. E. Carra, J. Fernández-Reche, F. J. Barbero, A. Marzo

    3. “Measurement of solar extinction in tower plants with digital cameras”. American Institute of Physics Conf. Proc. 1734 (2016), 130002-1–130002-8; doi: 10.1063/1.

  3. J. Polo, J. Ballestrín, E. Carra

    4. “Sensitivity study for modelling atmospheric attenuation of solar radiation with radiative transfer models and the impact in solar tower plant production”. Solar Energy 134 (2016) 219–227. ISSN: 0038-092X.

  4. J. Alonso-Montesinos, J. Polo, G. López, J. Barbero, J. L. Bosch, J. Ballestrín, F. J. Batlles

    5. “Modelling clear sky DNI under extreme aerosol loading: the case of Saharan outbreak in south-east Spain”. EuroSun 2016, Palma de Mallorca (Spain), 11 – 14 October 2016.

  5. J. Alonso-Montesinos, J. Barbero, G. López, J. Ballestrín, J. Polo, A. Marzo,  F. J. Batlles

    6. “The influence of Sahara dust particles in the direct normal irradiance estimation through a total sky camera”. EuroSun 2016, Palma de Mallorca (Spain), 11 – 14 October 2016.

  6. G. López ,C. A. Gueymard, J. L. Bosch, I. Rapp-Arrarás, J. Alonso-Montesinos, I. Pulido-Calvo, J. Ballestrín, J. Polo,  J. Barbero

    7. “Modelling Water Vapor Impact on the Solar Energy Reaching the Receiver of a Solar Tower Plant by means of Artificial Neural Networks”. EuroSun 2016, Palma de Mallorca (Spain), 11 – 14 October 2016.

  7. J. Ballestrín, R. Monterreal, M. E. Carra, J. Fernández-Reche, J. Polo, R. Enrique, J. Rodríguez, M. Casanova, F. J. Barbero, J. Alonso-Montesinos, G. López, J. L. Bosch, F. J. Batlles, A. Marzo

    8. “Novel Measurement System for Solar Extinction”. SolarPACES 2017 International Symposium. Santiago de Chile, Chile (September 26-29, 2017).

  8. J. Ballestrín, M. E. Carra, R. Enrique, R. Monterreal, J. Fernández-Reche, J. Polo, M. Casanova, F. J. Barbero, A. Marzo

    9. “Characterization of a Lambertian Target for Measurement Techniques on Solar Concentration”. SolarPACES 2017 International Symposium. Santiago de Chile, Chile (September 26-29, 2017).

  9. J. Polo, J. Alonso-Montesinos, G. López-Rodríguez, J. Ballestrín, J. L. Bosch, J. Barbero, M. E. Carra, J. Fernández-Reche, F. J. Batlles

    10. “Modelling Atmospheric Attenuation at Different AOD Time-scales in Yield Performance of Solar Tower Plants”. SolarPACES 2017 International Symposium. Santiago de Chile, Chile (September 26-29, 2017).