group 14 – nikita arora, himanshu gupta, tayyab pirzada, bhumika singh & cathy zeng
TRANSCRIPT
INTRODUCTION This presentation covers Concentrated solar
power (CSP) technology Concept of focusing large amounts of solar energy
on a small area Lenses/mirrors used to track the sun and
concentrate it onto one place Includes many different thermal concentration
technologies, of which parabolic trough was found to be the best
This presentation compares CSP to other renewable sources of energy in terms of ability to generate electricity in a 50 MW plant Solar panels Hydro power Wind Bio Fuels
GENERAL INFORMATION Curved trough: reflects solar
radiation to an absorber pipe in the centreHeat transfer fluid passes through absorber
(e.g. molten salt or synthetic oil)Heat transferred to steam through heat
exchangersSteam powers a turbine which generates
electricity 500 troughs needed to generate 50 MW Plant size: 10 km2
ADVANTAGES Temperatures can go as high as 700-800°C
Concentration allows for heat storage via molten salt, meaning that CSP plants can generate electricity after sunset
Back-up system can be used in case sun’s heat unreliable (mostly reliable in deserts)
Creates thousands of jobs for construction & maintenance
Completely environmentally clean Except for petrol required for maintenance and driving
around plant Systems easy to operate Single-axis tracking system:
Machinery is not as complex; when tracking the sun, they only have to move one way, because they are curved When the sun is perpendicular to trough, it tilts to maintain focus When the sun is parallel, it doesn’t have to move
DISADVANTAGES
Extremely high start-up costs A lot of space needed to make large-
scale plants: 10 km2
Won’t function in northern areas Needs a temperature of at least
25°C to work
START-UP COSTSPurpose CostMaterialsConstruction Materials (concrete etc.) $2,519,655Materials Subtotal $2,519,655LaborSitework and Infrastructure $12,479,356Field Erection $7,501,281Support Structures $8,133,096Pipes $3,741,172Electronics $4,724,777Labor Subtotal $36,579,682Construction Subtotal $39,099,337
Equipment CostsMirrors $25,807,486Thermal Energy Storage Tanks $6,023,408Heat Exchangers $6,016,129Heat Transfer System Equipment $2,243,962Heat Transfer and Storage Fluids $16,212,166Steam Turbines & Generators $12,261,577
Miscellaneous Electrical & Solar Equipment (e.g. pumps, motors)$12,679,033Water Treatment $449,291Metal Support Structures $25,022,688Interconnection Piping $2,788,648Electronic Controls $5,398,091Balance of Plant $2,310,442Equipment Subtotal $117,212,918
Other CostsFreight & Transportation $4,004,157Engineering & Project Management $26,894,714Owner Costs $5,642,248Other Subtotal $36,541,118Subtotal $195,373,027Sales Tax $29,305,953.98TOTAL $224,678,980.48
MAINTENANCE COSTS
Purpose CostPersonnelOperations $506,086Administrative Costs $272,701Power Plant General Maintenance $326,880Field Maintenance $454,099Personnel Subtotal $1,559,765Materials and ServicesWater $66,830Water Treatment $67,312Misc. Services $169,425Fuel $15,330Field Parts/Materials/Equipment$1,157,799Misc. Supplies & Equipment $431,865Materials and Services Subtotal $1,908,560TOTAL $3,468,325
GENERAL INFORMATION High-temperature collectors (heliostats)
concentrate heat onto a central tower with a receiver on it
Heat exchangers change the heat to steam, which powers a turbine that generates electricity
Plant size: 15 km2
ADVANTAGES
Higher concentration than parabolic trough, since the energy is only concentrated onto one thing, as opposed to many absorbers
Back-up system can be used in case sun’s heat is unreliable (mostly reliable in deserts)
Creates thousands of jobs for construction & maintenance
Completely environmentally cleanExcept for petrol required for maintenance and
driving around plant Heliostats are flat which makes them easier
to install and manufacture
DISADVANTAGES Dual-axis tracking system:
Has to move two ways to track the sun, which is more expensive to construct and maintain as well as difficult to program Requires more monitoring by humans
More materials required due to the involvement of a tower and receiver
Takes up even more space than parabolic trough plant: 15 km2
START-UP COSTSMaterials Total CostReinforced Concrete (for tower) $2,205,360 Heliostats $85,554,000 Water $4,247,360 Total $92,006,720
Workers/ BuildersBuilders $17,687,200 Permanant Workers $204,400 Yearly Total Cost $17,891,600
Other CostsFreight & Transportation $9,137,915 Engineering & Project Management $61,376,619 Owner Costs $12,876,214 Other Subtotal $83,390,748
Construction CostsSitework and Infrastructure $28,479,229Field Erection $17,118,727Support Mechanisms $18,560,597Pipes $8,537,754Electrical Mechanisms $10,782,447Construction Subtotal $83,478,754
TOTAL without tax $276,767,822 TAX 41,515,173TOTAL $318,282,995
MAINTENANCE COSTS
Purpose CostPersonnel Operations $1,012,171Administrative Costs $250,000
Power Plant General Maintenance $653,760Field Maintenance $1,000,102Personnel Subtotal $2,916,033Materials and Services Water $133,659Water Treatment $134,624Misc. Services $338,850Fuel $30,660
Field Parts/Materials/Equipment $2,315,597
Misc. Supplies & Equipment $1,200,530
Materials and Services Subtotal $4,153,920Total $7,069,953
GENERAL INFORMATION Converts the Sun’s light energy into electrical energy using the photovoltaic effect The ‘photovoltaic effect’
2 layers of semi-conducting material (i.e. silicon) When exposed to light, photons are absorbed by the material and excites the electrons Electrons then ‘jump’ from one layer to another This ‘jumping’ generates electricity Conductive metal strips are attached to the cells to
take the electrical current and power an electrical load
ADVANTAGES
Renewable energy source Environmentally friendly as it does not release any
emissions (i.e. CO2, SO2) After initial investment in equipment, there is a very
low ongoing maintenance cost Since there are no moving parts in the solar cell, it is
virtually impossible to damage it No noise is made by the solar cells Can harness energy in remote locations
Minimizes the need for wires which have to be maintained, and also the cost of transmission
Electrical companies find it dangerous and costly to construct an electrical grid extending to mountainous areas
Governments offer tax incentives for taking the initiative to become environmentally-friendly
DISADVANTAGES Initial capital investment may be too much Solar power cannot be harnessed during a storm or
on a cloudy day Solar panels are ineffective at night because there
is no sunlight A backup supply or energy storage system is
needed since solar power is not reliably available at all times of the day
A large area of land is generally used to improve efficiency, thus land resources for humans are reduced
Can’t concentrate large amounts of energy Generates electricity which cannot easily be stored
It is easier to store heat energy than electricity
EFFICIENCY
Dust can reduce the efficiency of a solar panel system4 grams of dust per 0.34 square meters can
reduce the efficiency by 40% A large area is required for the solar
panels to be truly efficient The efficiency relies on the location of
the panelsObstructions such as buildings will not allow
much sunlight to reach the solar panels Typical photovaltaic cells convert 15% of
sunlight into electricity
COSTS AVA Solar Inc. produces solar panels using glass
coating with a cadmium telluride thin film Half of the cost is for solar panels. At Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
In Ontario, Canada, California’s OptiSolar will construct a 365-hectare solar plant near Sarnia Can power 10000-15000 homes on sunny days 40-megawatts Estimated to be $300 million
China’s Suntech Power is going to build a plant in Arizona, USA The actual solar cells will be manufactured in China and
imported into USA where they will be assembled by factory workers into grids
An initial budget of $10 million, but increases over time Maintenance costs, assuming some government
subsidy: $ 4.38 million
ULTIMATE PRICE In Colorado, USA, AVA Solar Inc., the
price is $2/watt for the consumer In Sarnia, Ontario, the price for the 40
MW plant is $0.42/kilowatt hour
ADVANTAGES More reliable than other renewable
energy sources in that water never stops flowing/falling
Long lifespan Electricity generation can be stopped
and started according to level of demand
Lake’s water can be used for irrigation Completely clean electricity generation
after dam is builtNo environmental implications
DISADVANTAGES Dams are very expensive to build
High start-up costs Natural ecosystems in the body of water
are destroyed Can cause geological damage
Hoover dam in the USA caused numerous earthquakes
Dams might break down under the water pressure of the flow of waterConsequence: human & animal deaths,
flooding
EFFICIENCY 80% efficiency for an average plant
However, efficiency varies from 60-90% depending on water flow and structure
GENERAL INFORMATION Wind is converted into reusable energy Wind Turbines – A machine in which kinetic energy is
converted into mechanical energy which is usually further converted into electrical energy
Wind Mills – Devices in which wind energy is converted by vanes on the windmill which move in a circular motion (called sails) into kinetic energy which allows for the grinding of a substance
Wind Pumps – Devices used to pump out water using kinetic energy from the wind to power the pumping out of water from bodies of fresh water such as lakes, streams or wells
Sails – Apparatus used to create thrust (Reaction force described by Newton’s 2nd and 3rd laws in which a system accelerates mass in one direction and a proportional, opposite force will go against the same system) while in wind
80 countries around the world are using wind power commercially
2009: Global wind power increased 27,051 MW 42% of new US fuel generators used wind power
ADVANTAGES Clean Energy Source – No pollution or radioactive waste
produced by wind power Self-Sufficient Energy – No need for third party materials
or fuel Electricity will not be cut off if external power lines are cut off
Large Amount of Power – Large wind turbines may be connected to a power grid, resulting in a large amount of people to benefit from the electricity produced.
No Non-Renewable Fuels – Wind power does not consume any non-renewable fuels such as coal, oil, or natural gas.
Plentiful Wind – Wind itself is very bountiful in the earth. Non-Dispatchable – All output of wind turbines are taken
when available as opposed to other sources of energy such as hydropower in which load management techniques must be employed to keep an equilibrium for supply with demand Wind turbines may be dispatched on and off upon demand,
without any wait time.
DISADVANTAGES Undesirable Appearance – Very tall
apparatuses that some people regard as unsightly Easily Damaged in Thunder-Storms – Wind
turbines are easily damaged in thunder storms due to their overall tall, slim shape
Damaging to Birds – The blades of a wind turbine may hit birds flying in the general vicinity
Noise – Make a lot of noise: can be harmful to epileptics
Cost – The overall cost for building and maintaining wind turbines is much more than other energy sources, second only to solar power
EFFICIENCY Wind power is generally very efficient as
they usually function at a medium voltage34.5 kVResult: surplus energy
Endless supply of wind and it is completely free
20% efficiency
START-UP COSTS $65 393 400 for 50 MW plant:
Levelized cost: $149.3 per MWh *8760 h/yr
$1 307 868 per MW/yr *50 MW
$ 65 393 400
GENERAL INFORMATION Sugar & starch crops are fermented
Enzymes & microorganisms are used to break down the energy stored in these plants
Corn is most common source of biofuel
ADVANTAGES Reduce dependence on foreign oils Much more environmentally friendly that
fossil fuels Contributes to global warming much less
Bio-degradable The carbon dioxide they release when burnt
is equal to the amount that the plants absorbed out of the atmosphere
Does not require radical changes to machinery or new technology to accommodate this energy source Bio-fuels can be used in cars or in replacement
for anything fossil fuels were used for
DISADVANTAGES Extremely land-consuming
More farming land will have to be developed to produce bio-fuels
Food prices would rise Bio fuels are currently not readily
available which reduces their appeal Production uses massive amounts of
water which could strain local water reserves
$
EFFICIENCY Not very efficient because:
Diesel fuel used in the tractors for cultivation and harvest
Massive energy consumption of a typical ethanol production plant (much of which comes from coal-fired power plants)
Fertilizers used are largely synthesized from petroleum
Overall yield: 10% greater than the amount of fossil fuel used in production Fossil fuel plants typically have a 50% efficiency,
meaning biofuels have 60% efficiency
MAINTENANCE COSTS The total costs to the consumer in
subsidizing ethanol and corn production: $8.4 million/yrProducing the required corn feedstock
increases corn pricesEthanol production adds more than $1
billion to the cost of beef production/yr Overall: market cost of biofuels are
similar if not somewhat higher due to the increased food prices
ULTIMATE PRICE Total ethanol subsidies = $0.79/ litre
Ethanol = 66% as much energy per litre as gasoline Corn ethanol costs $1.88/kWh Gasoline costs $ 0.33/kWh
Para-bolic
Trough
Power Tower
Solar Panels
Hydro Power
Wind Power
Biofuels0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Start-up Costs of a 50 MW Electricity Generation Plant From Different Energy
Sources
Type of Electricity Generation Technology
Sta
rt-u
p C
osts
($
) in
Million
s
Parabolic Trough
Power Tower
Solar Panels
Hydro Power
Wind Power
Biofuels0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Maintenance Costs of a 50 MW Electric-ity Generation Plant From Different
Energy Sources
Type of Electricity Generation Technology
Main
ten
an
ce C
ost
($)
in M
illion
s
Para-bolic
Trough
Power Tower
Solar Panels
Hydro Power
Wind Power
Biofuels0
0.20.40.60.8
11.21.41.61.8
2
Ultimate Cost to the Consumer For Electricity Generated From Various
Energy Sources
Electricity Generation Technology
Cost
($)
per
kW
h
Para-bolic
Trough
Power Tower
Solar Panels
Hydro Power
Wind Power
Biofuels0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Efficiency of Conversion of Energy to Electricity of Various Electricity
Generation Technologies
Types of Electricity Generation Technologies
Effi
cie
ncy (
%)
CSP – PARABOLIC TROUGH: WHY? As shown in previous graphs, the parabolic trough technology
may not be the best in ALL aspects, but it overall is the best choice as it has the most potential to improve
Overall lower start-up costs Low maintenance costs due to the single-axis tracking
system and relatively self-sufficient functioning of all mechanisms
High storage abilities Through usage of molten salt tanks to store heat
Low cost per kWh, and as technology is developed, costs are projected to decrease
Completely environmentally clean If back-up fossil fuel system is required, it can reuse
concentrated solar energy Extremely high efficiency Extremely abundant energy source: 3850 ZJ/yr of solar
energy available to earth
INTERNATIONALISM Many countries have already adopted CSP technology
Solar Energy Generating Systems – California Nevada Solar One – Nevada Plataforma Solar de Almería – Spain Australian National University’s Big Dish – Australia
Reduces the impact of electricity generation on global warming as usage of renewable energy sources is environmentally stable
Creates thousands of jobs: labour, construction, importing equipment, programmers, maintenance managers Stimulates economy
Increases public trust in governments Cheaper than many fossil fuel alternatives in the
long-run
IMPLICATIONS Moral/Ethical/Environmental
Public can use electricity while knowing that they are not polluting their environment
Does not destroy ecosystems Plants can be built on unused land such as many vast deserts (no
interference with humans either) Although installing CSP systems requires huge capital
investments from governments, it is a safer and more responsible way of using public money
Social As each country converts to CSP for electricity generation, it
puts global pressure on other countries to do the same More scientists would research and develop this technology
Economic Create thousands of jobs Consumption of raw materials would increase Many companies are involved in the
construction/maintenance of one CSP plant
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