Digital twin analysis of Solar Parabolic Trough collector plant to scale to higher powers for the integration into Electrical Distribution network

Interest in renewable energy sources such as solar energy gained great momentum after the Great Oil Crisis in the 70s. Today, there has been a revival of interest in renewable energies, spurred by the need to reduce the environmental impact caused by the use of fossil energy systems. But there are two main disadvantages when operating solar power systems:

• The resulting energy costs are not yet competitive and
• Solar energy is not always available when needed.

Collecting solar radiation using the new TCP-100 parabolic trough collector (PTC) at Plataforma Solar de Almería is one of the effective methods of harnessing solar energy. For this reason, they are preferred for solar steam production. It is also used efficiently in areas such as obtaining hot water, heating spaces, air conditioning-cooling applications, industrial processes and electricity generation. Concentrated solar rays fall on the receiver pipe at the focus of the collector, and electricity is produced from the steam obtained by the heat collected in the liquid (oil) circulating in the pipe. Although the system can be placed on east-west, north-south and polar axis, it also follows the sun on a single axis in the east-west or north-south direction.

KEYWORDS

Digital Twin, silicone oiled Parabolic trough, Advanced Thermal energy storage, Solar Energy, Parabolic Trough Type Solar Collector, Efficiency