Header type Once-tHrOugH Steam generatOr and reHeater

Header type Once-tHrOugH Steam generatOr and reHeater

The Header type Once-Through Steam Generator and Reheater has been developed for transferring heat of the solarfield into steam highly efficient and fast, through the use of the heat transfer fluid. NEM supplies the Header type Once-Through Steam Generator and Reheater for Parabolic Trough projects and Power Tower projects, using either thermal oil or molten salt as heat transfer fluid. The number of planned solar power plants is increasing, with an ever higher energy yield. Until today these plants make use of steam generating systems (e.g. shell and tube heat exFigure 1

Header type Once-tHrOugH Steam generatOr and reHeater

changers) which are slow to startup, limited in upscaling and consequently leading to an ever increasing number of equipment. The current situation is unsustainable and undesirable. The Header type Once-Through Steam Generator solves these problems in one piece of equipment. Simply stated, large improvements in plant simplicity and startup time can be gained. Key design philosophies behind the Once-Through Steam Generator include fast startup, durability and simplicity. Making use of thin walled Header type Once-Through Steam Generators improves operating flexibility and fast startup of the total plant. The scalable Once-Through Steam Generator will reduce the number of equipment drastically with the advantage of less occupied area, a simplified plant design and less installation works. In order to increase the energy yield of the concentrated Solar Power Plant even further, NEM also develops a Reheater based on the same principles.

of the total available energy generation time during the day. See figure 1.

Optimized SituatiOn uSing tHe Once-tHrOugH Steam generatOr

The Once-Through Steam Generator (OTSG) combines the Economizer, Evaporator and Superheater in one piece of equipment with the advantage of acceptable temperature transients of up to 20C/min, resulting in significant reduction of the startup time for the plant and making more use of the total available energy generation time during the day. The total plant output per day will increase. See figure 2. Using the separate Reheater will even increase the energy yield of the Concentrated Solar Power Plant even more. See figure 3.

WHy nem Header type Once-tHrOugH Steam generatOr and reHeater

Very fast startup Highly tolerable for temperature gradients (up to 20C/min) Complete steam generation process combined in one piece of equipment Scalable up to very large sizes and power outputs (approximately 300MW) Durability Lower maintenance required Once-Through Steam Generator combined with the Reheater assures high efficiency The Once-Through Steam Generator and the Reheater can operate with either Thermal Oil or Molten Salt

Figure 2

Old SituatiOn
The Heat Transfer Fluid, either Thermal Oil or Molten Salt, is heated in the solar field. The Heat Transfer Fluid is led to the Thermal Island of the Concentrated Solar Power Plant where steam is generated. This is done in three separate pieces of equipment: the Economizer, the Evaporator and the Superheater. The maximum acceptable temperature transient of conventional shell and tube heat exchangers is in the order of 8C/min or less, resulting in plant startup times of ten percent or more

Figure 3

NEM ENErgy b.v.

Concentrated Solar Power Kanaalpark 159, 2321 JW Leiden, P.O. Box 162, 2300 AD Leiden, The Netherlands Telephone +31 71 579 2444, Fax +31 71 579 2792 E-mail: info@nem.nl Website: www.nem-group.com
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