A heat exchanger is a device that allows heat from a fluid (a liquid or a gas) to pass

to a second fluid (another liquid or gas) without the two fluids having to mix together
or come into direct contact.

Figure 1 illustrates an idealized counterflow exchanger in which the two fluids flow parallel to each other
but in opposite directions. This type of flow arrangement allows the largest change in temperature of both
fluids and is therefore most efficient (where efficiency is the amount of actual heat transferred compared
with the theoretical maximum amount of heat that can be transferred).

Figure 1. Countercurrent flow.

In cocurrent flow heat exchangers, the streams flow parallel to each other and in the same direction as
shown in Figure 2, This is less efficient than countercurrent flow but does provide more uniform wall
temperatures.

Figure 2. Cocurrent flow.

Steam Turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that converts thermal energy in pressurised
steam into useful mechanical work.
Generator
A Generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy.
Condenser
A condenser is a device or unit used to condense a substance from its gaseous to its liquid state, by
cooling it.
Parabolic trough technology ( Trough - A long, narrow, generally shallow receptacle)
Parabolic system use trough shaped mirrors to focus sunlight onto an absorber tube ( receiver) placed in the
troughs focal line. The troughs are designed to track the sun along one axis, predominantly north-south. The
recivers contains molten salt which is heated by focused sunlight.
Molten solar salt

A mixture of sodium and potassium nitrate, used to store sun's heat.

Advantages of molten salt :
Molten salts areenvironmentally friendly, non-flammable, stable fluid, with no degradation of the receiving
tube.

process
The process starts in a Low Temerature tank filled with molten solar salt.
The salt then flows through the tubes in the receiver.
The solar reflectors heat the salt up to 55o deg C.
The molten solar salt then flows to a high temperature tank where it is stored.
When electricity is needed DAY or NIGHT the high temperature molten salt flows into a Heat Exchanger..
Simultaneously feed water is piped into the heat exchanger from the water storage tank.
The high temperature molten salt heats the water, creating Super heated steam.
Once used the cooled molten salt returns to the storage tank where the process restarts.

The steam flows into a conventional steam turbine to generate electricity.

From the turbine the steam condenses back into water and returns to the water storage tank.