Solugas receiver is expected to heat compressed air to operation temperatures of 800º C. The receiver concept is following a new innovative cylindrical design, achieving higher efficiencies, compact dimensions and improved manufacturing.
Design view of tubular receiver
After installation and commissioning, the solar-hybrid driven gas turbine system will undergo a twenty-four month demonstration test to validate component efficiencies and system performance. Solugas is the first demonstration of solar-hybrid gas turbine systems in this power range and an important step in the commercialisation of this technology. The project is funded under a grant from the 7th Framework Program of the European Union and unifies technology leaders, each with specific and high value knowledge of their respective subsystem.
The following list shows the members of the Solugas consortium unifying technology leaders:
• Abengoa Solar (ES):
consortium leader, tower, heliostat field, system layout and integration
• Turbomach (CH):
gas turbine incl. modification
• GEA (PL):
receiver manufacturing
• DLR (DE):
receiver and system layout, modeling
• NEAL (ALG):
market assessment |
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Objectives
The main objectives of the Solugas project are:
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Design, manufacturing and demonstration of an innovative low-cost heliostat field and power tower design and an upscaled solar pressurized air receiver
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Operation of the demonstration plant for a period of at least 24 months
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Verification of system performance (high performance potential)
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Significant reduction of cooling water requirements
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Reduction of O&M effort due to fully automatic operation of the power plant
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Demonstration of dispatchability of electrical power in hybrid operation
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Demonstration of the overall cost reduction potential of commercial scale solar-hybrid gas turbine systems
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Assessment of market potential for standard solar-hybrid power plant modules
Project Time Schedule
The Solugas project started on November 1, 2008 and has duration of fifty-four months. The first eighteen months will cover the detailed design, construction and manufacturing of all components of the Solugas demonstration system: heliostat field, tower, gas turbine and solar receiver. During the following 6 months, the complete system will be integrated at the Abengoa Solar solar test facility Plataforma Solar de Sanlúcar la Mayor (PSSM), near Seville, Spain. After commissioning, the demo plant will operate for two years, and will include detailed performance evaluations and automatic long-term operation testing. In parallel to the operation phase, detailed system performance and cost models will be developed and verified against measured plant data. This data will be used to assess the market potential of this technology.
Solugas time schedule
The main objective of the Solugas project is to demonstrate the performance and cost reduction potential of a solar-hybrid driven gas turbine system on a commercial scale. The demonstration project is the first commercial-scale gas turbine system that can later be offered to customers in several configurations (combined cycle, co-generation).
Solugas plant is the first pilot solar hybrid gas turbine power plant at megawatt scale, representing a significant step towards commercialization of this technology. The project, financed under the European Union’s 7th Framework Program, has brought together leaders in each of the respective areas of technological knowledge.