Analysis and Design of the “Solar One” Thermal Storage Subsystem Heat Exchangers

Abstract

This paper describes the analysis and design of the five kinds of heat exchangers used in the thermal storage subsystem of the 10 MWe Solar Central Receiver Pilot Plant, now becoming more known as “Solar One.” The paper discusses the practices and standards used in the designs of the heat exchangers, lists the heat exchanger design requirements, and discusses the process conditions. The design assumptions and constraints, the geometrical considerations, and the tradeoff studies that were conducted to optimize the designs are also discussed. A description of each heat exchanger reveals the final design solution. Novel and unique features of a power plant that must operate on a daily sun-cycle are identified.