Chapter 11: Concentrating Solar Power

This chapter summarizes the applications of the supercritical CO₂ (sCO₂) Brayton cycle in concentrating solar power (CSP) plants. The design and operation of CSP plants are reviewed to highlight the requirements for the power cycle and attributes that are advantageous for the solar-thermal application. The sCO₂ Brayton cycle offers the potential of higher cycle efficiency versus superheated or supercritical steam cycles at temperatures relevant for CSP applications. In addition, Brayton cycle systems using sCO₂ are anticipated to have smaller weight and volume, lower thermal mass, and less complex power blocks compared with Rankine cycles due to the higher density of the fluid and simpler cycle design. The simpler machinery and compact size of the sCO₂ process may also reduce the installation, maintenance, and operation cost of the system. Power cycle capacities in the range of 10-150 MWe are anticipated for the CSP application. In this chapter, we explore sCO₂ Brayton cycle configurations that have attributes that are desirable from the perspective of a CSP application, such as the ability to accommodate dry cooling and daily cycling, as well as integration with thermal energy storage.