Grid-connected concentrated solar power (CSP) technologies are a viable alternative for renewable energy providers. A key advantage of concentrated solar power (CSP) systems is their close resemblance to utility-scale power plants in terms of steam cycle equipment and systems. In a CSP facility the concentrated power of the sun is substituted for the combustion of fossil fuels.

Two of the most common types of CSP plants are the parabolic trough and the solar power tower. These applications require special purpose pumps, mechanical seals and valves to reliably handle superheated molten salts, HTF and water. Flowserve supplies the CSP industry with the most comprehensive package of equipment, technical support and services available.

Power Tower 

Solar power towers employ vast arrays of flat mirrors called heliostats that track the sun and reflect its energy back to a central point. The concentrated light is directed at the top of a tower where a collector full of a circulating liquid carries the heat away. The liquid, typically molten salt, is pumped into large vessels where it can be used to produce steam right away, or stored to generate electricity at a later time.

Power tower process diagram - Click to enlarge

Parabolic Trough 

Parabolic trough plants utilize multiple rows of parabolic reflectors that concentrate the sun’s energy onto metal tubes filled with a heat-conducting fluid, typically a heat-transfer fluid (HTF). The hot HTF is pumped into a heat exchanger where steam is produced for powering a turbine and generator.

Parabolic trough process diagram - Click to enlarge