An Integrated Solar Tower Power Plant Using Intercooled Gas Turbine And Kalina Cycle

The desert region of China has good solar radiation, but usually lack of water greatly.Conventional solar thermal power plant usually consumes large amount of water. So as tobuild high-efficiency, water-saving solar thermal power plant, a new solar tower thermalpower system integrating the intercooled gas turbine top cycle and the Kalina bottomingcycle is proposed in the present paper.The thermodynamic performance of the proposed system is investigated, and theirreversibility of energy conversion is disclosed using the energy-utilization diagrammethod. On the top cycle of the proposed system, the compressed air after beingintercooled is heated at1000°C or higher at the solar tower receiver and is used to drive thegas turbine to generate power. The ammonia–water mixture as the working substance of thebottom cycle recovers the waste heat from the gas turbine to generate power. A conciseanalytical formula of solar-to-electric efficiency of the proposed system is developed.As a result, the peak solar-to-electric efficiency of the proposed system is27.5%at agas turbine inlet temperature of1000°C under the designed solar direct normal irradianceof800W/m~2. Compared with a conventional solar power tower plant, the proposedintegrated system conserves approximately46.2%of consumed water. The results obtainedin the current study provide an approach to improve solar-to-electric efficiency and offer apotential to conserve water for solar thermal power plants in arid area.According to the research, The concentration ratio, solar irradiance, ammoniaconcentration etc. have significant influence on solar-to-electricity efficiency. At a givenconcentration ratio, the solar-to-electricity efficiency raises as solar irradiance. For a givenTIT, the solar-to-electricity efficiency raises as the pressure ratio of the gas turbine. Besides, there is an optimal ammonia ratio brings a peak solar-to-electricity efficiency.The proposed cycle provides a new method to enhance solar-to-electricity efficiency. Italso provides an effecitive way to economise water for solar thermal power plant.