Influence of the geographical parameters on the performance of hybrid solar gas turbine

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the influence of the geographical and climate parameters on the performance of the hybrid solar gas turbine with a pressurized air receiver. A number of sites located in South America (Chile, Bolivia, and Peru) and North Africa (Algeria and Libya) are considered. The geometric design parameters of the solar receiver and the tower are calculated using an in-house code. The layout and the optical performance of the heliostat field are carried out using SolarPILOT software. The simulation of the complete hybrid solar gas turbine is carried out using TRNSYS software. A 50 MWe hybrid solar gas turbine is chosen in this study. Results show that a hybrid solar gas turbine installed in North Africa performs better than that installed in South America. This is mainly due to the optical performance of the heliostat field, which are better in North Africa are than in South America. The highest annual optical efficiency of a solar field is observed at Bechar (Algeria) 56.8% while the lowest annual efficiency is observed at Antofagasta (Chile) 48.1%.The solar-to-electric efficiency at Atacama Desert is lower than in the Sahara Desert. Indeed, in Atacama region the solar-to-electric efficiency varies from 17% at Antofagasta to about 18% in Arequipa while it is above 19% at Sabha and Bechar