Solar Tower Receiver

Aalborg CSP develops and supplies solar tower receivers and steam producing equipment for saturated and superheated steam. Aalborg CSP carries out project management, quality assurance (QA), design and manufacturing.

Aalborg CSP's receiver system for saturated steam is based on a natural circulation system. This eliminates the use of forced circulation by pumps and increases the total effectiveness of the receiver considerably.

Solar power towers generate electric power from sunlight by focusing concentrated solar radiation on a tower mounted steam generator (receiver). The system uses sun-tracking mirrors to reflect the incident sunlight onto the receiver which converts this concentrated solar energy into saturated steam. The steam is used in a steam turbine to produce electricity. The steam part can get more effective by extension of a (fired) superheater or a thermal storage system. 

The solar tower receiver system is built up with steam drums, receiver panels and interconnecting piping.

The steam generator's steam drum is designed according to the specific standards for steam boilers. Circulation ratio, required steam space, sufficient retention time and sizing of the cyclones and chevrons according to ABMA 92 are all incorporated in our design.

The receiver panels are made of a special alloy in order to resist the intense heat flux from the solar radiation. A special steam injection system secures a safe and fast startup for all components. For superheated steam an extra set of receiver panels is to be installed. The natural circulation ensures the most economic operation of the system and secures the highest heat flux per m2 possible. Flex and stress calculations of all elements will be conducted in order to design the hangars and pipe stresses, securing safe and reliable operation for years.

The receiver systems can be supplied with valves, instruments, control system, inter-connecting piping, de-superheaters, steel structure, insulation, design of cavity, etc.

Capacities vary from a few t/h to hundreds of t/h in a wide range from 10 to 150bar and all receiver systems are unique custom-made solutions.