Design Features and Control Concepts of ALSTOM Molten Salt Receiver

The tower type molten salt solar thermal power plant consists of a large heliostat field consisting of thousands of mirrors with capabilities to track the sun, positions itself in order to reflect the solar energy onto the molten salt central receiver (MSCR) atop a tower optimally located in the heliostat field. The receiver consists of tube banks arranged in panels with molten nitrate salt flowing within. The concentrated energy from the heliostat field heats the molten salt from 290oC to 565oC while it passes through the receiver. The hot molten salt is stored in a tank and utilized to produce steam for power generation as per the demand. The molten salt central receiver serves as the interface between the solar field and the molten salt heat transfer medium. The various components comprising the MSCR have been designed to maximize the received solar energy, the transfer of solar energy to salt, and the capacity of hot salt production.The state of the art for molten salt central receiver technology offer new opportunities to optimize the design and control of the same. This paper discusses the advanced design features and control concepts of the ALSTOM molten salt central receiver. It includes an optimized receiver surface to minimize pressure drop while maximizing the utilization of the heliostat field, modular design which is easy to construct and maintain, multiple system features for controlling salt temperatures and a health monitoring system for accurate, on-line life assessment, as prominent features.