Modeling Thermochemical Energy Storage in a Solar Power Tower Plant: Dynamic Simulation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52825/solarpaces.v3i.2352Keywords:
Performance Assessment, Calcium-Looping, Modelica, Supercritical CO2Abstract
This work presents a dynamic model of a novel Concentrated Solar Power plant that integrates Thermochemical Energy Storage with Calcium-Looping and a supercritical CO2 Brayton power block. The aim is to provide a simulation tool to assess annual plant performance under realistic solar conditions. The model was developed using the Modelica language and simulated with OpenModelica. The configuration includes a heliostat field with a Solar Multiple of 1.8, 4 hours of TCES storage, and a 100 MWe sCO2 Brayton cycle. The system effectively manages energy generation and storage through advanced control strategies, including defocusing to prevent overcharging and efficient handling of startup and shutdown phases. A parametric analysis was conducted to identify the optimal configuration, considering SM and storage hours variations. The results indicate that the highest plant efficiency and an LCOE below 110 USD/MWh are achieved with a solar multiple of approximately 2.6 and storage capacities exceeding 16 hours, aligning with ranges considered commercially viable for CSP technologies. However, the system exhibits higher radiation losses at the receiver due to the elevated reaction temperature. Despite this, the study demonstrates the energetic viability of the integrated CSP-TCES system. The findings highlight the potential of the proposed system, although ongoing efforts are aimed at further enhancing the model’s accuracy.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Freddy Nieto, Alberto de la Calle, Rodrigo Escobar
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Accepted 2025-05-12
Published 2025-11-18