Standardized Balance of Plant Engineering for Solar Process Heat

Abstract

The aim of the Modulus (Modular Heat Transfer Station) project is to achieve a cost reduction by standardizing the Balance of Plant (BoP) in the field of solar thermal process heat plants. A consortium of three parabolic trough collector manufacturers, one producer of conventional BoP plants, and two research institutes have joined forces to develop a conceptional approach: First, a worldwide research of existing process heat plants was carried out and the database "ship-plants.info" was evaluated. One partner analyzed in particular the plants that will be added in 2021. In the next step, the components of a BoP plant were listed in the power range from 0.5 to 10 MW, their potential for standardization was investigated and classified. Based on this, a standardized piping and instrumentation diagram (P&ID) was developed. This has already been used as a template for further detailing of the BoP for three process heat plants in Europe, which are presented in the third chapter. Finally, further standardization options for commissioning (functional and safety tests) and performance evaluation are discussed.