Stainless steel solar sphere power generation

Can a solar sphere be used as a power source?

Abstract: World electricity demand is rapidly overtaking the power supply. Solar cell power is an alternative method of power generation. In this report, the application of a new concentrated photovoltaic technology called a solar sphere is tested experimentally.

Can energy storage systems be used to generate electricity from solar energy?

To overcome this issue, researchers studied the feasibility of adding energy storage systems to this power plant [15, 16]. Concentrated solar power (CSP) is a promising technology to generate electricity from solar energy.

How does solar energy work?

This technology works by collecting solar energy and concentrating it into a small area (focal point). The focused solar energy is able to generate a huge amount of power that can be used to produce far more electricity than alternative photovoltaic designs.

How are spheres compared to normal photovoltaics?

First, 3 shapes are tested: a full sphere, only the upper half of a sphere, and only the bottom half of the sphere. Then, they are compared with normal photovoltaics (PV) that have the same area as the spheres.

How much power does a full sphere produce?

The full sphere with the same material produces around triple the power output of the half spheres and 4 times the power output of other PV with the same area. 3 different sphere sizes are also used: 10 cm diameter, 12 cm diameter and 30 cm diameter.

How is solar energy stored in the TES?

The power generation from the PV and wind systems is recovered by an electric heating mechanism to warm the solar salt in the TES as soon as they start operating. The thermal energy from the CSP system and the electric heating device generated by the power rejection of the PV and wind systems are both stored in the TES.