3. Sensible heat storage : case of a solar tower power plant

A solar tower power plant consists of a mirror field (collection), a receiver (conversion) and a steam block/turbine (generation) for electricity production (figure  7 ).

In such systems, dual-axis tracking mirrors focus sunlight onto a fixed receiver at the top of a central tower. The thermal energy is absorbed by a heat transfer fluid, typically a molten salt. Solar Salt, currently used for its thermal stability, is heated to 565°C, depressurised and stored in a “hot” tank at ambient pressure. Upon demand, the molten salt is pumped to a salt-steam generator, producing superheated steam that powers a turbine generator for electricity production....