Thermal analysis of a CSP-Biogas hybrid power plant

Abstract

As the energy costs continue to rise steadily, researchers are looking for alternative sources of energy to meet the rising demand for sustainable energy. Finding an inexpensive and reliable energy generation technology is a big challenge both in developed and developing countries. Innovation and invention of new technologies, mass production and economies of scale will together enable a reduction in the cost of solar electricity to levels comparable with other electricity generating sources. Solar energy producers can increase their energy production by creating solar thermal hybrids by using concentrating solar thermal hybrids together with other energy sources like coal, biomass, oil, gas, geothermal and others. The performance of concentrating solar thermal power is limited by the availability of the sun and the design. The first solution is the hybridization of the solar power plants with fossil backup systems. For this case the fossil is used as a fuel to help meet the desired energy output of the system. Hybrid concepts are most suitable for utility application since they offer high power availability during peak and base loads operation. The hybrid model is assumed to be operated exclusively on renewable energy and net production of carbon dioxide.