Multi applications of small scale solar power plant using organic rankine cycle and absorption chiller

This paper presents a numerical simulation for the performance of solar thermal power plant consists of 190 m² of concentrated parabolic trough collector (PTC) with a storage tank and an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC). The numerical model simulates the effect of the operating and meteorological parameters of Northern Egypt area on the total performance of each component of the plant. A study of the operating parameters of the PTC performance was also presented in this paper. The plant uses the Therminol-VP1 as a storage media and also as a heat transfer fluid with flow rate ranges from 0.9 to 1.8 kg/s for the solar collectors. It's used also as a heat source for the ORC and the absorption chiller with a flow rate range from 0.3 to 0.9 kg/s. This paper presents four operating modes for the plant which are electric generation, cooling, heating and electric generation with heating modes. The model studies also the effect of these operating modes on the plant performance. The simulation model proves that the PTC produces a maximum thermal power of about 70 and 115 KW in winter and summer respectively. It proved also that the designed plant collect thermal energy ranges from 640 KWh to 1186 KWh during the first six months from Jan to Jun, respectively. The plant can produce also daily electric energy range from 69-85.5 KWh during the same period.