Simulation Study on Heat Exchangers Characteristics of Solar Thermal Steam System Based on Aspen Plus

In the thermal recovery project of thick oil, there are high standards for steam temperature and flow rate. The solar thermal steam supply system can convert unstable solar energy into stable and efficient carrier heat, which can be used to transfer heat to low-temperature water to produce high-temperature steam and achieve a clean and low-carbon steam supply. The rated pressure of steam and the split ratio of molten salt in the heating system have a great influence on the demand area and heat load of solar panels. In this paper, a simulation is made on the solar thermal steam supply system based on Aspen Plus. The simulation result shows that the increase in pressure will cause a growth in the area of the photothermal concentrator field but will reduce the area used for photovoltaic panels. At the same time, it reduces the heat load of the evaporator and extends its service life. The split ratio affects the molten salt temperature at the outlet of the superheater and the reheater. When the split ratio increases, the heat transfer temperature difference between the two ends of the superheater heat flow decreases, and the heat transfer temperature difference of the reheater grows bigger. Therefore, the molten salt temperature flowing out of the reheater rises.