Optimal Gas-Turbine Design for Hybrid Solar Power Plant Operation

A dynamic simulation model of a hybrid solar gas-turbine power plant has been developed, allowing determination of its thermodynamic and economic performance. In order to examine optimum gas-turbine designs for hybrid solar power plants, multiobjective thermoeconomic analysis has been performed, with two conflicting objectives: minimum levelized electricity costs and minimum specific CO2 emissions. Optimum cycle conditions: pressure-ratio, receiver temperature, turbine inlet temperature and flow rate, have been identified for a 15 MWe gas-turbine under different degrees of solarization. At moderate solar shares, the hybrid solar gas-turbine concept was shown to provide significant water and CO2 savings with only a minor increase in the levelized electricity cost. [DOI:10.1115/1.4006986]