Experimental studies and experience on a 1 MWe superheated steam tower CSP demonstrator

This paper presents the synthesis of experimental studies on a 1MWe superheated steam tower CSP demonstrator in Beijing. The demonstrator includes solar field with 100 heliostats of 100 m2, a cavity steam receiver composed of a steam tank, evaporator panels and superheater panels, power block and thermal energy storage system using thermal oil as storage fluid. A series of campaigns have been carried out since 2012 to study the demonstrator performance. The campaign topics cover superheated steam production, power generation, system start-up/shut-down, transient scenario response, and thermal storage system charging/discharging. Through the feedback of campaigns, experiences have been gained on system operation, maintenance, transient scenario response and thermal energy storage.