Analyses and assessments of a direct steam generation PTC-based solar power plant with two approaches of exergy and emergy

The present study focuses on the energy, exergy, exergoeconomic, exergoenvironmental, emergoeconomic and emergoenvironmental analyses, besides enhanced exergy analysis, for a solar thermal power plant with direct steam generation. Results show that the overall emergoeconomic factor of the DSG solar power plant is 85.34%, and its total emergoenvironmental factor is 85.56%. Enhanced exergy analysis reveals that the avoidable percentage of the emergoenvironmental rate allocated to exergy destruction of the solar field, low-pressure turbine, and high-pressure turbine is 10%, 42%, and 34%, respectively. These values are equal to 11%, 45%, and 38%, respectively.

Automated summary

The present study conducted energy, exergy, exergoeconomic, exergoenvironmental, emergoeconomic, and emergoenvironmental analyses, as well as enhanced exergy analysis, for a solar thermal power plant with direct steam generation. The results showed that the overall emergoeconomic factor of the DSG solar power plant was 85.34%, and its total emergoenvironmental factor was 85.56%. Enhanced exergy analysis revealed avoidable percentages of the emergoenvironmental rate allocated to exergy destruction for the solar field, low-pressure turbine, and high-pressure turbine, which were 10%, 42%, and 34%, respectively.