How a solar power tower works?

Solar power tower is composed of several heliostats, tower with top situated receiver with the working fluid and the generator of the electrical energy. Heliostats are composed of several flat mirrors that focus concentrated sun irradiation onto the receiver. Each heliostat has its own mechanism for Sun tracking along two axis.

What is a solar power tower?

A solar power tower, also known as 'central tower' power plant or ' heliostat ' power plant, is a type of solar furnace using a tower to receive focused sunlight. It uses an array of flat, movable mirrors (called heliostats) to focus the sun's rays upon a collector tower (the target).

How does solar work?

In power tower concentrating solar power systems, a large number of flat, sun-tracking mirrors, known as heliostats, focus sunlight onto a receiver at the top of a tall tower.

How do power tower concentrating solar power systems work?

In power tower concentrating solar power systems, a large number of flat, sun-tracking mirrors, known as heliostats, focus sunlight onto a receiver at the top of a tall tower. A heat-transfer fluid heated in the receiver is used to heat a working fluid, which, in turn, is used in a conventional turbine generator to produce electricity.

How does a solar power plant work?

The mirrors focus the Sun's energy onto this receiver, heating heat-transfer fluid (molten salt) and generating high-temperature heat. The hot molten salt produces steam that immediately turns a turbine and produces electricity, just like how conventional power plants generate electricity.

What is Ivanpah solar power?

The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System is the largest concentrated solar thermal plant in the U.S. Located in California's Mojave Desert, the plant is capable of producing 392 megawatts of electricity using 173,500 heliostats, each with two mirrors that focus sunlight onto three solar power towers.