Technologies for Solar Thermal Energy

6.2. Basic concept of solar thermal power plant

The concept of “solar thermal power plant” involves power plants that first transform solar radiation into heat energy. The generated heat energy is consequently indoctrinated by a thermal engine into useful rotational (mechanical) energy and then transformed into electricity. To achieve the utmost efficiency, high temperatures are needed for thermodynamic reasons. Improving the energy flux density of the incident solar radiation on a collector achieves certain high temperatures. Practically, under the following steps, the STP generation process is implemented:

1. • Concentrating solar radiation into a collector system;
2. • Enhancing radiation flux density (i.e., solar radiation concentration on ...