Typical Solar Power PlantHarnessing the energy delivered to the earth from the sun economically is a clear and present challenge to the power generation industry. Solar power plants are evidently most effective in warm climates where there is plenty of sunshine throughout the year. The equatorial belt extending from Tropic of Cancer to Tropic of Capricorn and other warm regions with year round sunshine are locations for economical solar power. Unlike the conventional fossil and nuclear power plants, the technology for solar power plants is relatively new and is undergoing rapid improvements. Holtec International is in the forefront of developing the technologies to make solar energy a viable and affordable source of power.

A typical solar power plant (Figure 1) uses energy from the sun to heat the primary working fluid. The heated primary working fluid is used to convert water to steam in a steam generator. The emerging steam is then superheated by the primary working fluid in a superheater. The superheated steam enters the high pressure (HP) steam turbine. The partially spent steam emerging from the HP turbine is reheated by the primary working fluid in a reheater. The reheated steam flows through the low pressure (LP) steam turbine. The high and low pressure turbines are coupled with the electric generators to produce electricity. The spent steam emerging form the LP turbine is condensed in a water or air cooled condenser. The condensate is pumped from the condenser to the low pressure feedwater heaters for preheating. The heated condensate is next deaerated in a deaerator and is then pumped to the high pressure feedwater heaters using the boiler feed pumps. The preheated and pressurized condensate is finally pumped to the steam generator.

The cost and reliability of a solar power plant depends on the quality of the design of the plant's principal components. Holtec International's chief contribution to the solar power generation industry lies in providing capital heat transfer equipment designs that excel in terms of efficiency and reliability. Among the heat transfer equipment for solar plants that are beneficiaries of the Company's cutting edge technology know how are steam generators, superheaters, high and low pressure heaters, pre-heaters and the like. This website provides some technical vignettes on selected solar plant equipment.

Holtec International’s Power Plant Component Division (PPCD) designs and fabricates a broad spectrum of solar power plant equipment such as steam generators, superheaters, reheaters, water cooled or air cooled condensers, low pressure feedwater heaters, and high pressure feedwater heaters. Other major equipment such as the condensate pump skid, deaerator and boiler pump skids can be offered through our suppliers.