Modelling and Simulation of Central Receiver Solar Thermal Power Plants

The implementation of advanced control systems to optimize the overall performance of Central Receiver Solar Thermal Power Plants is nowadays a priority research line. The development of dynamic models for use in simulation and control of this kind of power plants is presented in this article, focused on the CESA-I solar plant of the Plataforma Solar de Almería (Southern Spain). The developed model is based in the thermohydraulic modelling framework ThermoFluid, and the main components of the system are presented as well as the respective modelling assumptions. A typical operating cycle is simulated and the results are shown and commented.