22-10-2014, 12:00 PM
Abstracts: Solar energy is one of the alternative energy sources that has vast potential. Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) energy systems convert sunlight into electricity using parabolic mirrors capable of concentrating the solar radiation by a factor of over 13,000 for Stirling dish systems. The concentrated solar energy is either focused on a photovoltaic module, or a receiver that absorbs the solar energy and transfers it to a working fluid such as a high temperature oil, molten salt, or hydrogen. The working fluid is then directly or indirectly used as the thermal source in a power cycle. Many of these technologies can operate with thermodynamic cycles similar to conventional power plants fuelled by coal or natural gas; however, they have been modified to run off of solar energy as the primary fuel.