A method to optimise the operation of solar thermal power plants has been patented

Researchers from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) have patented a method which makes it possible to reduce energy losses in solar thermal power plants. Solar thermal energy relies on harnessing solar radiation to produce heat. As with most methods of obtaining electricity, this heat is used to heat a high-pressure fluid, which drives a turbine connected to a generator. The most common solar thermal power plants are referred to as tower technology plants. These plants are composed of thousands of tracking mirrors (heliostats) that concentrate solar radiation onto a receiver located at the top of a tower, which in turn are made up of an array of smaller mirrors, called facets. Salts usually flow along this receiver and are heated and then stored in a tank at temperatures above 550ºC, before being used to obtain steam. In order to capture as much solar energy as possible, it is essential that these heliostat facets are properly aligned.