Multi-point and multi-level solar integration into a conventional coal-fired power plant

Solar-aided power generation (SAPG) is capable of integrating solar thermal energy into a conventional thermal power plant, at multi-points and multi-levels, to replace parts of steam extractions in the regenerative Rankine cycle. The integration assists the power plant to reduce coal (gas) consumption and pollution emission or to increase power output. The overall efficiencies of the SAPG plants with different solar replacements of extraction steam have been studied in this paper. The results indicate that the solar thermal to electricity conversion efficiencies of the SAPG system are higher than those of a solar-alone power plant with the same temperature level of solar input. The efficiency with solar input at 330 °C can be as high as 45% theoretically in a SAPG plant. Even the low-temperature solar heat at about 85 °C can be used in the SAPG system to heat the lower temperature feedwater, and the solar to electricity efficiency is nearly 10%. However, the low-temperature heat resource is very hard to be used for power generation in other types of solar power plants. Therefore, the SAPG plant is one of the most efficient ways for solar thermal power generation.