Solar powered steam turbine

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to introduce a new idea called "Solar Powered Steam Turbine". The concentration of toxic emissions is rising, and the prices of fossil fuels are in constant growth; therefore, a solution must be applied to avoid a major crisis. Solar powered steam turbine uses a free source of heat, the sun, to produce electricity. This report starts with a brief introduction about "Solar Powered Steam Turbine" to present the idea, and lets the reader explore what this new idea is. It then gives an overview of the present renewable energy for power generation systems, and why "Solar Powered Steam Turbine" system should be considered. The report focuses on a special type of the rankine cycle: the organic rankine cycle. It discusses the main function and parts of the system, and explains the thermodynamics and heat transfer, going through the advantages and disadvantages of the cycle and the system. A case study is developed and sample calculations are made on a small scale "Solar Powered Steam Turbine" in order to produce a certain amount of electricity depending on the domestic needs of a typical house. A matlab GUI simulation program was generated that allows a practical and rapid parametric study in order to reach a desired final power output, which based on it, the custom-made system will be sized. The study is completely by a comparison between several power generation methods used in Lebanon, in the aim of decreasing the huge electrical deficiency due to the rapidly increased demand.