After much discussions and Dymola simulation work, the specification for the new high pressure hot air turbine system needed to recover the energy from a concentrated solar tower has been frozen. Headline performance figures are:
Two stage compression system
Interstage cooled
Total pressure ratio of 10:1
Turbine inlet temp of 850 Deg C
Power output 55kWe
Efficiency – 17%
Air discharge temp (for Rankine cycle) – 420 Deg C

The plan is now to release detailed component specifications in Jan 2016, complete the design work in 2016, with manufacture and testing in 2017 when we will start the project to upscale the technology to ~500kWe per module.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 640905.