Method for thermal energy dispatch

摘要

A system and computer-implemented method for dispatching thermal energy and generating power in a solar power generating plant. The system includes a computer processor, computer readable medium, and control logic stored on the computer readable medium to direct the operation of the processor. The processor generates an optimized thermal energy dispatch schedule which controls operation of the generating plant by performing a combination of direct thermal energy and indirect thermal energy storage simulations to maximize operating revenues.

主权项

1. A computer implemented method for dispatching thermal energy in a power generating plant having thermal storage, a power block configured to generate electricity from thermal energy, and a processor having a computer readable medium encoded with an operating window of time comprising a plurality of generating time intervals, each having an associated relative revenue value, the method comprising:
(a) estimating the thermal energy available from an energy collector field for each generating time interval during the operating window based on weather data; (b) adding the thermal energy available for each time interval to thermal storage on the condition that the power block can draw thermal energy only from thermal storage instead of from the energy collector field; (c) selecting a plurality of generating time intervals based on the relative revenue values for each generating time interval in which there is sufficient thermal energy in thermal storage to operate the power block, the plurality of selected generating time intervals defining a first thermal energy dispatch schedule; (d) determining whether additional generating time intervals may be added on the condition that the power block can draw thermal energy from one of the energy collector field, thermal storage, or a combination thereof; (e) adding additional generating time intervals based on said determining step (d) to the first thermal energy dispatch schedule to define a second thermal energy dispatch schedule; and (f) dispatching thermal energy between the energy collector field, thermal storage, and the power block according to the second thermal energy dispatch schedule.