Simulations in Development of Nonlinear Control for a Solar Thermal Power Plant

Abstract

Abstract

This paper focuses on the utilization of dynamic simulation models in the planning of experiments for control development. A set of models based on the first principles for system level simulation of the complete new TCP-100 research facility at Plataforma Solar de Almería (CIEMAT) was planned for the development of control solutions for this new research facility which replaced the 32-year-old ACUREX facility. Many advances in Automatic Control have been reached by using the ACUREX field. Simulation experiments with the parabolic trough (PTC) field would require more tuning and adaptive parts before getting the required experimental data for typical operating conditions. The analysis operates for all state variables, which are temperatures, and input variables, which include solar radiation, ambient temperature and several setpoints. The nonlinear scaling approach keeps the algorithms unchanged by focusing on the meanings of the measured variables. The scaling functions are variable specifIc. For the irradiation, the functions do not change which means that also the indicator of the cloudiness remains the same. The algorithms are not changed and the data analysis is for a limited set of measurements and subsystems. The simulation experiments need to be first focused on the loops and modules of the solar field and the full model need to be extended before going to the full simulation tests and the test campaigns with the new facility.