Technical and Economic Evaluation of a Brayton-Rankine Combine-Cycle Solar Thermal Power Plant

The objective of this study is to conduct an assessment of gas-liquid direct-contact heat exchange and of a new storage-coupled system (the open-cycle Brayton/steam Rankine combined cycle). Both technical and economic issues are evaluated. Specifically, the storage-coupled combined cycle is compared with a molten salt system. The open Brayton cycle system is used as a topping cycle, and the reject heat powers the molten salt/Rankine system. In this study the molten salt system is left unmodified, the Brayton cycle is integrated on top of a Martin Marietta description of an existing molten salt plant. This compares a nonoptimized combined cycle with an optimized molten salt system.