What is a solar power tower?

A solar power tower, also known as 'central tower' power plant or ' heliostat ' power plant, is a type of solar furnace using a tower to receive focused sunlight. It uses an array of flat, movable mirrors (called heliostats) to focus the sun's rays upon a collector tower (the target).

How does a solar power tower work?

A solar power tower consists of an array of dual-axis tracking reflectors (heliostats) that concentrate sunlight on a central receiver atop a tower; the receiver contains a heat-transfer fluid, which can consist of water-steam or molten salt. Optically a solar power tower is the same as a circular Fresnel reflector.

What is a transmission tower?

Transmission towers are the most visible component of the power transmission system. Their function is to keep the high-voltage conductors (power lines) separated from their surroundings and from each other.

How do solar thermal tower power plants work?

Solar thermal tower power plants with nearly planar mirrors focus solar radiation and direct it onto a receiver, which is located at the top of a tower. Very high temperatures in the receiver, resulting from this concentrated solar radiation, enable generation of power plant process steam.

What is a thermal solar power tower (central receiver system)?

A thermal solar power tower (central receiver system) comprises of a field of mirrors on the ground, which focuses the solar radiation on a receiver mounted high on a central tower. From: Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2017 You might find these chapters and articles relevant to this topic.

What is a central receiver concentrating solar power plant?

This overview will focus on the central receiver, or “power tower” concentrating solar power plant design, in which a field of mirrors - heliostats, track the sun throughout the day and year to reflect solar energy to a receiver that absorbs solar radiation as thermal energy.