Title: Design procedure for solar industrial-process-heat systems in Texas. Final report
Abstract:The objective of this project is to develop a design procedure for the application of solar energy to industrial-process-heat systems in Texas. The method is organized to allow the user to estimate th...The objective of this project is to develop a design procedure for the application of solar energy to industrial-process-heat systems in Texas. The method is organized to allow the user to estimate the annual thermal performance of a particular system, estimate the total installed cost of that system, and provide a means for determining the return on that investment. A single example is carried through to illustrate the procedure. The example is of an actual installation and thereby provides a basis for judging the accuracy of the procedure. In addition to this example, suggestions are provided for performing optimization studies. In a given industrial situation any of several solar options might be selected. A comparison of four of these options at a specific plant site illustrates that one option in particular yields an acceptable return on investment while the three remaining do not. The advantage of this procedure, therefore, is that it provides a simple, straightforward method for distinguishing between those applications which are cost effective and those which are not.Read More