Patent ID: 9638173
Date: 2017-05-02
CPC Classifications: F03G,Y02E

Claim:
1. A solar thermal power system, comprising: a solar receiver steam generator to generate steam using thermal energy generated by a solar heat source; a thermal energy storage arrangement having a thermal energy storage fluid to store thermal energy, the thermal energy storage arrangement having a discharge operating mode wherein the stored thermal energy is used to generate steam with a heat exchanger; a multistage steam turbine having a high pressure region with a high pressure turbine inlet; and a flow control system comprising controllable flow control devices, the flow control system having first and second operating modes, wherein: in the first operating mode, steam generated by the solar receiver steam generator is supplied to the thermal energy storage arrangement to heat the thermal energy storage fluid, and is also supplied to the high pressure turbine inlet of the multistage steam turbine to drive the steam turbine; and in the second operating mode, steam generated by the heat exchanger using the stored thermal energy from the thermal energy storage fluid is not provided to the high pressure turbine inlet for purposes of driving turbine stages in the high pressure region but is injected into the multistage steam turbine to drive the steam turbine at a turbine stage downstream of the high pressure turbine inlet, wherein pressure of the steam generated using the stored thermal energy exceeds pressure present in the turbine stage downstream of the high pressure turbine inlet during the first operational mode, and thereby increase mass flow through the turbine relative to mass flow during the first operational mode.