Fresnel-based modular solar fields for performance/cost optimization in solar thermal power plants: A comparison with parabolic trough collectors

Highlights: • Fresnel reflectors radiation concentration factors can be increased by accurate design. • Multi-tube, multi-pass receivers are highly efficient in absorbing concentrated radiation. • Structural analysis is the basis for minimizing weight and complexity of the plant. • Specific investment cost of Fresnel plants can be in the range of 2–3 €/W. - Abstract: Linear Fresnel collectors are identified as a technology that should play a main role in order to reduce cost of Concentrating Solar Power. An optical and thermal analysis of the different blocks of the solar power plant is carried out, where Fresnel arrays are compared with the most extended linear technology: parabolic trough collectors. It is demonstrated that the optical performance of Fresnel array is very close to that of PTC, with similar values of maximum flux intensities. In addition, if the heat carrier fluid flows in series by the tubes of the receiver, relatively high thermal efficiencies are achieved. Thus, an annual solar to electricity efficiency of 19% is expected, which is similar to the state of the art in PTCs; this is done with a reduction of costs, thanks to lighter structures, that drives to an estimation of LCOE of around 6.5 c€/kWh