3 ms·
This is not a photoelectric plant. It is a sunlight concentrator to heat salt which stores energy which is eventually used to drive a steam turbine and turn a g
by jws 10y ago
This is not a photoelectric plant. It is a sunlight concentrator to heat salt which stores energy which is eventually used to drive a steam turbine and turn a generator. All one thing.
You could use molten salt to store electricity on its own, but I think the efficiency would make it undesirable. A steam turbine is something like 50% efficient and is probably the least efficient part of the system, so it just gets worse from there. For comparison, lead acid batteries are above 70% efficient.
- ams6110 10y agoBut if electricity is free during the day (I guess because of oversupply from wind and/or solar?) who cares about a 50% loss? I wonder if using the heat directly e.g. with a Stirling engine/generator would be any more efficient? Lead acid batteries are an environmental nightmare compared to molten salt.
- Tharkun 10y agoElectricity wouldn't be free during the day if you wasted 50% of it.