Detailed dynamic model for the gravity drainage of a tower solar receiver, with ThermoSysPro library - Time needed to completely drain the receiver and salt temperature as a function of the ambient conditions

Modeling and simulation activities play a key role in the design phase and performance optimization of complex energy processes. It is also expected that they will play a significant role in the future for power plant maintenance and operation (load variation, system startup, system shutdown …). Molten salt technology represents nowadays the most cost- effective technology for electricity generation for solar power plant. The molten salt tower receiver is based on a field of individually sun-tracking mirrors (heliostats) that reflect the incident sunshine to a receiver at the top of a centrally located tower. The molten salt tower receiver is based on a field of individually sun-tracking mirrors (heliostats) that reflect the incident sunshine to a receiver at the top of a centrally located tower. Typically 90 to 95 percent of the reflected energy is absorbed into the working fluid (molten salt), which is pumped through the receiver. The objective of this study is to evaluate the risk of salt crystallization in the receiver tubes for the gravity drainage scenario in the case of absence of solar irradiation. The temperature of the molten salt in the pipes will be calculated during the drainage of the receiver. A detailed dynamic model of Solar Two molten salt central receiver has been developed. The component model is meant to be used for receiver modeling with the ThermoSysPro library, developed by EDF and released under open source license. The paper gives a detailed description of the model, data and the results of the dynamic simulation for several scenarios.Modeling and simulation activities play a key role in the design phase and performance optimization of complex energy processes. It is also expected that they will play a significant role in the future for power plant maintenance and operation (load variation, system startup, system shutdown …). Molten salt technology represents nowadays the most cost- effective technology for electricity generation for solar power plant. The molten salt tower receiver is based on a field of individually sun-tracking mirrors (heliostats) that reflect the incident sunshine to a receiver at the top of a centrally located tower. The molten salt tower receiver is based on a field of individually sun-tracking mirrors (heliostats) that reflect the incident sunshine to a receiver at the top of a centrally located tower. Typically 90 to 95 percent of the reflected energy is absorbed into the working fluid (molten salt), which is pumped through the receiver. The objective of this study is to evaluate the risk of salt crystallizati...