Modification of Glaser project. New thermal cycle for orbital solar electric power station

1Ludanov, KI
1Frantsevich Institute for Problems of Materials Science of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
Kosm. nauka tehnol. 2009, 15 ;(1):62-67
https://doi.org/10.15407/knit2009.01.062
Publication Language: Russian
Abstract: 
We propose a new version of orbital solar electric power station with the use of the electrochemical method for the direct heat conversion into electric power in the «concentrator ‒ thermal cycle» block. The calculations of the theoretical efficiency for new cycle at t1 = 850оС (60%) and 1500оС (70%) under the working medium pressure about 1 atm are presented. We performed the calculation of the efficiency of the new electrochemical cycle modification at t1 = 1000оС with the steam electrolysis under reduced pressure (0.1 atm) and electrochemical generation under increased pressure (10 atm). It is shown that efficiency of the electrochemical cycle of the direct heat conversion into electric power (76.35%) is close to the boundary efficiency of the Carno cycle (77 % for 1000оС). Thus, this radically new method for the energy conversion is more efficiency that the Braiton, Stirling and Renkin cycles and is competitively able to photo conversion in the case of its use in the framework of orbital solar electric power station by the Glaser project.
Keywords: electrochemical cycle, energy conversion, Glaser project
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