Find all responses answered in detail and illustrated with dozens of photographs and

explanatory graphics in Volume 2 of the collection of Solar Thermal power Plants Operation
and Maintenance.
1. Can you accurately define the following terms? :
Irradiance
Irradiation
Global radiation
Diffuse Radiation
Direct radiation
direct normal radiation
2. In the solar field, what is called a module or SCE?
3. In the solar field, what is called the collector or SCA?
4. In the solar field, what is called a loop?
5. What are the main parts of an absorber tube?
6. What is a pyrheliometer? What is it for?
7. What is the solar multiple?
8. Indicate the typical values of solar multiple in plants with thermal storage and plants
without thermal storage
9. Indicate the number of loops at the design point in a location near Badajoz with 850 W/m2
irradiance, and the following data:
Module type: Eurotrough
Loops configuration: 48 collectors Eurotrough
Optical efficiency: 78%
Thermal efficiency: 72%
Water-steam cycle efficiency: 39%

10. What slope (ideally) should have a solar field?

11. What is the hydraulic balance of the solar field?
12. Why is it needed?
13. What types of foundations exist for solar modules in the field?
14. What types of valves can be found at the entrance of a loop?
15. Why the wind is a problem in the solar field?
16. What is the position in which the modules must be placed if there is a strong east wind?
17. What is the position in which the modules must be placed if there is a strong north
wind?
18. What are typical values for the optical and the thermal efficiencies of the solar field?
19. What is the typical performance of the water-steam cycle in a solar thermal power plant
(at least the usual margin)?
20. Why is the solar tracking necessary, by moving collectors?
21. What types of movement mechanisms for solar tracking of a collector are there?
22. What are the three fluid heat transfer fluids used in solar thermal with thermal storage?
23. Why is it necessary to use a synthetic organic fluid as a heat transfer fluid, instead of
using water directly?
24. What material is often used for the HTF pipe?
25. Why is it important to X-ray 100% all welding pipe HTF?
26. Why is it important that the flow inside the absorber tube is turbulent?
27. Can you approximately indicate in a numeric way what happens to the energy that is
captured by the HTF system but that is not converted into electrical energy? What it becomes,
or where you lose it and how much?
28. What are the usual types of flowmeters for measuring the flow in HTF pipes?
29. Would you know to calculate the capacity of expansion tanks with these conditions?
Fluid, HTF Dowtherm A

 HTF cold temperature, 292 C

HTF temperature, 393 C
Cold oil density, 790 kg/m3 Hot oil density, 690 kg/m3 Density of oil to an intermediate
temperature (343 C), 760 kg/m3 Amount of oil in the system: 1500 tons
30. What are the three mechanisms of oil degradation?
31. What is the ullage system?
32. Why auxiliary boilers usually do not exceed the 47 thermal MW?
33. What types of pipe insulation and equipment insulation are there?
34. What are the three systems used to prevent freezing of the thermal fluid in a CSP plant?
35. What types of centrifugal pumps are used to drive HTF, according to API 610?
36. What types of API 682 standard seals used in HTF drive pumps?
37. In the water-steam cycle, some heat is 'pulled' by the cooling tower. Taken into account
that it is a heating system, it is noteworthy that the fluid that exit from the steam turbine is
'cool' to quickly start to heat up again a few meters away. If it is cooled and then heated again,
why do it?
38. Do you know which is the main equipment making up the steam generation train?
39. What is a evaporator Kettle type?
40. Which exchanger of the generation train produces the largest temperature drop?
41. At what points usually heaters fail?
42. What role does the degasser?
43. What is the function of the bypass valves of a turbine?
44. What is the role of low pressure preheaters?
45. In solar thermal power plants are two levels of pressure and two turbines (high and low
pressure). In biomass plants, there is usually only one. And in the combined cycle are usually
three. Why solar thermal power plants there are two turbine bodies, high and low pressure?
46. Would you know roughly indicate the two levels of steam pressure which works in a CSP
plant?

47. Why the high pressure turbine rotates faster than the low pressure turbine?
48. Why the condenser of a water-steam cycle is vacuum work?
49. How do you generate a vacuum in the condenser?
50. What types of condenser cooling are used in the thermal power plants?
51. What are the usual Atex in a solar thermal power plant?
52. Do you know which are the most problematic points of a CSP plant whose damage
severity or its frequency concern the people responsible for it?