A Solar Receiver Steam Generator (SRSG) is a key component of a Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) generating

plant. The SRSG, also known as a boiler or receiver, is a high-efficiency boiler positioned on top of a tower
(typically 300 to 400 ft above grade), and surrounded by a field of mirrors (heliostats) that focus and concentrate
sunlight onto the receiver tubes. The energy from the sunlight is used to generate and superheat steam in a
forced circulation drum-type boiler, with the superheated steam being used to produce electricity.

The general arrangement of an SPT plant is shown in Figure I. In contrast to a typical boiler, the outside surface
area contains the heat transfer surface, while the drum, piping, and supporting equipment and steel are located
within the confines of the heat absorbing surfaces. One of the advantages of Power tower CSP over other forms
of CSP is the use of steam rather than exotic heat transfer fluids allowing for the generation of high temperature
and pressure steam using the highly efficient Rankine cycle for conversion to electricity. The use of water/steam
allows for the utilization of power generation industry standard equipment and design concepts found in all steam
power plants.

The latest design for this technology will be supplied to Brightsources Invanpah Solar Electric Generating
System. Ivanpah will:

Be the largest solar thermal plant in the world

Generate 392 MW, which will serve 140,000 homes in California

Be the first large-scale solar thermal project built in nearly two decades

Double the amount of commercial solar thermal electricity produced in the U.S.

Solar Power Towers are starting to be used in different places all over the
world. There are two in the United States. They heat up salt with the sun's
energy; the salt can be heated to over 1050 degrees Farenheight. Light is
being reflected by mirrors and it's intensity and the heat of it will increase
greatly. The hot salt will be pumped across tanks of water and it will heat

it up greatly. The salt can stay hot for many days. They use the salt to boil
water and make steam that is about 700 to 800 degrees Farenheight. The
maximum temperature for water is 800 degrees, after it reaches 800
degrees it is called super critical. The hotter the water get the more
pressure it produces, that means you can run bigger generators. For a
generator to generate electricity it uses magnet and coils, and it spins. To
make it spin, water vapor will be pushing the turbines that will be on the
generator. Altogether the salt power tower has 2000 mirrors around it
that move with the sun. This lets the maximum amount of sunlight to
reach the tower. Solar power towers can produce up to 10 megawatt.
They also don't produce any wastes. Something negative is, they need a
lot of land for all the mirrors, but they build them in the desert so the land
is fairly cheap. They take up almost the same amount of space as a
regular power plant. After it is built you only need to pay the workers.
Solar power towers can also produce electricity easiest when power
companies need it most, on hot days when people use their air
conditioners the most. Solar power towers create 2.5 new higher paying
jobs then power plants. If only 1 % of all Earth's deserts were used for
solar power towers, it would generate more electricity than is currently
being produced by fossil fuels.