The
Solana Generating Station will use solar trough technology coupled with molten
salt thermal energy storage. The plant's rows of mirrors, thermal storage,
generating equipment and service areas will cover nearly three square miles. Businesswire Commercial Photo
Parabolic Trough technology bases its operation on solar tracking and the concentration
of solar rays on receiving tubes with high thermal efficiency, located on the
focal line of the cylinder. In these tubes, a heat transmitting fluid, such
synthetic oil, is heated to approximately 752 ºF (400 ºC) by the concentrated
solar rays. This oil is pumped through a series of heat exchangers to produce
steam. The heat present on such steam is converted into electric energy on a
conventional steam turbine.
