1. A auxiliary steam supply system in a solar operated power plant, the system comprising:
a solar receiver to heat steam flowing therethrough, the solar receiver comprising a superheater section comprising a plurality of superheater panel arrangements;
a turbine operable on the steam received from the solar receiver flowing through the plurality of superheater panel arrangements;
a steam circuit enabling the steam flow from the solar receiver to the turbine through the plurality of superheater panel arrangements, to operate the turbine;
a thermal energy storage arrangement having a thermal energy storage medium, the thermal energy storage arrangement configured to the steam circuit to receive a predetermined portion of the steam from the steam circuit to heatcharge the thermal energy storage medium, wherein the thermal energy storage arrangement is capable of receiving the steam to heat the thermal energy storage medium from at least,
at an exit of the plurality of superheater panel arrangements prior to the turbine, and
at desired locations in-between plurality of superheater panel arrangements; and
an auxiliary steam circuit configured to circulate an auxiliary steam flow, the auxiliary steam circuit configured to thermally communicate with the thermal energy storage arrangement to enable the auxiliary steam flow to be heateddischarged from the thermal energy storage medium and introduced into the plurality of superheater panel arrangements to attain predetermined conditions thereof, wherein the auxiliary steam flow is adapted to be introduced into the receiver superheater section at least,
at the exit of the plurality of superheater panel arrangements prior to the turbine, and
at suitable locations in-between the plurality of superheater panel arrangements.
2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary steam circuit is capable of being activated for a predetermined time:
prior to activation of the steam circuit, as the pre-startup preparation of the solar operated power plant, and
after cessation of the steam, as the post-shutdown preparation of the solar operated power plant.
3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solar receiver comprises a steam drum and an evaporator section in thermal communication with the superheater section to generate the steam to be heated in the superheater section.
4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the steam circuit enabling the steam to flow from the solar receiver, flowing from the steam drum, to the turbine.
5. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the auxiliary steam flow in the auxiliary steam circuit is configured to be generated from the steam drum.
6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the steam drum is adapted to utilize heat flux on the evaporator section to generate the auxiliary steam flow, which is saturated steam flow for being heated in the thermal energy storage arrangement.
7. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the auxiliary steam circuit comprises valve arrangements adapted to depressurize the steam drum to produce the auxiliary steam flow for being heated in the thermal energy storage arrangement.
8. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a feedwater heating arrangement adapted to fluidically communicate to the thermal energy storage arrangement to produce the auxiliary steam flow upon being heated in the thermal energy storage arrangement.
9. The system as claimed in claim 8 further comprising valve arrangements adapted to depressurize the feedwater heating arrangement to produce the auxiliary steam flow for being heated in the thermal energy storage arrangement.
10. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a steam accumulator adapted to fluidically communicate to the thermal energy storage arrangement to produce the auxiliary steam flow upon being heated in the thermal energy storage arrangement.
11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermal energy storage arrangement comprises:
first and second storage tanks adapted to store the thermal energy storage medium, wherein the first storage tank is adapted to store a relatively hot thermal energy storage medium, and the second storage tank is adapted to store a relatively cold thermal energy storage medium; and
a heat exchanger disposed between the first and second storage tanks, wherein the relatively cold thermal energy storage medium from the second storage tank absorbs heat from the charging receiver steam in the heat exchanger to produce relatively hot thermal energy storage medium stored in the first storage tank, and wherein the relatively hot thermal energy storage medium from the first storage tank supplies the heat to the auxiliary steam flow in the heat exchanger to produce relatively cold thermal energy storage medium stored in the second storage tank.
12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermal energy storage arrangement comprises:
a single storage tank adapted to be divided into first and second sections using a partition in the single storage tank to store the thermal energy storage medium, wherein the first section is adapted to store a relatively hot thermal energy storage medium, and the second section is adapted to store a relatively cold thermal energy storage medium; and
a heat exchanger fluidically configured to the storage tank, wherein the relatively cold thermal energy storage medium from the second section absorbs heat from the charging receiver steam to produce relatively hot thermal energy storage medium stored in the first section, and wherein the relatively hot thermal energy storage medium from the first section supplies the heat to the auxiliary steam flow in the heat exchanger to produce relatively cold thermal energy storage material stored in the second section.
13. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermal energy storage arrangement comprises a shell and tube heat exchanger having a shell side and a tube side, wherein the thermal energy storage medium is stored on the shell side, and wherein the heated steam flow and the auxiliary steam flow through the tube side to heat and cool the thermal energy storage medium respectively.
14. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermal energy storage arrangement comprises:
a first member adapted to operate the thermal energy storage medium at a lower temperature range; and
a second member adapted to operate the thermal energy storage medium at a higher temperature range, wherein relatively hot thermal energy storage mediums at the lower and higher temperatures are adapted to supply the heat to the auxiliary steam flow gradually.
15. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the lower and higher thermal energy storage medium are of different composition.
16. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermal energy storage arrangement comprises:
a solid body adapted to be heated and retain the heat from the charging steam from receiver, wherein the retained heat in the solid body is supplied to the auxiliary steam flow to be heated.
17. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a drainage mechanism to drain the auxiliary steam flow exiting from the superheater section.
18. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermal energy storage arrangement is of a relatively lower thermal capacity as compared to the solar receiver and is capable of receiving the predetermined portion of about 0% to about 10% of the total steam generated in the solar receiver.
19. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermal energy storage arrangement is adapted to be placed along with the solar receiver on a tower.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A sediment collecting container for draining and filtering liquids from solid waste comprising:
a sloped floor surface;
one or more side walls extending upwardly from the sloped floor surface defining a waste collection portion within the side walls and above the sloped floor surface;
a drain grate along the lowest portion of the sloped floor surface;
a sediment-collecting sump located directly beneath the sloped floor surface and the drain grate, the sediment-collecting sump having at least one sloped bottom wall;
a U-trap adjacent to at least one end of the sediment-collecting sump, the U-trap being structured and disposed for allowing liquids to leave the sediment-collecting sump while solid sediment remains in the sediment-collecting sump;
at least one filtering chamber located adjacent to the U-traps for receiving liquid that leaves the sediment-collecting sump and passes through the U-traps, the filtering chambers including at least one drain hole for releasing the received liquids; and
a filter device having a liquid filter and a cap, the liquid filter being sized and configured for passage through the drain hole and into the filtering chamber, the cap having a hole thereon for releasing liquid that passes through the filter, the cap being structured and disposed for attachment to the drain hole with the liquid filter received within the filtering chamber.
2. The sediment collecting container as recited in claim 1 wherein the sediment-collecting sump further includes a drain hole for releasing sediment from the sediment-collecting sump.
3. The sediment collecting container as recited in claim 2 wherein the drain hole of the sediment-collecting sump is threaded and the container further includes a threaded cap that fits securely into the threaded drain hole, the threaded cap being removable in order to drain out any sediment from the sediment-collecting sump.
4. The sediment collecting container as recited in claim 3 further including a sediment filter located adjacent to the liquid filter of the filter device.
5. The sediment collecting container as recited in claim 4 further including one or more liquid-disposal drains along the upper-most portion of the sloped floor surface that allow liquid in the sediment-containing sump to release out of the sump when the container is inverted by waste collection personnel.
6. The sediment collecting container as recited in claim 4 wherein the liquid filter is a metal screen micron filter.