Special Valves for Solar Thermal Power Plants. Tests and Designs.

Control valves constitute a critical component in a concentrated solar thermal power plant. They have the role of maintaining the flow, the pressure or the temperature. These valves have to be compatible with the properties of the fluids used to transfer the heat from the solar field to the plant power conversion system, or with those used to store the energy for the non-sunny periods. A malfunctioning valve or a leakage can stop the plant’s production. The present paper gives an overview of the main aspects of the valves used for the different fluids and in the different parts of a solar thermal electricity plant. Finally, an example of validating tests is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]