The solar field produces thermal energy by using direct normal irradiation (DNI), and
delivers this energy to a steam power plant. The solar field can be considered in a
first approach as a solar steam generator.
The glass mirror of the solar field has a parabolic shape and is reflecting the
incoming direct radiation with a concentration value of around 80 to the absorber
tube. One of the most modern Collectors nowadays is the type LS-3. One LS-3
collector consists of 224 mirror segments, where each segment has an area of 2.68
m2. Taking into consideration the bending of the mirrors, an area of 545 m2 is
reached with one LS-3 collector. In addition the collector contains 24 absorber tubes.
The complete construction is a lightweight metal structure, which normally is
equipped with a single axis tracking system.
Figure