Working principle of molten salt tower photothermal power station

Heliostat is used to reflect sunlight to the heat absorption tower, and various salts (mostly nitrates) in the heat absorption tower absorb heat and are heated into high-temperature molten salt at 560 degrees Celsius.

The absorption tower of molten salt tower-type photothermal power station is composed of a plurality of cylindrical or square reflecting surfaces, which are covered with mirror materials with high reflectivity to reflect solar rays onto the absorption tower. The absorber tower includes a plurality of heat exchangers and heat storage tanks for absorbing and storing heat. In the process of power generation, molten salt transfers heat to water through a heat exchanger to generate high-temperature and high-pressure steam, which drives a steam turbine to generate electricity. The residual temperature of molten salt can be stored in the heat storage tank, so as to continue to generate steam to generate electricity at night or on cloudy days.