Flowserve Corporation’s pumps are performing to expectations in critical applications at the world’s first commercial concentrated solar power (CSP) plant utilising a central tower receiver with thermal storage capabilities.
Located near Seville, Spain, the 19.9 megawatt (MW) Gemasolar power plant employs molten salt as the heat transfer fluid, an innovative technology that allows for the continuous generation of electricity 24 hours a day for many months throughout the year.
Due to the molten salt storage design, the CSP plant is capable of energy production for up to 15 hours without sunlight, helping to avoid fluctuations in the region’s power supply.
At the heart of the CSP plant are seven specially-configured Flowserve vertical turbine pumps (VTPs) capable of sustaining temperatures up to 600°C (1,100°F) and generating pressures up to 100 bar (1,450 psi). Materials of construction for these high process temperatures include stainless steel alloys to minimise thermal growth and forestall shaft deflection.
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