Abstract

A plant (10, 110) for the production of electric energy comprises a fuel boiler (11) in which a fluid is heated in order to produce steam, a turbine (15) which is connected to an electric generator (16) and to which said steam is conveyed, and a condenser unit (19) which re-condenses the fluid output from the turbine so that it may be conveyed back to tire steam generator. The return fluid along the path from the condenser unit (19) to the boiler passes through a preheating unit (22) which receives heat from the turbine steam bleed-offs (23) and from a thermodynamic solar field (25). By making suitable use of the heat produced by the solar field (25) and contained in the heat-carrier fluid which passes through it, it is possible to increase the overall efficiency of the plant (10, 110). Furthermore, advantageously, the heat-carrier fluid which passes through the thermodynamic solar field receives heat from the fuel boiler via a suitable exchanger (32) which allows an increase in the productivity of the solar field itself and, moreover, uses the residual heat of the main plant which otherwise would be lost.

IPC Classes  ?

• F01K 7/38 - Steam engine plants characterised by the use of specific types of enginePlants or engines characterised by their use of special steam systems, cycles or processesControl means specially adapted for such systems, cycles or processesUse of withdrawn or exhaust steam for feed-water heating the engines being of extraction or non-condensing typeUse of steam for feed-water heating the engines being of turbine type
• F22D 1/34 - Feed-water heaters, e.g. preheaters arranged to be heated by steam, e.g. bled from turbines and returning condensate to boiler with main feed supply
• F03G 6/06 - Devices for producing mechanical power from solar energy with solar energy concentrating means