Link to document:
Status
Electronic Resource
Call number
Publication
5107 4 JPL 82 16; Report; February 1982.
Language
Library's review
ABSTRACT:
The city of Davis, California, sponsored this study to determine the feasibility of constructing a solar pond power plant at Davis. The work was commissioned by Davis under an agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Conducted by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
The city of Davis, California, sponsored this study to determine the feasibility of constructing a solar pond power plant at Davis. The work was commissioned by Davis under an agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Conducted by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
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Pasadena, California, the study included site visits, weather data compilation, soil and water analyses, conceptual system design and analyses, a material and equipment market survey, conceptual site layout, and a preliminary cost estimate. Results of the study indicate that a solar pond power plant at Davis is technically feasible but economically unattractive. The relatively small scale of the proposed plant and the high cost of importing salt resulted in a disproportionately high capital investment with respect to the annual energy production capacity of the plant. In the future, if low-cost hardware is developed and an economical source of salt becomes available, a reassessment of the concept would be warranted. Cycle optimization and increased plant size would also increase the economical attractiveness of the proposed concept. Show Less