Ecological performance optimisation of a solar driven heat engine

An optimal performance analysis of a parabolic trough direct steam generation solar driven Rankine cycle power plant at maximum ecological objective function conditions is performed numerically to investigate the optimum design parameters and the optimal ecological performances. Comparisons for thermal efficiencies of the heat engines at maximum power and maximum power density conditions are provided. The effect of different heat transfer mechanisms between thermal reservoirs and working fluid is also investigated and the results are discussed in detail. The main finding of the present paper is that the thermal efficiency of the solar driven power plant at maximum ecological function conditions considered in the present study is always higher than those of the heat engines at maximum power and maximum power density conditions for all values of the allocation parameters concerned and the realistic range of thermal reservoir temperature ratio.