Calculate thermal output and efficiency of concentrated solar power (CSP) systems - dish, tower, or trough.
Input Parameters
Results
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Thermal Power
kW
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Electric Power
kW
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Concentration Ratio
--
Carnot Limit
%
Note: CSP requires high DNI (>5 kWh/m²/day). Parabolic trough is most mature technology. Tower systems achieve highest temperatures (565°C+ with molten salt).
Reference
Q_solar = Aperture Area x DNI [kW]
Q_thermal = Q_solar x Optical Efficiency
P_electric = Q_thermal x Thermal-to-Electric Eff
Carnot Limit = 1 - T_cold(K) / T_hot(K)
Trough: CR~80, Tower: CR~600, Dish: CR~2000