Dynamic operating behavior of a solar hybrid microturbine system: A comparative study of serial and parallel configurations

The paper aims to investigate the system behavior of a solar hybrid microturbine through dynamic simulation, relying on experimental data from existing literature. The focus of this evaluation is on assessing the systems response to changes in solar heat flow from the solar receiver to simulate dynamic operation. By evaluating various simulated operational scenarios, the systems performance was assessed by comparing the minimum, average, and maximum solar heat flow from the solar receiver during regular operation. The main objective of these evaluations is to determine the optimal configuration to ensure safe and efficient system operation. The study shows that the parallel configuration outperforms the serial configuration. Specifically, the parallel configuration achieves a peak thermal efficiency of 37%, while the serial configuration reaches 33%. Additionally, the fuel conversion rate for both configurations rises to over 90% at maximum Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) and decreases to below 40% at minimum DNI. This studies provide valuable insights into the dynamic behavior and performance of the solar hybrid microturbine system, guiding the selection of the most suitable configuration for optimized operational outcomes. Moreover, the study underscores the importance of dynamic analysis in ensuring efficient and reliable power generation.