[Gasification] Solar ORC's

[LINVENT at aol.com]

The Arizona APS facility is not the first one in Arizona. DOE built one, I 
think it was 100 kw, and the sign was there long after it was dismantled. 
DOE/Sandia National Labs built one in Estancia, New Mexico for operating an 
irrigation well on a large farming operation of around 25Kwe capacity. They used the 
same principles such as the APS site, and their turbine system was set up to 
use natural gas as a back up. They used toluene as an operating fluid on the 
Rankine cycle, and had a major fire there. The turbine set is sitting in a scrap 
yard in Albuquerque. They apparently also had trouble with the rotating seals 
on the sun tracking trough mirrors. They had large hot fluid insulated storage 
tanks so that they could store the hot fluid and operate the pump at night. 

There are flat mirror designs which achieve the same effect as curved mirrors 
with less cost. I have seen a British group put one in Italy. Relatively 
simple design. I understand that there are some coming out here in the US. Most 
have missed the boat in not only reflecting suface but the design of the 
absorbing surface to absorb the incoming radiation. The Rankine cycle as developed by 
Mr. Sterling has a few items missing which will substantially increase the 
efficiency and operate better overall. It is somewhat humorous that a Sterling 
has improved the Rankine cycle. That could be confusing in a light 
conversation. 



Sincerely,
Leland T. Taylor
Leland T."Tom" Taylor
President
Thermogenics Inc.
7100-F 2nd St. NW Albuquerque, NM 87107
Phone:505-463-8422 Fax:505-268-9206 (call first)
Web:thermogenics.com