We have posted an updated conceptual drawing of the solar turbine collectors and reflectors at the OSE wiki.
Please study the drawings and comment here or at the wiki. Please pass this on to others who may be knowledgeable about the topic. A discussion of some of the features of the design are found in a past blog post.
The total cost, with foundation, steam engine, and generator – is $3066 for the first prototype, with 60 kW of solar intercept. That would meet the $1/watt prototype prediction (5% efficiency), and once we optimize the system to overall 10% performance, we are expecting $1/watt for complete systems produced via flexible fabrication for outside markets.
We predict collector efficiencies of 60%. The steam engine cycle is documented historically to offer simple systems with at least 12% efficiency for the relatively modest (150 PSI, 500F) conditions. Historical data indicates that 5% overall efficiency for our system should be achieved relatively easily.
