Karamveer Singh K.Vishal SethiGiuseppina Di LorenzoFernando Jimenez Ugarte2024-03-102024-03-102024-03-102015-10-16https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/205946In the power generation sector, substituting fossil-fuels with near-zero carbon alternatives is one viable option identified for curbing CO2 emissions. Solar energy is one such alternative and it's valued for being inexhaustible in nature. This study examines the technology of solarised gas turbines in a hybrid configuration, i.e. use of concentrating solar power (CSP) systems in Brayton cycle equipped with conventional combustion systems. Such a technology allows for a stable supply of energy, thereby alleviating the intermittency problems associated with renewables only system. A techno-economic environmental risk analysis (TERA) methodology was conceived to assess the potential of a commercially available recuperative engine that was selected for solarisation. Its conventional fossil-fuel only counterpart was used as a baseline engine for this study. Thermodynamic performance analysis at design point operation revealed the solar-hybrid unit to have a fossil-fuel efficiency of 72% in comparison to 43% of the conventional engine. In terms of environmental impact, the solar-hybrid unit was found to have specific CO2 emission levels of 0.284 kg/kWh, which is approximately 40% lowerthan the CO2 emissions generated by the baseline engine. Additionally, NOx emissions of the solar-hybrid machine were also approximately 40% lower relative to the baseline engine. In the financial analysis, as expected, the cost of electricity (COE) for the solar-hybrid alternative (17.1 €cent/kWhr) was found to be higher than the fossil-fuelled engine (5.9 €cent/kWhr). A 2k factorial design experiment further revealed capacity factor and variable costs as the primary factors affecting the COE produced by a power plant. A short note discussing the maturity level of the technology is also included. It is perceived that this technology has a high-potential for market introduction in the mid-term view.concentrating solar powercentral receiversolar towerheliostatslevelised cost of electricitysolar energysolarised gas turbinetext::book/monograph::book part or chapter