The state indicators react well to the changing operating conditions and can be used in smart working point control to further improve the operation. The working point can be chosen in a way which improves the efficiency of the energy collection. A trade-off of the temperature and the flow is needed to achieve a good level for the collected power. | Journal of Automation and Control Engineering Vol. 5, No. 1, June 2017 Intelligent Control of a Solar Thermal Power Plant Adaption in Varying Conditions Esko K. Juuso University of Oulu, Control Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Oulu, Finland e-mail: challenge is to handle harmful situations efficiently to reach an unattended operation as a part of a smart grid. This paper summarizes LE control solutions used in varying operating conditions in solar thermal power plants. Abstract—Solar thermal power plants collect available solar energy in a usable form at a temperature range which is adapted to the irradiation levels and seasonal variations. Solar energy can be collected only when the irradiation is high enough to produce the required temperatures. During the operation, a trade-off of the temperature and the flow is needed to achieve a good level for the collected power. The intelligent control system based on intelligent analyzers and predefined adaptation techniques activates special features when needed. Fast start-up, smooth operation and efficient energy collection is achieved even in variable operating condition. The state indicators react well to the changing operating conditions and can be used in smart working point control to further improve the operation. The working point can be chosen in a way which improves the efficiency of the energy collection. A trade-off of the temperature and the flow is needed to achieve a good level for the collected power. II. SOLAR COLLECTOR FIELD The aim of solar thermal power plants is to provide thermal energy for use in an industrial process such as seawater desalination or electricity generation. Unnecessary shutdowns and start-ups of the collector field are both wasteful and time consuming. With fast and well damped controllers, the plant can be operated close to the design limits thereby improving the productivity of the plant [3]. The Acurex field supplies thermal energy (1 MWt) in form of .
