Resumen
The performance of solar hybrid Brayton cycle materialized by a micro-gas turbine based on a turbocharger is studied. The use of a turbocharger is aimed at investment cost reduction and construction simplification. Two configurations are investigated, namely hybrid and solar-only. Design aspects are discussed, in view of the requirement for minimizing the cost of electricity produced. A key parameter is the turbine inlet temperature and its effect on performance is investigated. The effect of heliostat field size is also investigated. Augmentation of the maximum temperature leads to better performance, as a result of higher cycle efficiency. Solar-only configuration features are compared with hybrid ones and the contribution of different cost components to the final electricity cost is discussed.