Modeling of dish-Stirling solar thermal power generation

Dish-Stirling solar power generation has emerged as an efficient and reliable source of renewable energy. As the technology moves into commercialization, models become necessary to predict system behavior under various operating conditions. Current literature on dish-Stirling modeling is scattered, focusing on individual components within the system. This paper establishes a background of the individual component models, and provides a method for integration of the various component models to form a comprehensive model. The thermal, electrical, and control systems of the dish-Stirling system are presented, along with a method for simulation. Typical results are provided for the instantaneous working gas temperature, pressure, and torque, along with results indicating how these parameters vary with solar irradiance in steady state.