What question did this study set out to answer?

The research aims to optimize the design of a utility-scale heliostat field and a solar receiver to enhance thermal power generation efficiency.

April 23, 2026Open Access

Design of an Optimized Utility-Scale Heliostat Field Coupled with a Particle Fluidized Bed Solar Receiver

Key Points

The research aims to optimize the design of a utility-scale heliostat field and a solar receiver to enhance thermal power generation efficiency.
Developed methodology to optimize heliostat field layout and receiver geometry.
Tested the design at the Themis tower facility in France.
Concentrated on a 50 MWth thermal power case for validation.
Optimized design parameters for the heliostat field increased thermal collection efficiency.
The proposed receiver configuration demonstrated improved heat exchange performance.
The methodology can be applied to other scale solar power projects.

Abstract

The Powder2Power (P2P) project aims to demonstrate at the MW scale the operation of a fluidized bed solar receiver coupled with an electricity-driven particle superheater, a crossflow fluidized bed heat exchanger and a Brayton cycle gas turbine. This concept will be tested at the Themis tower facility (Targasonne, France). Within the P2P project, one of the tasks aims to study the design of utility-scale power plants, in particular the heliostat field and the solar receiver. This paper describes the methodology developed to optimize the heliostat field layout, tower height and receiver geometry for a given thermal power. Results for a 50 MWth case are presented.

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