Decoupling the components in Power Tower model

Hi,

I would be grateful if you could help me with following.

Is there any way to decouple the CSP components in SAM? I mean, what I need to do is to find how much thermal energy I can deploy from a fixed sized heliostat field, and I do not want to consider that heat for power generation purposes. Is there any way that I can do this by SAM? (I only need the heliostat and receiver model, and I do not need any storage or power generation!)

Thanks for the support.

Cheers,
Saeed

Dear Saeed,

It is not possible to separate the components of a system in SAM. SAM does report time series data for different points in the system. For example, for a CSP system, you can use the field output data and ignore the other results. Because SAM models the components as part of a system, that approach may not give you the exact results you expect. For example, the model may defocus collectors in the field to limit the field's output to the power cycle's input design limits.

Best regards,
Paul.