Solar Multiple- Solar Tower- Elaborating two approaches

Hi Paul,

Can you please help me with following issues?

1- For Tower model, solar multiple can be determined in 2 ways: (1) when an optimization wizard is used on the solar field input page, or (2) on the Tower and Receiver page. In the manual help it has mentioned that if we change the solar multiple in the Tower and Receiver page after running an optimization wizard with a certain solar multiple, solar field will not be changed; however, receiver output will be changed. I have two questions in this regard:
a. If we want to find an optimized solar multiple, what is the correct way? Applying different solar multiples on the optimization wizard, or changing the solar multiple on the Tower and Receiver page?
b. If the answer to question “a” is using the optimization wizard, then when typically the second approach should be applied? Why this option has been provided?!!
c. Based on the second approach, changing solar multiple on the receiver page will change thermal output from the receiver (without changing the number or configuration of the solar field), but I cannot follow what this means and how it happens? Is it just but changing the mass flow rate of HTF in solar field?

Best Regards,

Saeed

Dear Saeed,
Optimizing the solar multiple in the tower model involves both changing the solar mulitple on the Tower Receiver page and running the optimization wizard.
Please see the sample file Power Tower Field and Storage Optimization with SamUL.zsam for a SAMul script that automates this process.
The sample script optimizes both solar multiple and storage capacity to minimize the levelized cost of energy (LCOE).
To find the sample file, start SAM, and on the File menu click Open sample file and then choose the file.
Best regards,

Paul.