tcsmolten_salt example failed in SDK

Paul Gilman

28 Jul 2015 16:42 #3137 by Paul Gilman

Replied by Paul Gilman on topic tcsmolten_salt example failed in SDK

Hi Angus,
We were able to replicate the NaN results from your Python script. I suspect that there is a problem one or more of the input variables in the script. Instead of trying to find those variables, we recreated a Python script from the LK script generated by the molten salt tower model in SAM that works with your weather file. I tested it in both the latest version of the SDK (2015-6-30 r1) and the previous version (2015-6-30) and it generated numbers for the hourly results instead of NaN. 
You can download our test files here: ZIP 108 KB
To run that script, extract the files from the zip archive and put them in the SDK \languages\python folder
Note that the results from SSC/Python are different from the SAM default molten salt tower model because the costs used by the field optimization routine are different. The Python script sets those values (tower_fixed_cost, rec_ref_cost, etc.) to default values that are internal to the tcs_moltensalt module, while SAM takes those values from the default values of the single_owner financial model.
Thanks,

Paul.

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Angus King
Topic Author

30 Jul 2015 08:01 #3138 by Angus King

Replied by Angus King on topic tcsmolten_salt example failed in SDK

Paul

Great! Thank you.

I suspected a variables problem but not easy for me to "debug". I've run the Python script and it works fine. Now it will just be a simple case of fitting the variables back into our simulation (I might report back what the differences are FYI).

I'm not too concerned by the financials at this stage but being able to add molten salt tower to our simulation is great. Steve, our team leader is off on leave tomorrow so will be pleased this has been (nearly) sorted before he goes. Thanks for the quick turnaround.

Kind regards

AnGus

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Angus King
Topic Author

30 Jul 2015 09:10 #3139 by Angus King

Replied by Angus King on topic tcsmolten_salt example failed in SDK

Paul

I'm embarrassed to say the incorrect variable was a pretty obvious error. design_eff (Power cycle efficiency at design) was set to 0. I'll use your variable values as defaults where I can as the results produced can be very different. Now on to biomass :-)

Thanks, and Kind Regards

AnGus

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