What’s a boiler? BrightSource is purchasing three from Riley Power Inc.
As we gear up for the construction of the Ivanpah complex, we’ve been busy procuring all of the necessary equipment. We’ve just signed a series of contracts with Riley Power Inc. to purchase three boilers for each of the three separate power plants at Ivanpah.
How will the boilers be used? To produce solar electricity at Ivanpah, we will employ our proprietary Luz Power Tower 550 (LPT550) technology, which efficiently converts the sun’s rays into clean, renewable energy. The boiler is a critical part of the LPT 550 system. For each of the three plants, thousands of mirrors will direct sunlight toward a boiler (also known as a solar receiver steam generator). The boiler is designed to produce hundreds of thousands of pounds of superheated steam per hour, at high pressure and temperatures. This steam then powers a turbine, which generates electricity. The higher the temperature and pressure of the steam, the more efficient the overall electricity generation process. With the LPT 550 system, the boiler can produce superheated steam reaching up to 550˚ C.
By combining our proprietary and proven solar technology with conventional power components, we are able to cost-effectively provide solar power, but also provide similar power reliability characteristics found in traditional power generation sources.