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@PHDTHESIS{Popp:1025017,
author = {Popp, Rudolf},
othercontributors = {Abel, Dirk and Pitz-Paal, Robert},
title = {{M}odellprädiktive {R}egelung von
{S}olarturm-{K}raftwerken},
school = {Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen},
type = {Dissertation},
address = {Aachen},
publisher = {RWTH Aachen University},
reportid = {RWTH-2026-00473},
pages = {1 Online-Ressource : Illustrationen},
year = {2025},
note = {Veröffentlicht auf dem Publikationsserver der RWTH Aachen
University 2026; Dissertation, Rheinisch-Westfälische
Technische Hochschule Aachen, 2025},
abstract = {The safe and efficient operation of solar thermal tower
power plants poses a demanding automation challenge due to
complex system dynamics and extreme thermal conditions.
While higher temperatures improve efficiency, material
constraints impose strict thermal limits. Conventional
control strategies, such as feedforward PID controllers with
heuristic safety mechanisms, reach their limits under
dynamic disturbances like passing clouds. They react only
after deviations occur, operate conservatively and do not
fully exploit the available solar power potential. This work
investigates the application of Model Predictive Control
(MPC) as an active strategy to balance efficiency and
safety. By leveraging a physics-based system model, the MPC
enables predictive optimization over a finite planning
horizon while explicitly considering thermal limits and
dynamic system responses. The first application focuses on
the control of a molten-salt receiver for power generation.
Compared to a conventional PID controller, the MPC reduces
the root mean square temperature deviation by $45\%,$
maintains a thermal efficiency of approximately $86\%,$ and
avoids all critical limit violations. Across 34 simulated
scenarios, including dynamic cloud-induced irradiance
fluctuations, MPC demonstrates significantly higher
robustness. The second application addresses a multi-reactor
receiver for direct hydrogen production, where solar
radiation must be dynamically allocated among several
reactors. A detailed parameter study identified an efficient
reduction regime, which MPC is able to target specifically.
In hybrid field trials with four inactive reactor dummies,
the precise control of absorber temperature and reduction
degree proves fundamentally feasible. However, this is
contingent on accurate realization of the commanded
irradiance. Deviations of up to $60\%$ between target and
actual irradiance are successfully mitigated using an
integrated disturbance observer. In summary, this work
demonstrates that MPC holds strong potential for operating
solar thermal systems closer to their physical performance
limits without compromising safety. MPC thus represents a
promising approach to enhance efficiency and economic
viability of next-generation solar tower power plants.},
cin = {416610},
ddc = {620},
cid = {$I:(DE-82)416610_20140620$},
pnm = {BMWE 0324202D - Verbundvorhaben: DynaSalt-2 -
Unterstützung des dynamischen Betriebs von
Salzschmelzereceivern; Teilvorhaben: Regelung des
transienten einphasigen Betriebs von Salzschmelzereceivern
(0324202D) / BMWE 03EE5042B - Verbundvorhaben: SolarFuelNow
- Effiziente Regelung solarer Kraftstoffproduktion mit DNI
Nowcasts; Teilvorhaben: Modellbasierte Mehrgrößenregelung
solarer Multikammerreaktoren unter Einbeziehung eines
DNINowcasts (03EE5042B)},
pid = {G:(BMWE)0324202D / G:(BMWE)03EE5042B},
typ = {PUB:(DE-HGF)11},
doi = {10.18154/RWTH-2026-00473},
url = {https://publications.rwth-aachen.de/record/1025017},
}
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