Solar Thermal Power Stations Are a Prime Application for Canned Motor Pumps

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This cooling system works for both single- and multi-stage canned motor pumps. The heat exchanger can be a classic tubular type, a compact exchanger, or an air-cooled unit. The latter includes simple honeycomb heat exchangers with ventilators, mounted above the unit and fixed to the base plate (Fig. 1). Separate air coolers with axial fans are used for higher pump ratings.

If for some reason it is not possible to use an external heat exchanger to cool the motor, it is necessary to use a special “hot motor” with insulation Class C windings. These have silicone-ceramic insulation that can withstand constant temperatures of up to 450 °C, and are suitable for fluid temperatures up to 400 °C. Fins on the motor casing improve heat dissipation via natural convection (Fig. 3).

New solar energy applications

A promising high-temperature application for canned motor pumps in the future is in solar thermal power stations. Located in sunny parts of the world (sun belt), these concentrating solar power (CSP) plants harness the sun’s energy to create affordable carbon-neutral electricity. Four different types of solar thermal power plants are recognized, according to the type of mirror system used:

parabolic troughs;

solar power towers;

dish Stirling engine systems; and

Fresnel systems.

In Europe concepts and components for CSP plants have been tested at the international Plataforma Solar de Almeria (PSA) test field.

One type of CSP plant that is considered a proven technology and is already currently being constructed on an industrial scale is the parabolic trough power station. One example is an all-solar thermal power station with a capacity of 50 MW in Spain. Another is a 150 MW hybrid solar thermal power station with ISCCS (integrated solar combined cycle system) in Egypt, which uses natural gas as well as solar power to generate up to 150 MW.

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