Development and Verification of a Transient Analysis Tool for Solar Power Tower System with sCO2 Brayton Cycle

Supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) Brayton cycle is a promising technology for concentrating solar power systems. However, existing studies predominantly rely on steady-state or quasi-steady-state assumptions, thereby neglecting transient characteristics of fluid flow and heat transfer. This study develops a transient analysis program for solar power tower systems integrated with sCO2 Brayton cycles using the finite difference method. The program comprises two interactive modules—a molten salt loop and a Brayton cycle module—coupled through an intermediate heat exchanger. For the Brayton cycle module, a fluid network model enabling a unified framework for the simultaneous solution of all governing equations is adopted. The SIMPLE algorithm and Gauss–Seidel iteration method are employed to solve the conservation equations. Following validation of key components and system performance, dynamic simulations under load and solar irradiance step disturbances are conducted. The results demonstrate that the program accurately captures transient behaviors and supports control strategy design and safety analysis for solar power tower systems with arbitrary sCO2 Brayton cycle layouts.