This work describes the thermoeconomic study of an integrated combined cycle parabolic trough power plant. The parabolic trough plant will economize boiler activity, and thus the thermoeconomic optimization of the configuration of the boiler, including the parabolic trough plant, will be achieved. The objective is to obtain the optimum design parameters for the boiler and the size of the parabolic field. The proposal is to apply the methodology employed by Duran [1] and Valde´s et. al. [2], but with the inclusion of the parabolic trough plant into the optimization problem. It is important to point out that the optimization model be applied to a single pressure level configuration. For future works, it is proposed that the same model be applied to different configurations of integrated combined cycle solar power plants. As a result the optimum thermoeconomic design will be obtained for a parabolic trough plant used to economize the HRSG.

In this work has been analyzed theoretically and experimentally imbibition under the influence of a longitudinal temperature gradient. Imbibition into vertical and circular cells was analyzed using the lubrication theory. The temperature-dependence of viscosity and surface tension were included in the lubrication equations. In both cases was found that theory describes very well the experimental trends. Moreover, experiments using glycerol show a notable acceleration of the fronts under positive gradients.

In 1999, ITP (Industria de Turbopropulsores, S.A.) launched a wide on-going research program focusing on new technologies to provide significant improvements in Low Pressure Turbines cost and weight. As consequence of the new technologies the experience limits are exceeded and new unknown concepts, like high stage loading turbines, must be explored and then a wide experimental work is required for validation purposes. Cold flow single stage rigs in high-speed facilities were selected by ITP as main vehicle to carry out the experimental validation. Single stage Low Pressure Turbine rigs have low-pressure ratio and power consumption, therefore efficiency predictions based on temperature drop require high accuracy thermocouple measurement systems (precision uncertainties lower than ±50 mK), if small efficiency variations must be captured. In this paper, a detailed uncertainty analysis is introduced and a temperature measurement system that allows achieving such high measurement accuracy is evaluated and described. Type T thermocouples are proposed for use in the range 0°C to 80°C, which are individually calibrated. The procedure followed for this calibration is presented and how is possible to achieve a precision of 30 mK. It is also shown as conventional UTR based on metal plates can behave as good as thermal baths in terms of temperature uniformity and errors, with the adequate isolation and temperature reference calibration. The conventional data recording and voltage measurement systems are experimentally evaluated, and they are found as main source of temperature errors. Although following some recommendations the precision of those systems can be improved, it is experimentally probed and therefore suggested the use of high accuracy voltmeter with a commutation unit to reduce significantly the temperature uncertainty. Finally a miniature Kiel Shroud is proposed and aerodynamically characterised in a high-speed facility. Mach, Reynolds number, yaw, blockage and manufacturing tolerance impact on recovery factor can be inferred from those results.