Technological Offer
On-sun testing of materials, devices and equipment for concentrating solar thermal and high-temperature applications
Description
Solar tower facility to conduct research on concentrating solar thermal applications and technologies and materials testing under high temperature is offered. We are looking for commercial agreement with technical assistance and research cooperation agreement.
High temperature solar thermal technologies usually involve concentrated sunlight to achieve temperatures between 300–2,000 ºC for application in electricity generation, fuels and commodities production, or synthesis and surface treatment of materials.
The Very-High Concentration Solar Tower (VHCST) is a facility that comprises 169 single-facet tilt-roll heliostats of 3 m2 and a tower with two testing platforms, which can accommodate the test benches. It has been specifically designed for reaching very-high fluxes (4,000 kW/m2) and testing up to 100 kW incident nominal solar power.
Advantages and Innovations
The facility provides extremely controlled environment to perform on-sun testing.
Flexible operation in terms of total power and heat flux distribution makes this facility particularly adapted to test materials, components, techniques and processes for commercial as well as research purposes.
Market Applications
- Testing materials performance at high flux/high temperatures.
- Testing solar reactors and receivers up to 100 kW incident solar power.
- Research on solar driven hydrogen production
- Solar fuels and chemicals production.
- Testing advanced thermal fluids for heat transfer and thermal storage.
- Testing concentrating photovoltaic compact modules.
- Testing daylighting devices for high flux collectors.
- Synthesis and surface modification of materials.
Contact
Félix Marín, felix.marin@imdea.org
