A groundbreaking new AI simulation tool that dramatically improves power plant operations for parabolic Trough-type Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants has been created by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Michael Wagner, who helped develop the widely...
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US DOE could lose a record number of employees
"One of the largest headcount reductions in memory... an internal effort to cancel or hinder major industrial policy projects initiated by the Biden administration" Trump officials are in the process of reviewing more than 30 advanced energy demonstration projects...
Vast Energy advances world’s-first solar-powered green methanol demo
Methanol has the lowest emissions of all the hydrocarbons. Using concentrated solar thermal energy to heat the thermochemistry to make it (instead of burning a fossil fuel to supply heat) and sourcing the input carbon from green sources would mean the global shipping...
Published at International Journal of Hydrogen Energy – Thermo-electrochemical hydrogen production based on ceria
Abstract Two-step thermochemical cycles are efficient for producing H2 with solar energy, however, they face challenges with thermal losses at high temperatures needed for metal oxide reduction. This study introduces the first experimental demonstration of a...
New AI perfects heliostat aim to boost solar tower power
A new study from researchers at CIEMAT’s Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA) in Spain has unveiled a novel application of artificial intelligence to improve the efficiency and safety of solar tower plant operation using reinforcement learning, a form of artificial...
Vast’s South Australia Solar Fuels (SASF) receives $700,000 in Australia-Singapore push to decarbonize shipping
Source: Solar Quarter HyFuel Solar Refinery Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Vast Renewables Limited, has been awarded AUD 700,000 through the Australia-Singapore Low Emissions Technologies (ASLET) initiative to advance the development of South Australia Solar Fuels (SA Solar...
Published at MDPI – Numerical and Experimental Study of Packed Bed Heat Transfer on the Preheating of Manganese Ore with Air up to 600 °C
Abstract This work studies heat transport in the fluid–solid interface of a packed bed to demonstrate the feasibility of preheating lumpy manganese ores to 600 °C with air at 750 °C. Preheated manganese ores aim to reduce furnace energy consumption during smelting in...
New Xinjiang Tower CSP project passes pre-commissioning hydraulic pressure test
Source: CSPPlaza Recently, the hydraulic pressure test of the thermal system of the 100,000-kilowatt concentrating solar power generation project in Qiketai, Shanshan County, Xinjiang, which was constructed under the general contracting of Shandong Electric Power...
University of Adelaide seeks green hydrogen PhDs and PostDocs
This news comes via LinkedIn, from Alicia Bayon (interviewed here about her own solar hydrogen research in Australia) "Are you looking for a PhD or Postdoc in hydrogen production? There is a great opportunity for you to join leading worldwide researchers in hydrogen....
Published at Solar Energy – Neural-network-driven dynamic simulation of parabolic trough solar fields for improved CSP plant operation
Abstract: Concentrating Solar Power plants face challenges in achieving and sustaining high performance levels partially due to complexities in plant operations. This study addresses these challenges by developing a computationally efficient, high-fidelity parabolic...
Published at MDPI – Transformative Impacts of AI and Wireless Communication in CSP Heliostat Control Systems
Abstract: In this review, the transformative impact of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and wireless communication technologies into the heliostat control systems of concentrated solar power (CSP) plants are explored. Heliostat control systems are categorized...
China’s 2024 edition of its annual CSP Blue Book is published
The “Blue Book” compiled annually by the China Solar Thermal Alliance (CSTA) provides valuable supporting data on the current status of China's concentrating solar power (CSP) industry. Now the 2024 edition of China’s very detailed Blue Book updates the data of...
Solar hydrogen from sulphuric acid recycling to get an industry trial
A sulphur-based method for making green hydrogen using a solar hybrid technique that combines concentrated solar heat and electrically driven electrolysis has proven to be more efficient than today’s state-of-the-art electrolysis-only method. “Our studies have shown...
Published at Nature – Artificial intelligence models development for profitability factor prediction in concentrated solar power with dual backup systems
Abstract: Hybrid concentrating solar power (CSP) plants with thermal energy storage (TES) and biomass backup enhance solar energy reliability and efficiency. TES provides energy during low sunlight or high demand, while biomass provides continuous heat generation when...
A new trigeneration study builds on recaptured waste heat
A new trigeneration study just published at Renewable Energy is a collaboration between Fatih Yilmaz from Isparta University of Applied Sciences in Turkiye, and Basharat Jamil from Spain’s IMDEA Energy Institute in Madrid. They have proposed a concept in which three...
Published at Applied Energy – An efficient ordered conversion system for hydrogen and electricity cogeneration driven by concentrated solar energy
Abstract Efficient utilization of full-spectrum solar photons is significant for improving the efficiency of solar energy conversion and thus alleviating energy shortage. In this work, a novel concentrated ordered conversion system based on a parabolic trough...
Dr. Aldo Steinfeld and Dr. Manuel Romero win the 2024 SolarPACES Lifetime Achievement Award
Manuel Romero and Aldo Steinfeld receive the SolarPACES Lifetime Achievement Award from Robert Pitz-Paal On the closing day of the SolarPACES 2024 conference in Rome, Aldo Steinfeld and Manuel Romero were jointly awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition...
Published at Solar Energy – Advancements, challenges, and opportunities in the measurement of high heat flux for concentrated solar thermal systems
Abstract Concentrated solar thermal (CST) systems, capable of driving high-temperature processes up to 2000 K, hold significant potential for chemical and industrial applications. This paper reviews methods for measuring concentrated solar flux, focusing on their role...
Two ways water derailed PG&E’s Ivanpah CSP contract
PG&E has moved to cut short its 25 year contract with the Ivanpah tower solar project, which comprises three Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) units, each with a central tower supporting its solar receiver, for a total plant capacity of 392 MW. PG&E contracted...
“Solar energy that can be poured in the fuel tank”: the Aldo Steinfeld Weltwoche interview
Source: Die Weltwoche ETH professor Aldo Steinfeld is one of the pioneers of synthetic fuels. He explains how to capture the solar energy in such a way that it can be poured into the fuel tank. When will synthetic fuels, which can be handled like gasoline, diesel or...
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