Abstract: Considering that CSP could be promoted in Europe, additional installed capacity will have positive or negative impacts on the economy, society and the environment, or trigger higher or lower energy supply dependence from non-European economies. Components will be produced, intermediate inputs (both domestic and imported) will be required, commodities will be extracted and personnel […]

Abstract: Process heating is the activity with the most energy consumption in the industrial sector. Solar heating (SH) systems are a promising alternative to provide renewable thermal energy to industrial processes. However, factors such as high investment costs and area limitations in industrial facilities hinder their utilization; therefore, hybrid systems that combine two different solar […]

Abstract: The improvement of solar thermochemical reactor performance is crucial in solar energy utilization technology. This study presents an integrated design method for solar thermochemical concentrator-reactor to enhance performance and safety guided by the ideal optimized solar radiation distribution. The ideal solar radiation distribution in the reactor is obtained by gradient optimization algorithm and the […]

Abstract: Wind loads on heliostats are often investigated through experimental wind tunnel studies or numerical simulations. However, these approaches cannot consider the full-scale conditions but require a reproduction and simulation of both the heliostat structure and the wind conditions. Complementary full-scale investigations are therefore crucial but are at the same time relatively costly, as it is cumbersome to set […]

Abstract: La and Yb were incorporated as co-doping elements into Zr-doped ceria to investigate the influence of doping ions by means of ionic radius and valence on the ceria crystal lattice and potentially on thermodynamic and kinetic properties relevant to solar-driven two-step thermochemical CO2 splitting. Both Zr–La and Zr–Yb co-doped ceria clearly exhibited better reduction capability […]

Abstract: Reactor structure design plays an important role in the performance of solar-thermal methane reforming reactors. Based on a conventional preheating reactor, this study proposed a cylindrical solar methane reforming reactor with multiple inlets to vary the temperature field distribution, which improved the temperature of the reaction region in the reactor, thereby improving the reactor […]

Abstract: Solar-driven two-step thermochemical cycling is a promising means to convert solar energy into storable and transportable chemical fuel, in which hydrogen or carbon monoxide is generated by continuous reduction and oxidation reactions. However, the high energy consumption of deoxygenation in the reduction step is an important factor restricting its efficiency improvement. In this work, […]

Abstract: Solar thermochemical hydrogen (STCH) generation is a promising approach for eco-friendly H2 production, but conventional STCH redox compounds cannot easily achieve desirable thermodynamic and kinetic properties and phase stability simultaneously due to a rather limited compositional space. Expanding from the nascent high-entropy ceramics field, this study explores a new class of compositionally complex perovskite […]

Abstract: This article discusses several routes available to produce hydrogen fuel, with a special focus on solar thermochemical cycles for Water Splitting (WS). Solar thermochemical WS cycles are a potential technology to produce green hydrogen and CO in the future due to their great potential to become a commercial-scale process. This technology is still under development, […]

Abstract: Drop-in fuels produced using solar energy can provide a viable pathway towards sustainable transportation, especially for the long-haul aviation sector which is strongly dependent on jet fuel. This study reports on the experimental testing of a solar reactor using concentrated solar energy for the production of syngas, a mixture of mainly H2 and CO, […]

Abstract: The solar splitting of H2O and CO2 via a thermochemical redox cycle offers a viable pathway for producing sustainable drop-in fuels for the transportation sectors. The key performance metric is its solar-to-fuel energy efficiency, which is strongly dependent on the ability to recover heat during the temperature swing between the reduction and oxidation steps. Here […]

Abstract: Drop-in fuels produced using solar energy can provide a viable pathway towards sustainable transportation, especially for the long-haul aviation sector which is strongly dependent on jet fuel. This study reports on the experimental testing of a solar reactor using concentrated solar energy for the production of syngas, a mixture of mainly H2 and CO, which […]

Abstract: Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) is an electricity generation technology that concentrates solar irradiance through heliostats onto a small area, the receiver, where a heat transfer medium, currently a fluid (HTF), is used as heat carrier towards the heat storage and power block. It has been under the spotlight for a decade as one of […]

Abstract: Coupling with supercritical power cycle can improve the thermal efficiency of the concentrated solar system. Design the suitable thermal storage medium is critical to the new coupling system. A new ternary eutectic salt with low cost was developed composed of NaCl, Na2CO3, and Na2SO4 based on the calculation method of phase diagram, meeting the requirements […]

Abstract: High-temperature thermochemical energy storage materials with high energy density is the key technical support for the third generation concentrated solar power plants equipped with advanced energy storage system. CuO/Cu2O redox couple is one of the most promising systems due to its low cost and high energy density, but its application is limited by poor […]

Summary: Developing solar technologies for producing carbon-neutral aviation fuels has become a global energy challenge, but their readiness level has largely been limited to laboratory-scale studies. Here, we report on the experimental demonstration of a fully integrated thermochemical production chain from H2O and CO2 to kerosene using concentrated solar energy in a solar tower configuration. The […]

Comparison study of thermoclinic heat storage tanks using different liquid metals for concentrated solar power   Abstract: Liquid metals are good potential heat transfer materials for thermoclinic heat storage (THS) systems and will play an important role in the next generation solar thermal power system with higher operating temperature. This paper presents a comparative research […]

Abstract: Recently, green hydrogen production via solar thermochemical water splitting (STWS) as a clean and sustainable method is becoming a subject of interest to many researchers. Great efforts are being made to develop materials for STWS with suitable operating conditions, low cost, and good cycling stability. In this context, the study of mixed cobalt and […]

Abstract: Leveraging solar thermal energy to drive the chemical looping reforming of methane (CLRM) is a promising method of efficiently and selectively reforming methane to produce syngas using renewable energy. In this work, the role of catalytically active nickel in reaction kinetics, conversion, selectivity, and total syngas production during CLRM over Ni–CeO2 is investigated. Through thermogravimetric […]

Abstract: Numerical modeling and simulation are necessary to design and optimize processes that include concentrating solar power (CSP) and industrial chemical processes; however, no co-simulation environment have been used or suggested in the literature for such plants. This paper suggests a promising approach to build a user-friendly simulation framework using open-source tools. DWSIM simulator was […]

Abstract: It is difficult to measure the concentrated solar radiation flux (CSRF) inside a cavity receiver directly due to the complex geometry of cavity receivers. At present, most reports measure the CSRF at the aperture plane (generally coinciding with the focal plane of solar concentrators) of the cavity receiver instead of at the absorber wall, […]

  Abstract: High-temperature molten salt systems are employed in a wide variety of industrial applications, linked to energy production and storage, such as concentrated solar power, waste heat recovery, storage plants, fuel cells nuclear, etc. The reactivity of these salts is one of the main issues to address for the employment of affordable steels as […]

Abstract: This paper reports on the development of a hierarchical control strategy for a multi-generation solar plant. The plant includes a linear Fresnel reflector, an organic Rankine cycle, an absorption chiller, a thermal storage tank, circulation pumps, and valves. The hierarchical control strategy consists of three successive layers in addition to a wireless monitoring system. […]

Read the full paper comparing Germany’s green industrial heat options at Science Direct Abstract This paper is based on a position paper of the German Industry Association Concentrated Solar Power e.V. to the German government and discusses options on how to decarbonize the heat demand of the domestic industry. Among other options, concentration solar collectors […]

Published in the January Issue of Energy Conversion and Management Abstract The purpose of this paper is to study the performance of the steam methane reformer (SMR) using solar energy as a heat source using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. An analysis of the flow and heat transfer performance of scaled-up SMR with solar […]