Abstract: To reduce the cost of power generation from CSP technologies, over 1000 articles have been published in the last five years, and it is necessary to observe the overall research and technological advancements in this sector which is missing in the current literature. To
Abstract: Solar thermochemical fuels are a promising low-carbon alternative to conventional fossil fuels, which must be swiftly phased out to mitigate the consequences of climate change. Thermochemical cycles powered by concentrating solar energy at high temperatures have demonstrated efficiency in the conversion of solar to
Abstract: The combination of distributed energy systems (DES) and solar energy is considered a vital measure to save the usage of fossil energy. A new distributed combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) system integrated with solar thermochemistry (STC) and energy storage (ES) units is proposed.
Abstract: Green ammonia, produced at ambient conditions, has received significant attention as a carrier of hydrogen for energy storage and transport. Reduction and oxidation catalytic decomposition of ammonia at atmospheric pressure and low temperatures suggests remarkable achievements over thermochemical processes requiring elevated pressures and temperatures.
Abstract: Solar-driven CO2 reforming of CH4 is considered a promising approach for achieving CO2 emission reduction and clean energy utilization simultaneously. However, reactors suffer from uneven temperature distribution and severe carbon deposition, leading to low solar-to-fuel efficiency. This study introduces a novel strategy for highly
Abstract: A novel approach for manufacturing porous materials, foreseen as solar receivers for concentrated sun radiation, used in the power tower technology is presented. In such applications, materials are subjected to steep thermal gradients and thousands of cycles. Yet, materials consisting of honeycombs and ceramic
Abstract: This work presents a numerical study of the flow of particles in a gas–particle fluidized dense suspension for CSP applications using the Multi-Phase Particle in Cell (MP-PIC) method, implemented in CPFD-Barracuda software. The study covers two different numerical simulations. The first is a cold
Abstract: This paper reported a novel quartz tube gravity-driven SPSR. A test platform of the receiver with a drop length of 4m based on a linear-focused solar furnace was built. The optical performances of the linear-focused solar furnace were measured by a direct method. Solid
Abstract: This work presents the design and techno-economic analysis of a 100 MWe concentrated solar power (CSP) system using a supercritical CO2 power block with 700 °C input temperature. Aiming to leverage the relatively higher efficiency of small heliostat fields and potential multi-build discounts, a
Abstract: The objective of this research is to investigate the implementation of two concentrated solar power (CSP) technologies in the 28 devoted locations in Egypt, in order to select the optimum site-specific CSP technology. This may be achieved by a validated thermo-economic simulation of power
Abstract: The two-step solar thermochemical cycle is a prospective clean energy technology that enables the direct splitting of water and carbon dioxide for solar fuel production. However, immature oxygen carriers fundamentally restrict the solar-to-fuel conversion efficiency and thus prevent this technology from immediate industrial uptake.
Abstract: Thermochemical energy storage systems have a high potential to support a future energy supply based on renewables by providing comparably high storage capacities and option for long-term, cold and loss free storage, that allows a flexible utilization in several application areas. Due to its
Abstract: This study analyzes the technical performance, costs and life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the production of various fuels using air-captured water and CO2, and concentrated solar energy as the source of high-temperature process heat. The solar thermochemical fuel production pathway utilizes a ceria-based
Abstract: In this paper, we show that concentrated solar power (CSP) with thermal storage is an economically attractive technology to achieve high solar penetration levels. To this end, we utilize an alternative framework of net levelized cost of electricity (net-LCOE), which captures the projected curtailment
Abstract: Solar energy is one of the leading renewable energy sources in terms of installed power capacity on a global scale. Scientific research on the site-selection procedures of solar photovoltaics (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) technologies is of significant importance, contributing to environmentally sustainable,
Abstract: Over the past few decades, inorganic nitride materials have grown in importance in part due to their potential as catalysts for the synthesis of NH3, a key ingredient in fertilizer and precursor to industrial chemicals. Of particular interest are the ternary (ABN) or higher-order
Abstract: In a concentrated solar power (CSP) tower plant, it is essential to understand the performance of the subsystem formed by the heliostat field and the receiver, operated with an optimal aiming strategy that guarantees the safety and lifetime of the receiver while maximising performance.
Abstract: As an important design load for heliostat, wind load crucially affects the safety and concentrating performance. Herein, an evaluation method is proposed to study the impacts of wind loads on concentrating efficiency loss of the heliostat with multiple sub-mirrors. In particular, the computation method
Abstract: CSP-biomass hybrid power plants are promising options for displacing electricity from flexible fossil systems and increasing the share of dispatchable renewable energy in power grids. However, they are investment-intensive technologies whose competitiveness in electricity markets is still uncertain. This paper explores for the first
Abstract The optical absorptance of calcium-based composites used in direct solar-driven calcium-looping thermochemical energy storage systems should be improved. Experimental data obtained by thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) cannot adequately describe the realistic performance of such calcium-based composites. In this work, calcium-based composites filled in a fixed
Abstract This paper proposed a distributed concentrating solar power system coupled with an ammonia-based chemical heat pump. The proposed system is able to upgrade the solar thermal energy absorbed from 450 °C to 650 °C. To design a concentrated solar module, consisting of a Linear
Abstract: The actual energy market based on fossil fuels is the responsible of more than half of the greenhouse gases generated worldwide. Renewable energies play a fundamental role to lead the transformation towards an energy market less damaging for the environment. Concentrated solar thermal (CST)
Abstract: The technological advancements achieved in the field of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have positioned this technology as a key enabling technology for revolutionizing the entire energy industry by facilitating diverse operations and tasks that would otherwise be either impossible to carry out, costly, labour
Abstract: Advanced power cycles—such as the supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) cycle—have the potential to reduce the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of concentrated solar thermal power (CST) plants by significantly boosting their overall solar-to-electric efficiency. To successfully integrate these cycles into CST plants, the industry
Abstract: Solid particles-based direct solar absorbing heat transfer fluid (HTF) and thermal energy storage (TES) material is gaining increasing interest for high-temperature concentrating solar power (CSP). However, there is no particulate material that simultaneously possesses the performance and cost metrics needed to achieve the target
Abstract: New analysis is presented identifying strong potential for Concentrating Solar Thermal technology (CST) to be a cost-effective contributor to future sources of net zero-emissions, high temperature industrial process heat relative to other emerging options. Nevertheless, significant further development of the technology is needed to
Abstract: Wind-induced tracking deviations of heliostats can be analyzed through numerical simulations or experimental studies on a full-scale heliostat. However, these methods are relatively costly and often, simpler estimations are necessary and sufficient. One simpler approach is to use an analytical model that describes the wind-induced tracking
Abstract: Catalytic sulphur trioxide splitting is the highest-temperature (850–900 °C), endothermic step of several sulphur-based thermochemical cycles targeted to production of hydrogen or solid sulphur. The demonstrated capability of centrifugal particle solar receivers of heating particle streams at such temperatures, can allow for “allothermal” implementation of
Abstract: Solar receivers and reactors are critical equipment to convert high-flux solar energy into thermal and chemical energy. However, the high flux solar energy is highly uneven and may shorten the solar receiver and reactor life due to considerable fatigue strain. This paper proposes a
Abstract: Nanoparticle dispersions at a minute concentration in salt mixtures have recently been reported to significantly increase their specific heat capacity. However, there is a discrepancy between experimental results reported for the same kind of molten salt-nanoparticle mixtures by different research groups. From our literature
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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,
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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)
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
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
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
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
