Participants:
CIEMAT-PSA (E); Univ. La Laguna (E); Instituto de Engenharia Mecanica (P); Ao Sol (P); ETH (CH); Ecosystem Environmental Services (E); INETI (P); École Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Tunis (TUN); Ain Shams University (EGY); LOTUS Solar Technologies (EGY); Alternative Energy Systems (TUN); Suez Canal Univ. (EGY); Univ. Ouargla (ALG); Univ. Seville (E).

Contact:
Julián Blanco, PSA-CIEMAT, julian.blanco@psa.es; Lourdes García, Univ. of Seville, lourdesg@esi.us.es

Funding:
EC funded project, cost shared (FP6): 1,050 k€

Duration:
January 1, 2007 – December 31, 2009

Background:
The project focuses in the technological development of a solar thermal-driven mechanical power generation based on a solar-heated thermodynamic cycle. Mechanical energy could be either used to direct electricity generation (using a generator) or to brackish or seawater desalination by coupling the output to a high-pressure pump connected to a conventional reverse osmosis system.

Objectives:
Main project objective is the development of an environmentally friendly improved-cost shaft power generation technology, based on solar thermal energy, optimized for supplying basic need to rural or small communities.

Design of the 5kW ORC pilot plant for solar application