3D-Printed solar receiver of honeycomb mesh to spread heat evenly

Result of a 3D-Printed solar receiver of honeycomb mesh shows the heat distribution through the tubes carrying the air that acts as heat transfer fluid IMAGE©OmarBehar, KAUST A 3D-Printed solar receiver could solve some problems holding back a new technology: High-temperature solar receivers – for solar thermochemistry and industrial heat – can be prone to …

Published at Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews – Sources of solar tracking errors and correction strategies for heliostats

Abstract Heliostat fields represent the primary energy input for concentrating solar-thermal power based on power tower technology. They typically account for 40 %–50 % of the implementation cost of a power tower plant. Therefore, it is essential to optimize the solar tracking accuracy of heliostats to reduce solar tracking errors that lead to deviations in …

Published at Journal of Solar Energy Engineering – Heliostat Consortium: Gap Analysis on State of the Art in Wind Load Design

Abstract: Wind loads are a major driver of heliostat cost. Standardized methods and tools are needed for a more detailed understanding of the static and dynamic loads of a heliostat design. This will enable cost reduction of wind-dependent heliostats to avoid unnecessarily conservative heliostat designs and increase field efficiency and reliability to reduce the risk …

Lowest cost of heat for modular sodium CSP? A “Billboard” solar receiver with a “Cartesian” heliostat layout

High-temperature liquid sodium receivers able to run at over 700°C may allow use of modular multi-tower system configurations similar to that being developed by the Australian firm Vast Solar (now Vast) for next-generation sodium-based concentrating solar power (CSP). Unlike today’s one tall central tower encircled by one large heliostat field, a liquid sodium-based CSP system …