Category: Recently Published in Journals

Pathways to the use of concentrated solar heat for high temperature industrial processes 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 …

Continue reading “Published at Solar Compass – Pathways to the use of concentrated solar heat for high temperature industrial processes”

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 survey, we learned that there is no standardized synthesis protocol …

Continue reading “Published at the Journal of Energy Storage – A synthesis parameter of molten salt nanofluids for solar thermal energy storage applications”

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 …

Continue reading “Published at Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews – Assessing the sustainability impacts of concentrated solar power deployment in Europe in the context of global value chains”

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 …

Continue reading “Published at Energies – Hybrid System of Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal Technologies for Industrial Process Heat”

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 enhancement …

Continue reading “Published at Energy – Integrated design of solar concentrator and thermochemical reactor guided by optimal solar radiation distribution”

Full-scale investigation of heliostat aerodynamics through wind and pressure measurements at a pentagonal heliostat 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 …

Continue reading “Published at Solar Energy – Full-scale investigation of heliostat aerodynamics through wind and pressure measurements at a pentagonal heliostat”

Strategic co-doping of ceria for improved oxidation kinetics in solar thermochemical fuel production 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 …

Continue reading “Published at Materials Today Energy – Strategic co-doping of ceria for improved oxidation kinetics in solar thermochemical fuel production”

Design of a multi-inlet solar thermochemical reactor for steam methane reforming with improved performance 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 …

Continue reading “Published at Energy Storage and Saving – Design of a multi-inlet solar thermochemical reactor for steam methane reforming with improved performance”

A novel high-efficiency solar thermochemical cycle for fuel production based on chemical-looping cycle oxygen removal 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 …

Continue reading “Published at Applied Energy – A novel high-efficiency solar thermochemical cycle for fuel production based on chemical-looping cycle oxygen removal”

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 …

Continue reading “Published at ACS – Compositionally Complex Perovskite Oxides for Solar Thermochemical Water Splitting”