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SOLARSPHERE Solar Power in Mass Production |
CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER |
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An engineer checks the stirling engine of a direct intercept concentrating solar power system. Concentrating solar power may rival fossil fuels in price by 2015. It is believed that Solarsphere technology may reach this target much earlier. |
Concentrating Solar Power Concentrating solar power (CSP) is a form of energy production technology that concentrates large amounts of solar energy onto a small area. Here, the energy density is much higher than that available from just beam sunshine and the efficiencies of its conversion to useful energy (ie electricity or steam) is much higher. There are three main types of CSP including direct intercept dishes, solar troughs and solar towers. Some newcomers to the field include, for example, the Compact Linear Freznel Reflectors. Solarsphere technology combines elements of direct intercept dishes with solar towers and does this with a design philosophy and materials that potentially permit the units to be produced large and inexpensively. |
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Direct Intercept Dishes |
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Parabolic Troughs |
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Solar Towers |
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Solarsphere Solarsphere Technology combines elements of both direct intercept dishes and Solar Towers. The design philosophy that focuses on spheres and lightweight, thin film materials presents opportunities for concentrators that are large, cheap and mass producible. |
 Image Source: Solarsphere |
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| SolarPACES is an international cooperative organisation bringing together teams of national experts from around the world to focus on the development and marketing of concentrating solar power systems (also known as solar thermal power systems). |
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This Greenpeace Industry review considers the opportunities for Concentrating Solar Power as a potential solution to climate change. |
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My Clean Sky Did you know? Jet fuel is made of refined kerosene and converts mainly to carbon di oxide and water when it is burnt in a jet engine. Learn more about aviation emissions at My Clean Sky. |
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The 4 metre ball under construction. Image source: Solarsphere |
Detail of the 4 metre ball showing the mirror. Image source: Solarsphere |
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The hot spot from the 4 metre mirror against a rendered concrete wall. The spot is 45cm in diameter and represents a concentration of about 100 to 1. Image source: Solarsphere |
The first 8 metre ball clearly showing the construction method using lunes - long strips - of plastic. Image source: Solarsphere |
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The 8 metre concentrator. Clearly visible are is the intergore region demonstating the mechanism by which the two mirrors are formed. Image source: Solarsphere |
The 8 metre Sierra Concentrator Unit with the target in foreground, Image source: Solarsphere
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My Clean Sky Did you know? Greenhouse emissions produced by jet engines flying at cruising altitude (in the lower stratosphere where it is minus 40 degree cenclius) are up to five time more potent as those produced at ground level. Learn more about aviation emissions at My Clean Sky. |
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Echo 1 Satellite made by NASA in the 1965s. The 30 meter diameter balloon was made of 0.127 mm thick Mylar polyester film, similar material proposed for the Solarsphere. Image Source: NASA |
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Solar Energy Generating System (SEGS) at Kramer Junction, California, USA.
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A section of the SEGS solar trough.
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The powerplant at the SEGS site. The solar energy is supplemented by gas for generating power at night.
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Cleaning the solar troughs with water spray. Dust and debris can significantly reduce the energy output from concentrating solar power systems. The volume of water and economic costs should be considered as these are maintenance costs associated. For Solarsphere technology, the mirror will never gather debris becuase it is enclosed. However, the ball is likely to collect dust. For this reason the ball will be designed to automatically rotate in its basepool as necessary, to "wash its face". Automatic cleaning reduces costs.
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My Clean Sky Did you know? At any one time there are 2 million people sitting in airliners in the the lower stratosphere. Learn more about aviation emissions at My Clean Sky. |
The Scheffler mirror. This small mirror uses a concentrating heliostat arrangement, like Solarsphere. However, its size is limited by its engineering design and application. This dish is about 10 sqr metres.
Image Source: Sun Ovens |
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The Scheffler concentrating heliostat mirrors in an array for producing steam. Image Source: Sun Ovens
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Cleaning a heliostat mirror. As can be seen, considerable effort may be required to clean the mirror surface.
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Solar Two, a concentrating heliostat using liquid salt as the energy transfer medium from the hot spot on top of the tower to the steam turbines at the bottom of the tower.
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Solar Tower technology at the Solar Research Facilities of the Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS) . A major feature of the Unit is a SolarPower Tower containing a field of 64 large, multi-faceted mirrors (heliostats), each measuring 7 X 8 meters. Each heliostat tracks the movement of the sun independently and reflects its light onto a selected target on a 54-meter high tower. This is the only Solar Tower facility in the world located on a campus of a research or academic institute and is solely dedicated to scientific work. Image Source: Weizmann Institute of Science |
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Heliostat mirrors from a Spanish Solar Tower project. Image Source: SolarPACES
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Heliostat array from E-Solar offers utility scale solar power. Their innovation lies in the use of small, easily managed mirrors and modular solar field design. Image Source: E-Solar |
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My Clean Sky Did you know? Over two billion air passengers fly every year. |
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The Photon Energy Transformer & Astrophysics Laboratory (PETAL) is the world's largest dish-shaped solar concentrator. Using this facility Sde Boqer's scientists will be able to concentrate 400 kW of sunlight to intensities up to 10,000 times stronger than normal noontime sunshine. Image Source: Ben Gurion National Solar Energy Centre, Israel
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Dig Dish in Israel demonstrating the eleborate mechanical support structure. Image Source: Ben Gurion National Solar Energy Centre, Israel
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Petal (Big Dish) in Israel. The elaborate support structures can be seen behind the two engineers. Note also the concrete annular ring. This picture demonstrates the extensive use of material required for concentrating solar power technology. It is the use of small amounts of materials that give Solarsphere an edge. Image Source: Ben Gurion National Solar Energy Centre, Israel |
The Schlaich Bergermann und Partner direct intercept concentration dish formed by a depressurised membrane. The sunlight is concentrated onto a 10 kw Stirling Engine. Image Source: SBP
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An alternative version of the Schlaich Bergermann und Partner designed dish. Image Source: SBP
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My Clean Sky Did you know? At altitude, nitrous oxide emissions from jet engines break down methane and this has a marginal cooling effect. |
An array of solar concentrators using Stirling Engines.
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Close up of the direct intercept concentrators with Stirling Engines.
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A direct intercept concentrator with a counterbalance design.
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An Australian direct intercept dish technology, the Solar Systems SS20 Solar Electric Generation Unit. Image source: Solar Systems |
An engineer checks the reciever head of the Solar Systems SS20 Solar Electric Generation Unit. The SS20 uses water cooled photovoltaics to produce about 20 KW electrical. A later design combined the opportunity to use cooling water for hot water heating purposes rather than just as a heat dump. Image source: Solar Systems
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The solar concentrators at White Cliffs, South Australi, developed by Solar Energy Systems. Image source: Solar Systems |
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My Clean Sky Did you know? There is a billion dollar race underway to develop an airliner that does not cook the planet and this includes solar power planes and jet engines that run on algae oil. Learn more about the future of passenger airliners at My Clean Sky. |
An American direct intercept dish. This is the Stirling Energy Systems Solar Concentrator. Image Source: Stirling Energy Systems
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Reflection of an engineer looking into the reciever of The Stirling Energy Systems 25 kW Stirling Engine. Image Source: Stirling Energy Systems |
The 25kW stirline engine used for the Stirling Energy Systems direct intercept system. The picture shows the reciever end of the engine. The spiral metal is the pick up for the hot spot. Image Source: Stirling Energy Systems
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The 25kW Stirling Engine. See here is the cooling fan at the rear of the unit. The cooling fan assists to lower the temperature of the condensor. The temperature difference between the hot and cold ends of a Stirling Engine determine the efficiency of the unit. Image Source: Stirling Energy Systems |
Another American technology, the The SAIC Sundish with a 20 kW STM stirling engine. Image source: SAIC
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The SAIC Sundish in the park position. This position allows offers the system some protection from heavy weather and allows accss to the Stirling Engine for maintenance. Image source: SAIC |
The STM stirling engine used to power the SAIC Sundish. Image source: SAIC |
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My Clean Sky Did you know? Air travel accounts for over 2% of global human greenhouse emissions and is one of the fastest growing sources of emissions. Learn more about aviation emissions at My Clean Sky. |
Ausra, the latest invarnation of the Compact Linear Freznel Reflector technology (as below). This enterprise benefitting from the support of venture capitalist, Vinod Khosla, recently won large contracts for installation. Image Source: Ausra |
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Australian Compact Linear Freznel Reflector technology developed by Solar Heat and Power Pty Ltd. This sytem is installed at the Liddel power station, NSW, Australia and preheats water for the coal fired powwer plant. Image Source: Solar Heat and Power |
Heliodynamics CLFR system combined heat and power system. Image Source: Heliodynamics |
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Lloyd Energy solar thermal with graphite storage. Image Source: Lloyd Energy |
Developmental solar mirror based on concentric rings of chemically polished stainless steel. Image Source: Solray
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