Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Concentrated Solar”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 289 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Plant Optimization Study for the California Power Market (CalCSP)

In the United States, many states are implementing goals to achieve 100% carbon free power generation by 2050 or sooner. California has one of the more aggressive goals to achieve 100% carbon free generation of its retail power sales by 2045. California has excellent solar resources, but to accomplish this goal, California’s power utilities will need new zero carbon resources that can replace the natural gas units that they currently rely on for suppling power at night. Appropriately configured concentrating solar power plants with thermal energy storage are an option to serve this nighttime load. These plants would be designed to take advantage of CSP’s low-cost thermal energy storage and collect and store energy during the day and then be dispatched to produce power at night. The U.S. Department of Energy has funded a study to identify the design of a CSP plant that optimally meets the evolving CA grid needs. This will be done by taking a fresh look at how CSP technologies can best be designed to meet the emerging nighttime market for carbon free power generation or zero-carbon firm resources. The paper provides an overview of the study and present preliminary findings on the California power market requirements, CSP configurations, technoeconomic analysis, siting opportunities, and key issues for CSP deployment in this market.

Price, Hank (ORCID:0000000267049197)↗
NASA NTRS2013

Low-Cost, Light Weight, Thin Film Solar Concentrator

This research addresses a cost barrier towards achieving a solar thermal collector system with an installed cost of $75/sq m and meet the Department of Energy's (DOE's) performance targets for optical errors, operations during windy conditions and lifetime. Current concentrators can cost as much as 40-50% of the total installed costs for a CSP plant. In order to reduce the costs from current $200-$250/sq m, it is important to focus on the overall system. The reflector surface is a key cost driver, and our film-based polymer reflector will help significantly in achieving DOE's cost target of $75/sq m. The ease of manufacturability, installation and replacement make this technology a compelling one to develop. This technology can be easily modified for a variety of CSP options including heliostats, parabolic dishes and parabolic troughs.

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)↗
DOE OSTI2022

Binder jet additive manufacturing of ceramic heat exchangers for concentrating solar power applications with thermal energy storage in molten chlorides

Triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) geometries can only be fabricated by additive manufacturing methods and are of interest for heat exchangers. Ceramic TPMS heat exchangers can operate at higher temperatures and pressures with superior performance and increased operating efficiencies compared to metal heat exchangers. The properties of ultra-high temperature ceramic (UHTC) materials are also favorable for heat exchangers and potentially suited to concentrated solar power (CSP) systems, such as those based on a molten chloride salt thermal energy storage (TES) medium used to heat CO 2 in a closed-loop Brayton power cycle. We intended to demonstrate binder jet additive manufacturing feasibility of a UHTC-TPMS structure by printing and sintering a null candidate. We aimed to achieve parts with a relative density ≥ 92 % of theoretical and to provide a TPMS part demonstration. The target density indicates the transition from intermediate to final stage sintering, a requirement to inhibit gas permeability and for sintering complex near net shapes to full density with sinter-HIP technology. The goal of the TPMS part demonstration was to determine if printing and sintering parameters developed from test coupons apply to the complex geometries that will eventually be used in a heat exchanger design. Our objective was to print cubic TPMS parts with a 9 cm 3 volume and sinter it without distorting and cracking. We report we were able to sinter ZrB 2 -MoSi 2 composite parts based on the Schwarz-D TPMS and achieve isotropic shrinkage up to 60 % by volume, resulting in densities ranging from 92 % to 96 % of theoretical.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1989

Space deployable domed solar concentrator with foldable panels and hinge therefor

A space deployable solar energy concentrator is formed of a dome-shaped arrangement of compactly stowable flat panel segments mounted on a collapsible, space-deployable support structure of interconnected linear components. The support structure is comprised of a plurality of tensioned, curvilinear edge strips which extend in a radial direction from a prescribed vertex of a surrounding umbrella-like framework of radially extending rib members. Between a respective pair of radially-extending, curvilinear edge strips an individual wedge-shaped panel section is formed of a plurality of multi-segment lens panel strips each of which is supported in tension between the pair of edge strips by a pair of circumferentially extending catenary cord members connected to a pair of ribs of the surrounding umbrella-like framework. A respective lens panel strip is comprised of a plurality of flat, generally rectangular-shaped, energy-directing panels arranged side-by-side in the circumferential direction of the dome. Adjacent panels are interconnected by flexible U-shaped hinges which overlap opposing edges of adjacent panels and engage respective cylindrically-shaped, load distribution bars that slide within the flexible hinges. Because each U-shaped hinge is flexible, it is permitted to shift in the circumferential direction of the panel section to facilitate stowage and deployment of the dome.

Grayson, Fred G.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Coherent heteroepitaxial growth of I-III-VI 2 Ag(In,Ga)S 2 colloidal nanocrystals with near-unity quantum yield for use in luminescent solar concentrators

Colloidal Ag(In,Ga)S 2 nanocrystals (AIGS NCs) with the band gap tunability by their size and composition within visible range have garnered surging interest. High absorption cross-section and narrow emission linewidth of AIGS NCs make them ideally suited to address the challenges of Cd-free NCs in wide-ranging photonic applications. However, AIGS NCs have shown relatively underwhelming photoluminescence quantum yield (PL QY) to date, primarily because coherent heteroepitaxy has not been realized. Here, we report the heteroepitaxy for AIGS-AgGaS 2 (AIGS-AGS) core-shell NCs bearing near-unity PL QYs in almost full visible range (460 to 620 nm) and enhanced photochemical stability. Key to the successful growth of AIGS-AGS NCs is the use of the Ag-S-Ga(OA) 2 complex, which complements the reactivities among cations for both homogeneous AIGS cores in various compositions and uniform AGS shell growth. The heteroepitaxy between AIGS and AGS results in the Type I heterojunction that effectively confines charge carriers within the emissive core without optically active interfacial defects. AIGS-AGS NCs show higher extinction coefficient and narrower spectral linewidth compared to state-of-the-art heavy metal-free NCs, prompting their immediate use in practicable applications including displays and luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs).

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1986

Solar concentrator materials development

Materials with potential applications in reflective and refractive solar dynamic concentrators are tested for resistance to atomic oxygen degradation. It is found that inorganic coatings such as MgF2, SiO(x), and ITO provide excellent protection for reflective surfaces while organic materials are much more susceptible to erosion and mass loss. Of the organic polymers tested, the silicones have the highest intrinsic resistance to atomic oxygen degradation.

Morel, D. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Multijunction high voltage concentrator solar cells

The standard integrated circuit technology has been developed to design and fabricate new innovative planar multi-junction solar cell chips for concentrated sunlight applications. This 1 cm x 1 cm cell consisted of several voltage generating regions called unit cells which were internally connected in series within a single chip resulting in high open circuit voltages. Typical open-circuit voltages of 3.6 V and short-circuit currents of 90 ma were obtained at 80 AM1 suns. A dramatic increase in both short circuit current and open circuit voltage with increased light levels was observed.

Valco, G. J.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Outdoor performance of a tandem InGaP/Si photovoltaic luminescent solar concentrator

Here, we report the design, fabrication and outdoor characterization of a tandem luminescent solar concentrator/Si multi-junction photovoltaic module. Our tandem LSC/Si device consists of an InGaP LSC functioning as a top cell and a passivated contact Si bottom cell. The LSC comprises of an InGaP microcell array coupled to a polymer waveguide, loaded with CdSe/CdS core-shell quantum dot luminophores. The light trapping efficiency of the LSC waveguide is enhanced by encapsulation with photoluminescence trapping mirrors consisting of dielectric multilayer thin films. We demonstrate the performance of the LSC/Si device through a series of outdoor tests under various irradiance conditions conducted at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. We report the first outdoor testing data of an LSC/Si tandem module, displaying maintained performance across varied diffusivity conditions for the LSC component. Finally, we model the tandem module performance using a ray optic simulation-based multiphysics model and forecast a pathway for high efficiency tandem LSC/Si module performance.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1979

Test of concentrator solar array model for SEPS

The use of concentrators to improve the performance of solar arrays in deep space was tested in a simulated deep space environment. The results of these tests are presented and discussed. Areas of discussion include cell temperature performance in a low temperature, low illumination environment with and without concentration, concentration ratios, and theoretical analysis versus test results. Tests were conducted on a series/parallel configuration and individual cells.

Huie, H. H.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Flat plate vs. concentrator solar photovoltaic cells - A manufacturing cost analysis

The choice of which photovoltaic system (flat plate or concentrator) to use for utilizing solar cells to generate electricity depends mainly on the cost. A detailed, comparative manufacturing cost analysis of the two types of systems is presented. Several common assumptions, i.e., cell thickness, interest rate, power rate, factory production life, polysilicon cost, and direct labor rate are utilized in this analysis. Process sequences, cost variables, and sensitivity analyses have been studied, and results of the latter show that the most important parameters which determine manufacturing costs are concentration ratio, manufacturing volume, and cell efficiency. The total cost per watt of the flat plate solar cell is $1.45, and that of the concentrator solar cell is $1.85, the higher cost being due to the increased process complexity and material costs.

Granon, L. A.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Concentrated solar photovoltaic and photothermal system

The present invention provides a hybrid, concentrating photovoltaic-solar thermal (CPV/T) system and components thereof, and methods for converting solar energy to electricity at high efficiencies while capturing and storing solar thermal energy for later deployment.

Codd, Daniel↗
DOE OSTI2024

Non-contact Thermophysical Characterization of Solids and Fluids for Gen3 Concentrating Solar Power

In this project, we aim to develop Modulation Photothermal Radiometry (MPR), which is an attractive non-contact tool to evaluate thermophysical properties of high-temperature solids and HTFs that are otherwise time-consuming and difficult to measure and for in-situ testing of these properties. Therefore, the main objective of the project is the development and application of MPR to characterize high temperature thermophysical properties of heat transfer fluids (HTFs) and the solids (tubing and solar absorbing coating) in various components and sub-systems used in CSP plants. The measurements will be first demonstrated on a wide range of materials at UCSD and then the tool will be transferred to other facilities within the Gen3 CSP portfolio.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1989

Thermal annealing of GaAs concentrator solar cells

The thermal annealing of GaAs concentrator cells after electron irradiation is reported. Results are given for cells annealed at 150, 200, and 250 C. Isochronal annealing was done for 20 min intervals up to 350 C. For cells irradiated with electrons of energies between 0.7 and 2.3 MeV, the recovery decreases with increasing electron energy. Isothermal and isochronal annealing produce the same recovery. Cells irradiated to 3 x 10 to the 15th or 1 x 10 to the 16th e/sq cm recover to similar unannealed fractions. Significant annealing is seen starting at 150 C, although very long times are required.

Curtis, H. B.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Multiple-Panel Cylindrical Solar Concentrator

Trough composed of many panels concentrates Sun's energy on solar cells, even when trough is not pointed directly at Sun. Tolerates deviation as great as 5 degrees from direction of sun. For terrestrial applications, multiple-flat-plate design offers potential cost reduction and ease of fabrication.

Brown, E. M.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Solar-Thermal Ammonia Production: A Renewable, Carbon-Neutral Route to Ammonia via Concentrating Solar Thermochemistry [Slides]

Solar Thermal Ammonia Production has potential to produce green ammonia using CSP, air, and water. Air separation to purify N 2 was successfully demonstrated with BSF1585 in packed bed reactor; on-sun reduction reactor under construction. Metal nitrides (MNy) were successfully synthesized and characterized under both ambient and pressurized conditions. Co 3 Mo 3 N shown to successfully produce NH 3 when exposed to pure H 2 at pressures between 5 – 20 bar 600 – 750 °C. Ambient reaction experiments imply there may be a catalytic aspect as well. Technoeconomic and systems analyses show a path towards scale-up.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗