Mar 20 2010
With an objective to make the generation of energy through concentrating solar power (CSP) system competitive in the country, Alcoa is partnering with National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) to test a new CSP technology.
A new CSP parabolic trough that was designed by Alcoa was installed recently at a test facility owned by NREL in Golden, Colorado in the United States. The energy generating efficiency of the collector, which measures 20 feet by 46 feet, will be assessed through a series of tests. The structural performance of the collector will also be evaluated. These series of tests at NREL’s facility follows the successful validation at Alcoa Technical Center in Pennsylvania.
Manager at the NREL Thermal Systems Group, Dr. Chuck Kutscher, said the lab is looking forward to testing the efficiency of Alco-designed new innovative parabolic trough collector. The lab is delighted to see a major company based in the United States to enter the concentrating solar power market with financial support through Funding Opportunity Announcement Program of U.S. Department of Energy.
At present, glass mirrors are used in the CSP systems to reflect the sunlight and concentrate it onto receivers that convert it to heat. The thermal energy then can be utilized to generate electricity through a steam turbine.
The new solution from Alcoa utilizes aluminum mirrors with highly-reflective characteristics instead of fragile glass mirrors. In addition, these aluminum mirrors are environmentally friendly as well as more durable than the glass mirrors. The new design solution, which includes extrusions, sheet, and fasteners, allows for high volume manufacturing of CSP systems and lowers installation cost. The installation is also made easy with its monolithic structure
A DOE grant amounting to US$2.1 million has partially funded the project and the by 2010 second quarter, the test results are expected. Large-scale testing will take place after the results are evaluated.
Source: www.alcoa.com