The solar furnace and the high flux solar simulator of the DLR in Cologne offer many opportunities for the technical use of concentrated solar radiation to researchers and users from science and industry.
The fields of application include:
In the laboratory building of the solar furnace there is a test room to carry out experiments, a measuring room to control and monitor the experiments and a workshop for preparatory and supporting work on the experimental setups. Furthermore, there are also chemical and material laboratories.
For experiments requiring long-term stable radiation conditions, it is possible to use a high-flux solar simulator, which produces artificial solar irradiation based on elliptical reflectors with xenon short-arc lamps. The reflectors transmit their radiation with an optical power of 25 kW as concentrated energy with a power density of more than 4 MW/m² to a target area at a distance of 3 meters, where it can be used for a wide variety of applications. It is possible to carry out multi-day endurance tests under very stable radiation conditions as well as component tests at certification level.
In addition to the solar furnace and the high flux solar simulator, there are other light sources available in a spectral range from UV to IR, which can be integrated into various experimental setups, including the vacuum chambers.
The experimental setups are always developed according to the specific requirements of the customer.