DLR - Institute of Solar Research

Departments of the Institute of Solar Research

Linienfokussierende Systeme

Linienfokussierende Kollektoren sind für den Einsatz im Temperaturbereich bis ca. 500°C geeignet. Sie bestehen aus in der Regel einachsig der Sonne nachgeführten Konzentratorspiegeln und einem in der Fokallinie angebrachten Absorberrohr. Durch dieses fließt ein Wärmeträgermedium, mit dem die Wärme der vorgesehenen Anwendung (z.B. Kraftwerksprozess, Prozesswärmenutzer, Wärmespeicher) zugeführt wird.

Punktfokussierende Systeme

Die Nutzung der Solarenergie durch Einkopplung in Kraftwerksprozesse bei hohen Temperaturen führt zu hohen Wirkungsgraden. Hierzu sind hochkonzentrierende Solarsysteme erforderlich, die die Erzeugung der hohen Temperaturen bei gleichzeitig hohen Wirkungsgraden ermöglichen.

Qualification

In the department “Qualification of concentrating solar systems“ scientists measure and evaluate the quality of components, collector systems and complete solar fields. Based on the measurements, options for the optimization of concentrated solar thermal plants are identified and implemented. Appropriate measurement methods and instruments are developed and applied. Further topics are the instruction and training of skilled workers in the MENA region and the preparation of meteorological datasets for the operation and the design of CSP plants.

Solar Chemical Engineering

The Solar Chemical Engineering Department aims to develop and demonstrate solar processes for fuel production. The main focus lies on renewable and economical hydrogen as well by thermo-chemical as by photo-electrochemical processes. But also solar produced carbonaceous fuels from different carbon sources like natural gas, biogas, and especially CO2 are worked on. Technically the department mainly works on the development and scale-up of solar reactor technology and the system integration, optimisation and evaluation of the processes.

Facilities and Solar Materials

The department operates the large facilities of DLR’s Solar Research and has the objective to provide service at a dedicated level both to internal (DLR) and external (industrial and research partners) customers. At the site Koeln-Porz currently the large facilities comprise the high flux solar furnace and the high flux solar simulator. Additionally the department has the access to a research platform which has been installed at the half level of the tower of the solar thermal demonstration power tower at Jülich (STJ).