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Completed projects

sorted by research field and year of completion

Solar thermal power plants (selection)

SolarPACES-Technical Guideline for SiHTF

Guideline for the use of silicone-based high-temperature fluids in solar thermal power plants

Duration: 01.03.2021 - 31.03.2022

In recent years, a significant increase of the maximal operating temperature of silicone-based heat transfer fluids (SiHTF) in concentrating solar thermal systems has been achieved. The aim of the "SolarPACES SiHTF Standard" project is to develop an international standard that makes the findings and recommendations of the previous guideline "SolarPACES-Technical Guideline for SiHTF" binding.

SOLWARIS

Solving Water Issues for CSP Plants

Duration: 01.05.2018 - 30.04.2022

The overall purpose of the SOLWARIS project is to upscale, implement and demonstrate cost-effective technologies and strategies that bring about a significant reduction of water consumption in CSP plants while maintaining high energetic performance of electrical power production. The approach proposed in SOLWARIS tackles all segments of water consumption in a CSP plant by setting ambitious water saving goals.

HPS 2

Molten salt as heat transfer fluid in parabolic trough power plants

Duration: 01.07.2016 - 31.05.2022

An international consortium led by the DLR Institute of Solar Research, will build and operate a solar thermal molten salt parabolic trough test facility in Évora (Portugal). In October 2021, the plant could be filled with hot salt for the first time. Companies and research institutions will test liquid salt as a heat transfer medium here under realistic conditions.

MSComp

Component Tests for Molten Salt Applications

Duration: 01.07.2019 - 31.12.2021

Solar power plants that use molten salt as a heat transfer medium are increasingly developing to become an industrial standard worldwide. The project MSComp is aimed at providing (in particular German) component manufacturers a testing possibility so that they can be guaranteed that their components function and that their products will be established on the market.

Blueprint for Molten Salt CSP Power Plant

Overall optimization of power plant technology

Duration: 01.03.2019 – 31.03.2021

Solar thermal power plants (CSP) with integrated thermal storage units generate electricity as needed,decoupled from fluctuating solar radiation. To bridge longer periods of low radiation, the power plant can fire up fossil or regenerative fuels. In a future energy system that relies predominantly on renewable energy sources, base-load-capable solar thermal power plants can in sunny countries therefore make an important contribution to securing the power supply 24/7. With increasing electricity supplies from the volatile energy sources of wind and solar, solar thermal power plants will in the future relieve the electricity grids, as they can fill or discharge their storage facilities as needed.

QUARZ-Zert

Development of CSP-specific product testing procedures

Duration: 01.01.2015 - 31.07.2018

The aim of the QUARZ-Zert project is the quality assurance of the key components of solar thermal power plants, as well as the dissemination of meaningful test methods. As part of QUARZ-Zert, the DLR Institute for Solar Research has expanded existing test methods in its QUARZ® qualification center and developed new quality testing procedures. The performance and reliability of the key components of solar thermal power plants will therefore be more meaningful in the future.

ConSol

Innovative parabolic trough collectors made from concrete

Duration: 01.02.2015 - 31.05.2018

In modern parbolic-trough power plants, the cost of the collector field is about 50% of the entire investment cost. The cost-reduction potential for the common steel structures is largely exhausted. Using concrete as the main structural material offers comparatively low material and manufacturing costs, as well as further potential for cost-reduction.

	PreFlexMS Development of the next generation molten salt power tower Duration: 01.06.2015 - 31.05.2018 The project PreFlexMS includes tasks within research and development in different disciplines, in order to increase the performance of solarthermal power towers by using liquid salt as heat transfer medium.
Full article

	REELCOOP Solarthermal electricity generation in combination with biomass Duration: 01.09.2013 - 28.02.2018 In the frame of the EU Project REELCOOP a solar thermal power plant in the small range is being investigated in combination with biomass.
Full article

	SolSteam Direct integration of solar steam into fossil steam generator Duration: 01.08.2013 - 31.12.2017 In the project SolSteam the Institute of Solar Research develops and investigates concepts for the direct integration of solar steam into industrial steam systems in collaboration with its partner Industrial Solar.
Full article

RESOL

Retrofit of a parabolic trough solar field with a solar tower

Duration: 01.01.2015 - 31.03.2017

The project Resol (Retrofitting Solarthermal Power Plants) is a cooperation of MAN Diesel and Turbo SE in Oberhausen, the Solar Institute of Jülich and DLR. The objective of the project is to analyze the possibilities to reduce levelized electricity costs by adding solar towers to existing parabolic trough plants within a package of retrofitting measures.

CSPBank

Standardisation of yield analyses for solar thermal power plants

Duration: 01.02.2014 - 31.12.2016

A precise forecast of the expected electricity generation, and through that the achievable yield, has a decisive importance for the financing of a power plant project. The calculation models require, in addition to the representation of the technical system, an approximation of the expected irradiation as close to reality as possible.

	HEST-HY Bringing thermochemical water splitting to the next level Duration: 01.02.2014 - 31.12.2016 In this visionary project, major engineering challenges are tackled, which on paper promise great efficiency improvements. Together with Sandia National Labs from the US, we develop a test facility to show that irradiating particles beyond 1450 °C at reduced pressure is feasible.
Full article

	JointSoRUs Scientific Exchange with Middle Asia Duration: 01.03.2015 - 30.09.2016 The main objective of the project is to promote the exchange between German and Uzbek scientists, and thereby support the build-up of scientific expertise within the research field of solar power plant technology in Uzbekistan.
Full article

KanDis

Analysis of high-resultion measurements from TSE1 power station in Kanjanabouri/Thailand

Duration: 01.06.2013 - 30.04.2016

The project Kandis (Scientific monitoring of direct steam generation in the Kanjanaburi power plant) aims to accelerate the market introduction of direct steam generation in parabolic trough power plants. To this end, more than 400 high-resolution measurements of the TSE1 power plant in Kanjanaburi, Thailand are evaluated, the first parabolic trough power plant using direct solar steam generation and superheating. The data is provided by Solarlite CSP Technology GmbH, general contractor of TSE1 power station.

StaMeP

Development of standardized measurement methods and test stands for the performance verification of components of solar thermal power plants

Duration: 01.06.2012 - 28.02.2016

In the joint project StaMeP, the standardization for CSP components was intensively supported and accelerated by the DLR in cooperation with Fraunhofer ISE. Selected methods, test rigs and measuring devices to prove the quality of individual components and the performance of solar fields in solar thermal power plants were examined. Measurement and evaluation methods were analyzed, further developed and validated for the components mirrors, absorbers, flexible pipe connections and complete solar fields.

Solar energy meteorology (selection)

	VariDist Analysis and Prediction of the spatial variability of PV generation in distribution grids Duration: 15.09.2018 - 14.09.2021 The VariDist project creates a high-resolution radiation forecast using a large number of cloud cameras. This forecast enables planning feed-ins from large photovoltaic power plants and roof-top systems and thus helps optimize distribution grid control.
Full article

GeMoExt

German-Moroccan Extinction Project

Duration: 01.02.2017 - 31.01.2020

In concentrated solar tower plants, the radiation which is reflected by the heliostat field is partially lost on its way to the central receiver due to atmospheric extinction (irradiance attenuation). The novelty of the GeMoExt project is the further enhancement of a correction method for atmospheric extinction measurements for CSP plant design and yield prediction so that it will be ready for the market. Therefore, electricity production costs for CSP plants will be reduced.

Solar process engineering (selection)

SOLPART

High temperature solar-heated reactors for industrial production of reactive particulates

Duration: 01.01.2016 – 31.12.2020

The main objective of the SOLPART project is to develop, at a pilot scale, a high temperature (800-1000°C) 24h/day solar process suitable for particle treatment in energy intensive non-metallic minerals’ industries. One of the main reactions is the calcination, in which CO₂ is released on the one hand due to the reaction and on the other hand due to the usage of fossil fuels. The goal of the SOLPART project is to reduce CO₂ release, by replacing fossil fuel with solar energy.

ASTOR

Automation of thermochemical processes to de-crease hydrogen generation costs

Duration: 01.04.2017 - 31.12.2020

Solar thermochemical water-splitting via redox-cycles is a promising path for the generation of renewable fuels. ASTOR tries to set-up the first automatic control of a solar-thermochemical pro-cess. Hence, complex control algorithms based on a detailed process models have to be developed. Further objective is the increase of the total efficiency of the process by improvement of heat management and waste heat recovery.

SUN-to-LIQUID

From sunlight directly to fuel

Duration: 01.01.2016 - 31.12.2019

SUN-to-LIQUID aims at developing a solar thermochemical technology as a highly promising fuel path at large scale and competitive costs. Solar radiation is concentrated by a heliostat field and efficiently absorbed in a solar reactor that thermochemically converts H₂O and CO₂ to syngas which is subsequently processed to Fischer-Tropsch hydro-carbon fuels. Solar-to-syngas energy conversion efficiencies exceeding 30% can potentially be realized thanks to favourable thermodynamics at high temperature and utilization of the full solar spectrum.

RedoxStorE

Thermochemical storage based on redox reactions for CSP applications - from the material to the process

Duration: 01.01.2015 – 31.12.2018

The RedoxStorE project brings together the expertise of three DLR institutes to develop and test a pilot scale thermochemical storage, based on redox material. The material, in shape of granules, undergoes a cyclic reversible reaction to alternatively store and release heat. The heat is stored through the on-sun endothermic reaction inside a directly irradiated rotary kiln while it is released in a vertical moving bed reactor.

Düsol

Sustainable fertilizer production from sun, air and water

Duration: 01.12.2016 - 30.11.2019

Fertilizer production today comes along with immense CO2 emissions. Large amounts of natural gas are required to produce the important fertilizer base chemical ammonia. In Düsol, we modify the production in such a way, that no natural gas is used anymore. Solar-fired chemical processes generate the precursor components of ammonia solely from water and air.

HYDROSOL-PLANT

Solar Thermochemical Water Splitting

Duration: 01.01.2014 - 31.03.2018

HYDROSOL.PLANT is the fourth of a series of projects aiming at the generation of solar hydrogen by thermochemical water-splitting via metal-oxides. A 750 kW-plant has been erected on the Plataforma Solar de Almería in Co-operation with the Research Centers CIEMAT (Spain) and APTL (Greece) and the Greek company Hellenic Petrol.

INDIREF

Solar energy for chemical industry: Indirectly solar heated reformer for the production of methanol from CO2 and natural gas

Duration: 01.12.2016 - 30.09.2019

The conventional production of synthesis gas (Syngas), which is an intermediate product for a variety of chemical products, such as Methanol, causes significant CO2 emissions. When utilizing solar energy, the emissions can be greatly reduced. Recycling of CO2 in the process further reduces the emissions.

	RESTRUCTURE Thermochemical storage: successful proof of concept Duration: 01.01.2011 - 31.01.2016 A thermochemical storage system was tested in the Solar Tower of Jülich. This technology could be applied in future CSP plants to increase the storage density of the thermal storage.
Full article

	Solam Solar aluminium smelting in a directly irradiated rotary kiln Duration: 01.04.2015 - 31.03.2018 In this German - South African cooperation, we strive to Elaborate a sustainable way to run the energy intensive Aluminium smelting process.
Full article

	Sol2Hy2 Solar Production of Hydrogen Duration: 01.06.2013 - 31.05.2016 The European research project SOL2HY2 (Solar to Hydrogen Hybrid Cycles) investigates the Hybrid Sulphur Cycle (HyS) for solar hydrogen production. This process - also known as Westighouseprozess or "Ispra Mark 11" - is considered one of the most promising approaches to generate hydrogen by use of thermal energy.
Full article

SOPHIA

Solar integrated pressurized high temperature electrolysis (HTE)

Duration: 01.04.2014 - 30.06.2017

Hydrogen and other fuels are expected to play a key role as energy carrier for the transport sector and as energy buffer for the integration of large amounts of renewable energy into the grid. In Sophia hydrogen is produced via high temperature electrolysis coupled with concentrated solar energy and the project will pave the way to this promising efficient carbon-free hydrogen production technology.

Virtual Institute SolarSynGas

Thermochemical Research for CO₂-neutral Renewable Fuels

Duration: 01.10.2012 - 30.09.2017

The Virtual Institute SolarSynGas pursues the long-term goal to produce CO₂-neutral renewable fuels efficiently and economically via a thermo-chemical route. Behind SolarSynGas are the DLR Institutes of Solar Research and Materials Research and the three universities KIT Karlsruhe, TU Clausthal and ETH Zurich.

Energy efficient buildings (selection)

TragSens

Measuring the dispersion paths of gases and aerosols in buildings

Duration: 01.06.2019 – 31.05.2022

In the TragSens project, scientists study which mobile measurement systems are best suited for detecting gas exchange paths of hazardous substances in the air in buildings and determining their exchange rates. Smoke, gas and gaseous hazardeous substances spreading between different building sections and in the building envelope pose a great danger to persons present in the building in the case of fire, accident and attack. The measurement in existing buildings shall work without extensive preparation of the building and, interfere the least possible with its use.

Gtom – Tomograph for buildings

Measurement system for contactless energetic analyses of building envelopes

Duration: 01.11.2016 – 31.07.2020

In Gtom scientists from four DLR institutes collaborate in developing methods to examine the energetic properties of building envelopes. These techniques are based on remote sensing technology and may be applied in the future to identify weaknesses in building envelopes and determine the sources of heat losses.

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