Publications

A 7.2 kW (electric input) solar simulator was designed in order to perform accelerated testing on absorber materials for concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies. COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN (CAD) software integrating a ray-Tracing tool was used to select appropriate components and optimize their positioning in order to achieve the desired concentration. The simulator comprises four identical units, each made out of an ellipsoidal reflector, a metal halide lamp, and an adjustable holding system. A single unit was characterized and shows an experimental average irradiance of 257 kWm-2 on a 25.4mm (1 in) diameter spot. Shape, spot size, and average irradiance are in good agreement with the model predictions, provided the emitting arc element model is realistic. The innovative four-lamp solar simulator potentially demonstrates peak irradiance of 1140kWm-2 and average irradiance of 878kWm-2 over a 25.4mm diameter area. The electric-To-radiative efficiency is about 0.86. The costs per radiative and electric watt are calculated at $2.31 W-1 and $1.99 W-1, respectively. An upgraded installation including a sturdier structure, computer-controlled lamps, a more reliable lamp holding system, and safety equipment yields a cost per electric watt of about $3.60 W-1 excluding labor costs.

The contribution of each component of a power generation plant to the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) can be estimated and used to increase the power output while reducing system operation and maintenance costs. The LCOE is used in order to quantify solar receiver coating influence on the LCOE of solar power towers. Two new parameters are introduced: the absolute levelized cost of coating (LCOC) and the LCOC efficiency. Depending on the material properties, aging, costs, and temperature, the absolute LCOC enables quantifying the cost-effectiveness of absorber coatings, as well as finding optimal operating conditions. The absolute LCOC is investigated for different hypothetic coatings and is demonstrated on Pyromark 2500 paint. Results show that absorber coatings yield lower LCOE values in most cases, even at significant costs. Optimal reapplication intervals range from one to five years. At receiver temperatures greater than 700 °C, non-selective coatings are not always worthwhile while durable selective coatings consistently reduce the LCOE-up to 12% of the value obtained for an uncoated receiver. The absolute LCOC is a powerful tool to characterize and compare different coatings, not only considering their initial efficiencies but also including their durability.

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