Solar Thermal Power Plants

In sunny regions, solar thermal power plants (concentrated solar power, CSP) with large thermal storage systems supply electricity on demand. Together with our partners from industry, project developers, researchers and public institutions , we are working to further improve materials, coatings, components, collectors and systems in order to increase efficiency and reduce manufacturing costs.

In 2020, Fraunhofer ISE presented a calibration and control system for heliostat fields based on digital image processing. This allows the aim points of many heliostats to be determined during operation in a time- and cost-efficient manner for the first time. With a newly developed reflector coating for secondary mirrors in tower power plants, we are optimizing the quality and service life of components.
Thermal storage systems also offer great opportunities to make industrial processes more efficient and energy flows more flexible. In addition to specific storage solutions and energy efficiency measures, we are working on integrating solar process heat into the heat supply of industrial processes. We have developed a publicly available online tool for a quick techno-economic assessment and presented it in workshops.
Another focus of our work is the efficient conversion and transfer of heat. For our research on materials and components, we have in-depth expertise in materials science, component design, characterization and testing methods, modelling and simulation as well as plant control and system development. We can draw on many years of experience from projects for applications in solar thermal power plants and in various branches of industry.

Fields of Work

In the research topic "Solar Thermal Power Plants" we focus on the following fields of work:

Modeling and Feasibility

  • Solar tower systems
  • Parabolic trough systems
  • Linear Fresnel systems

Development and Analysis of Innovative Concepts for Concentrating Systems

  • Collector concepts
  • System solutions
  • Component development

Measurement Technology Development and Qualification

  • Innovative optical measurement technology
  • Qualification of reflectors
  • Analysis of loss mechanisms
  • Thermal analysis

Material and Coating for Solar Thermal Power Plants

  • Anti-soiling coatings
  • Absorber coatings
  • High-temperature reflectors

R&D Services

We support you during commissioning, identification of sources of error, acceptance and qualification of collectors and solar fields on site.
Our services include:

  • Acceptance tests of solar fields
  • In-situ collector characterization
  • Analysis and characterization of soiling
  • Optical measurement of collectors and receivers
  • Calibration of tracking systems
  • Far-field exploration such as directional absorption and reflectance of receivers of solar thermal tower systems

R&D Infrastructure

At Fraunhofer ISE, we benefit from this infrastructure for our research and development activities:

Thermal and Optical Analyses for Solar Thermal Components

With our versatile laboratory infrastructure, we offer services for the thermal and optical testing of components. We develop innovative test rigs and evaluation routines for this purpose.

  • VLABS: Measurement of specular reflectance and scattering in the low-angle range
  • Characterization of mirror materials
  • Artificial soiling and characterization of the attenuation by dust depending on the angle of incidence
  • Fringe Reflection Technique: Deflectometry measurements of small (5 cm x 5 cm) and large (2 m x 4 m) reflective optics
  • Measurement of the temperature-dependent deformation of CSP mirrors and small-scale optics
  • Photogrammetry and laser scanning methods
  • Hail test stand
  • Molten salt laboratory
  • Climate chamber degradation tests
  • Tests of solar trackers based on ISO standards
  • Heliostat test field with movable target
  • Pressurized water test circuit for thermal power measurement

Selected Research Projects

 

SmartCSP

Application of AI methods to improve operations and maintenance in CSP power plants

 

SOLBEADO

Development and testing of secondary reflectors for a beam-down tower power plant

 

HybridKraft

New Technologies for Integrated CSP/PV Hybrid Power Plants (ICPH)

Contact

Gregor Bern

Contact Press / Media

Dr. Gregor Bern

Solar Thermal Power Plants

Fraunhofer ISE
Heidenhofstr. 2
79110 Freiburg

Phone +49 761 4588-5906

Peter Nitz

Contact Press / Media

Dr. Peter Nitz

Concentrator Optics

Fraunhofer ISE
Heidenhofstr. 2
79110 Freiburg

Phone +49 761 4588-5410

Current Publications on the Topic "Solar Thermal Power Plants"

Jahr
Year
Titel/Autor:in
Title/Author
Publikationstyp
Publication Type
2023 Standard testing of absorber surface durability according to ISO 22975-3 versus measured thermal and high-humidity stress of absorber surface at extreme test sites
Kaltenbach, Thomas; Heck, Markus; Kaaya, Ismail
Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Journal Article
2023 Secondary Reflectors tested at High Temperatures and High Radiation Intensities
Gledhill, Sophie; Schöttl, Peter; Hildebrandt, Christina; Uhlig, Ralf; Wette, Johannes; Sutter, Florian
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2023 Techno-Economic Performance Analysis of a CSP-Driven CCGT with Stratified TES at Various DNI Levels and Demand Conditions Based on Transient Simulation
Rubio, Pedro; Rohani, Shahab; Ferreres Eceiza, Maitane; Bhanderi, Tatvakumar Arvindbhai; Weiss, Julius; Schöttl, Peter; Ferriere, Alain; Fluri, Thomas
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2023 Compatibility Testing on a New Ceramic Filler Material for Packed Bed Thermal Energy Storage
Weiss, Julius; Müller, Ralf; Lang, Dimitrina; Schichtel, Martin; Fluri, Thomas
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2023 Socio-economic Impact of Concentrated Solar Power in China: Example of a 50 MW Parabolic Trough Plant
Xia, Ningzi; Torres Sartori, Francisco; Bern, Gregor; Heimsath, Anna
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2023 Case Study on Decarbonization Strategies for LNG Export Terminals using Heat and Power from CSP/PV Hybrid Plants
Hasni, Sabrina; Platzer, Werner
Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Journal Article
2022 Experimental Test Setup of an Airwall to Reduce the Convective Heat Loss in Solar Thermal Cavity Receivers
Bitterling, Moritz; Bern, Gregor; Fugmann, Hannes; Cohnen, Christopher; Fluri, Thomas; Sonnabend, Thomas; Karl, Martin
Vortrag
Presentation
2022 Influence of fillers on performance of molten salt thermocline storage
Weiss, Julius; Wagner, Nils; Aprea, Vincenzo; Haas, Fridolin; Fluri, Thomas
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2022 The Role of Small-Scale CSP Plants in Future Energy Market Case Study: A Solar Tower Driven Combined GT and ORC with TES
Chandler, Nicholas; Rohani, Shahab; Fluri, Thomas
Vortrag
Presentation
2022 Impact of Component Improvements within a Next Generation sCO2 CSP Plant
Chandler, Nicholas; Schöttl, Peter; Bitterling, Moritz; Bern, Gregor; Fluri, Thomas
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2022 Evaluation of a Small-Scale CSP Plant using POLYPHEM Technology, A Solar Tower Driven Combined GT and ORC with TES
Rohani, Shahab; Chandler, Nicholas; Schöttl, Peter; Ferreres Eceiza, Maitane; Fluri, Thomas
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2022 Case Study on Decarbonization Strategies for LNG Export Terminals Using Heat and Power from CSP/PV Hybrid Plants
Platzer, Werner; Hasni, Sabrina
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2022 Effect of feature size on the reflective behaviour of the MorphoColorTM concept
Callies, Adrian; Wessels, Andreas; Bett, Andreas; Bläsi, Benedikt; Höhn, Oliver
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2021 Evaluation of reflectance measurement techniques for artificially soiled solar reflectors: Experimental campaign and model assessment
Picotti, G.; Simonetti, R.; Schmidt, Thomas; Cholette, M.E.; Heimsath, Anna; Ernst, Sebastian-Johannes; Manzolini, G.
Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Journal Article
2021 Improved Thermocline Initialization Through Optimized Inlet Design for Single-Tank Thermal Energy Storage Systems
Weiss, Julius; Ortega-Fernández, I.; Müller, Ralf; Bielsa, D.; Fluri, Thomas
Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Journal Article
2021 Farbige gebäudeintegrierte solarthermische Kollektoren mit hohem Wirkungsgrad
Wessels, Andreas
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2021 Secondary Reflectors Tested at High Temperatures and High Radiation Intensities
Gledhill, Sophie; Hildebrandt, Christina; Uhlig, R.; Wette, J.; Sutter, F.
Vortrag
Presentation
2021 Optimization of water management plans for CSP plants through simulation of water consumption and cost of treatment based on operational data
Rohani, Shahab; Went, Joachim; Duvenhage, D.F.; Gerards, R.; Wittwer, Christof; Fluri, Thomas
Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Journal Article
2020 Physical models of the bidirectional reflectance of solar receiver coatings
Bitterling, Moritz; Bern, Gregor; Wilson, Helen Rose; Heimsath, Anna; Nitz, Peter
Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Journal Article
2019 Techno-Economic Assessment of New Material Developments in Central Receiver Solar Power Plants
Zoschke, Theda; Frantz, C.; Schöttl, Peter; Fluri, Thomas; Uhlig, R.
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2019 Aktive solare Gebäudehülle zur dezentralen Energieerzeugung in Gebäuden
Kuhn, Tilmann
Vortrag
Presentation
2019 Optimized Mirror Cleaning Strategies in PTC Plants Reducing the Water Consumption and the Levelized Cost of cleaning
Rohani, Shahab; Abdelnabi, N.; Fluri, Thomas; Heimsath, Anna; Wittwer, Christof; Pérez Ainsua, J.C.
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2019 Experimental Assessment of Simultaneous In-Situ Heliostats Calibration Methodology HelioControl at Themis Facility
Bern, Gregor; Bitterling, Moritz; Schöttl, Peter; Ferriere, A.; Volut, Yann; Heimsath, Anna; Nitz, Peter
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2019 HiPIMS and DC magnetron sputter-coated silver films for high-temperature durable reflectors
Gledhill, Sophie; Steyer, K.; Weiss, Charlotte; Hildebrandt, Christina
Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Journal Article
2019 Multi-dimensional performance evaluation of heat exchanger surface enhancements
Fugmann, Hannes; Laurenz, Eric; Schnabel, Lena
Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Journal Article
2019 Measuring and Modelling the BRDF of Solar Receiver Paints
Bitterling, Moritz; Bern, Gregor; Schöttl, Peter; Gledhill, Sophie; Wilson, Helen Rose; Heimsath, Anna; Nitz, Peter
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2019 Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop Correlations for Laminar Flow in an In-line and Staggered Array of Circular Cylinders
Fugmann, Hannes; Schnabel, Lena; Frohnapfel, B.
Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Journal Article
2019 Thermal stability enhancement of D-mannitol for latent heat storage applications
Neumann, Hannah; Burger, D.; Taftanazi, Y.; Alferez Luna, Mayra Paulina; Haussmann, Thomas; Hagelstein, G.; Gschwander, Stefan
Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Journal Article
2018 Techno-Economic Evaluation and Optimization of CSP Plants with ColSimCSP
Rohani, Shahab; Fluri, Thomas; Zoschke, Theda
Vortrag
Presentation
2018 Confidence interval computation method for dynamic performance evaluations of solar thermal collectors
Zirkel-Hofer, Annie; Perry, S.; Kramer, Korbinian; Heimsath, Anna; Scholl, S.; Platzer, Werner J.
Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Journal Article
2018 Wire Structure Heat Exchangers: Compact Designs for Efficient Heat Transport
Fugmann, Hannes; Zapke, A.
Vortrag
Presentation
2018 Künstliche Intelligenz für die Regelung solarthermischer Heizungsanlagen
Kramer, Wolfgang; Bitterling, Moritz
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2018 Experimental performance evaluation of a laboratory-scale molten salt thermocline storage
Karl, Martin; Seubert, Bernhard; Müller, Ralf; Fluri, Thomas; Nitz, Peter
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2018 Solarthermie in der Städtischen Energieversorgung - Energiewirtschaftliche Analyse und Quartier Freiburg-Gutleutmatten
Herkel, Sebastian
Vortrag
Presentation
2018 Compact Heat Exchanger Designs in Air-Cooled Condensers: Advantages and Drawbacks
Fugmann, Hannes
Vortrag
Presentation
2018 Life Cycle Assessment of Thermal Energy Storage Materials and Components
Nienborg, Björn; Gschwander, Stefan; Munz, Gunther M.; Fröhlich, Dominik; Helling, T.; Horn, Rafael; Weinläder, H.; Klinker, F.; Schossig, Peter
Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Journal Article
2018 Kostenreduzierung von solarthermischen Systemen durch kombinierte technisch-wirtschaftliche Optimierung - Projekt TEWIsol
Kramer, Wolfgang; Oliva, Axel; Diels, F.; Tönnes, C.
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2018 Künstliche Intelligenz für die kostengünstige und energetisch optimierte Regelung von Heizungsanlagen
Kramer, Wolfgang
Vortrag
Presentation
2018 Efficient modeling of variable solar flux distribution on solar tower receivers by interpolation of few discrete representations
Schöttl, Peter; Bern, Gregor; Rooyen, De Wet van; Flesch, J.; Fluri, Thomas; Nitz, Peter
Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Journal Article
2017 Solare Wärmeversorgung von Quartieren
Scholte, C.; Kramer, Wolfgang; Bestenlehner, Dominik; Orozaliev, J.
Vortrag
Presentation
2017 Gebäude mit überwiegend solarer Energieversorgung
Kramer, Wolfgang; Drück, Harald; Steinweg, J.
Vortrag
Presentation
2017 Analysis of Wind Direction and Speed Measurements in Arid Region - A Site Evaluation Using Data with Low Temporal Resolution
Klimm, Elisabeth; Guischard, F.; Weiß, Karl-Anders
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2017 Neue Ansätze zur Kostenreduzierung von solarthermischen Systemen - Projekt TEWIsol
Kramer, Wolfgang
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2017 Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) for the Prediction of Local Outside Temperatures and Solar Yields
Kramer, Wolfgang; Bitterling, Moritz
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2017 Optimierte Regelung von thermisch getriebenen Kühlsystemen - Simulation und Praxistest
Nienborg, Björn; Schnabel, Lena; Singler, J.; Dalibard, Antoine; Gürlich, D.
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2017 Solare Energieversorgungskonzepte für Wohngebäude - Messtechnischen Analysen zum Betriebsverhalten und Bewertungsverfahren für die Strom- und Wärmeversorgung
Oliva, Axel; Bestenlehner, Dominik; Drück, Harald; Bockelmann, F.; Peter, M.
Konferenzbeitrag
Conference Paper
2017 Approaches for the optimized control of solar thermally driven cooling systems
Nienborg, Björn; Dalibard, Antoine; Schnabel, Lena; Eicker, U.
Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Journal Article
Diese Liste ist ein Auszug aus der Publikationsplattform Fraunhofer-Publica

This list has been generated from the publication platform Fraunhofer-Publica