Research Topics >

Research topics

The entire spectrum of current CST research themes (in line with the EERA Joint Programme on CSP).
  • Thermal Energy Storage for CST plants
  • Desalination and solar water treatments
  • Solar fuels production
  • Materials for solar receivers and CST components
  • Linear and point CST technologies

The overarching tasks to be carried out specifically under the EU-SOLARIS’ umbrella are summarized as follows:

  • Development of common standards and testing protocols
  • Development of new measurement tools and techniques and improvement of existing ones
  • Development of solutions to improve flexibility and efficiency of existing test facilities
  • Development of tools and techniques related to materials for CSP/STE technologies
  • Development of new capacities and possibilities for access to European CSP/STE infrastructures

Testing services

# COUNTRY FR DE ES CY PT
# R&D INSTITUTE CNRS CEA DLR Fraunhofer CIEMAT IMDEA CYI UEVORA LNEG
# SERVICE NAME / TOPIC Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No
1.    SOLAR RESOURCE (DNI) AND METEOROLOGICAL PARAMETERS ASSESSMENT
1 Solar Radiation Measurement and Weather Station Yes No No Yes No No No Yes Yes
2 Advising on Solar Radiation Measurement & Data Processing No No No No No No No Yes No
3 DNI Measurement and Analysis No No No No No No No Yes Yes
2.    SERVICES ON REFLECTORS AND CONCENTRATORS
2.1. Experimental Services on Reflectors
4 Characterization of Optical Properties of Solar Reflectors   Yes No Yes No Yes No No Yes
5 Durability of Solar Reflectors under Accelerated Aging   Yes No Yes No No No No Yes
6 Outdoor exposure of Solar Reflectors Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No Yes
7 Optical Properties of Mirrors. Reflectance measurement. Facets characterization No Yes No Yes No No No Yes No
8 Corrosion and material protection studies under artificial aging tests No Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes
9 Corrosion and material protection studies under outdoor exposure No No No Yes No Yes No No Yes
10 Measurements on material properties Yes Yes No No No Yes No No Yes
11 Heliostat control algorithms Yes No No Yes No Yes Yes No No
2.2. Available Services on Concentrator’s Experimental Characterization
12 Photogrammetry Measurement of Concentrator’s shape No No No Yes No No Yes No No
13 Geometrical assessment of Solar Concentrators (Single Facets, Point and Line Focus Collectors) No Yes No Yes No No No No No
14 Deflectometry Measurement of Concentrator’s shape No No No Yes No No No No No
15 Optical and thermal characterization of solar concentrators Yes Yes No No No Yes No Yes No
16 Heliostat(s) Performance Qualification No Yes No Yes No Yes No No No
17 Parabolic Trough Collector’s Characterization Yes Yes No No No No No Yes No
3.    EXPERIMENTAL SERVICES ON ABSORBERS AND RECEIVERS
3.1. Experimental Services on Absorbers
18 Accelerated aging of absorbers & absorbing coatings Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes
19 Optical Properties/Characterization of Absorbers & Receivers and their coating Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No No Yes
20 Surface Properties of Absorbers & Receivers and their coating Yes Yes No Yes No No No No Yes
3.2. Experimental Services on Linear Focus Receivers
21 Outdoor optical and thermal performance of PTC linear receivers Yes Yes No No No No No Yes No
22 Outdoor optical and thermal performance of Linear Fresnel receivers No No No No No No Yes Yes No
23 Indoor qualification of linear receivers for PTC No No Yes No No No No No No
24 Indoor qualification of linear receivers for LFC No No No Yes No No No No No
25 Testing of components for parabolic troughs solar fields with direct steam generation under real operating conditions No No No No No No No No No
26 Testing of components for parabolic troughs solar fields with oil under real operating conditions Yes No No No No No No No No
27 Linear Fresnel control algorithms No No No No No No Yes No No
3.3. Experimental Services on Anti-Reflective Materials
28 Surface Properties of Anti-Reflective coatings for solar receivers No Yes No No No No No No No
29 Optical properties of solar glass envelopes with and without anti-reflective coatings No Yes No No No Yes No No Yes
30 Durability tests of Anti-Reflective Coatings on glass envelopes No Yes No Yes No No No No No
31 Static Contact Angle measurements on the surface of Anti-Reflective Coatings No Yes No No No No No No No
3.4. Experimental Services on Point Focus Receivers
32 Thermal and Thermodynamic characterization of prototype Receivers for Central Receiver on Tower Technologies under Real Operating Conditions Yes No No No No Yes Yes No No
33 Lab-scale test bed used for the evaluation of open volumetric receivers No No No No No Yes No No No
34 Characterization of thermal performance of prototype Receivers for solar dish technology coupled with MGT engine No No No No No No No No No
4.    SERVICES ON HEAT TRANSFER FLUIDS
35 Qualification HTF based on particles Yes No No No No Yes No No No
36 Characterization of HTF thermal properties Yes No No No No No No Yes No
37 Characterization of HTF/HSM chemical stability Yes No No Yes No No No No Yes
38 Qualification HSM/HTF Yes No No Yes No No No Yes No
5.    SERVICES ON AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT
39 Testing of Rotating Connections for PT receivers (Flexible hoses, ball-joints, etc.) Yes No No No No No No No No
40 Flexible or ball-joints connections testing for molten salt loop No No No No No No No No No
41 Testing in molten salt loop of auxiliary components (valves, heat tracing, instrumentation) No No No No No No Yes Yes No
42 Sensor development and testing Yes No No Yes No No Yes No No
43 Heat Exchangers Characterization Yes No No No No No No No No
44 Molten salt pool to steam heat exchangers No No No No   No Yes No No
6.    SERVICES ON THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE (MEDIA & SYSTEMS)
45 Study on molten salts in Parabolic Trough Collectors and pipe section No No No No No No No No No
46 Characterization of Materials and Components for TES No No No Yes No Yes No Yes No
47 Feasibility of Materials for Sensible and Latent Thermal Storage Systems No No No Yes Yes No No Yes No
48 Qualification of Heat Storage using Packed beds under Real Operating Conditions Yes No No No No No No No No
49 Thermal & thermochemical properties evaluation for thermal storage materials Yes No No No No Yes No No No
50 Development and characterization of Materials and Components for TES Yes No No Yes No Yes No Yes No
51 Advanced solid concepts for thermal energy storage Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No
52 Characterization of Materials and Components for TES systems with molten salts TBD No No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
53 Qualification of Heat Storage using concrete under experimental conditions Yes No No No No No No Yes No
54 Qualification of Heat Storage using PCM under experimental conditions Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No
55 Simulation and modelling of thermal storage systems. Integration in STE plants or industrial heat processes No No No Yes No Yes No Yes Yes
56 Atmosferic air packed bed test bench for simulation models validation Yes No No No No No No No No
57 Testing TES prototypes using oil as HTF Yes Yes No No Yes No No No No
58 Two-tank molten salt storage system for simulation models validation No No No No Yes No No Yes No
7.    SERVICES ON ENGINES AND POWER BLOCS
7.1. Solarized Stirling Engines
59 Testing of Solarized Stirling Engines in Real Conditions Yes No No No No No No No No
60 Testing of Solarized gas turbine in Real Conditions Yes No No No No No No No No
61 Testing of small steam turbines powered by molten salt steam generator Yes No No No No No Yes No No
7.2. Other Services on Engines and Power Blocks for CSP
62 Optimization of exhaust gas / molten salt heat exchangers by means of numerical simulation and experimental test No No No No No Yes No No No
8.    SERVICES ON CALIBRATION OF KEY SENSORS & MEASUREMENTS FOR STE
63 Online and offline diagnostics Yes No No No No No No No No
64 Calibration of Concentrated solar irradiance sensors Yes No Yes No No No No No No
65 High flux sensors qualification Yes No TBD No No No No No No
66 Qualification of high radiative flux processes Yes No Yes No No No No No No
67 Calibration of Infrared sensors for temperature measurement No No TBD No No No No No No
68 Non-Contact Temperature Measurement at Solar Furnaces Yes No No No Yes No No No No
69 High temperature optical properties measurement Yes No No No No No No No No
70 Calibration of synthetic oil mass flow meters Yes No No No No No No No No
71 Calibration of solar Irradiation, temperature and pressure measurement sensors No No No No No No No No No
72 Calibration of RSP Solar Irradiation Sensors No No No No No No No No No
9. SERVICES ON SOLAR CHEMISTRY
9.1.   Water Treatment, Disinfection and Desalination
73 Solar photocatalytic treatment of urban and industrial wastewaters No No No No Yes No No No Yes
74 Solar Photocatalytic Water Disinfection No No No No Yes No No No No
75 Solar Reactors Development for Water Treatment No No No No Yes No No No No
76 Solar Thermal Desalination by Multi-Effect Distillation No No No No Yes No Yes No No
77 Efficiency improvement of low temperature distillation processes by absorption heat pumps No No No No Yes No No No No
78 Efficiency improvement of MED processes by absorption heat pumps No No No No Yes No No No No
79 Solar Thermal Desalination by Membrane Distillation No No No Yes Yes No No No No
80 Innovative membrane desalination technologies (MD, FO) No No No Yes Yes No No No No
81 Characterisation and Testing of Membranes for Water treatment No No No Yes No No No No No
82 Low-temperature solar collectors for thermal water treatment No No No No Yes No No No No
9.2.   High Temperature Solar Chemistry
83 High Temperature Thermochemical Research Units Yes No Yes No No Yes No No No
84 Thermal and Thermodynamic characterization of prototype Reactors for Central Receiver on Tower Technologies under real operating conditions Yes No No No Yes Yes No No No
85 Solar Fuels and Thermochemistry Yes No Yes No No Yes No No Yes
86 Qualification of Solar Driven Processes under realistic conditions Yes No No No Yes Yes No No No
9.3.   Solar Hydrogen
87 Solar Hydrogen Production Process Qualification Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No No No
88 Solar Thermochemical Hydrogen/Syngas Yes No Yes No No Yes No No Yes
89 Water splitting thermochemical cycles Yes No Yes No No Yes No No No
90 Solar Hydrogen production and wastewater treatment Yes No No No Yes No No No Yes
10. SERVICES ON MATERIALS TESTING AND QUALIFICATION
91 Surface materials treatment Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No No No
92 Metallography. Micro-hardness analysis. Thermogravimetric analysis Yes No No No Yes Yes No No No
93 Advanced materials analysis and characterization techniques Yes No No No No Yes No No Yes
94 Material synthesis Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No No No
95 Analytical Services (Other Materials) No No No No No Yes No No Yes
96 Gas analysis Yes No No No No Yes No No Yes
97 Organic Coatings Qualification No No No No No No No No Yes
98 Surface Treatment and Metallic Coatings Yes No No No Yes No No No Yes
99 Characterization of Polymeric Materials (elastomers and other polymers) No No Yes No No No No No Yes
100 Thermal analysis Yes No Yes No No Yes No No No
101 3D Optical surface metrology No No No Yes No No No No No
11. SERVICES USING EXTREME TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS IN SOLAR CONCENTRATORS
102 Testing of high temperature processes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No No No
103 Testing of materials at high temperature Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No No No
104 Synthesis of materials at high temperature Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No No No
105 Deposits of coatings at high temperature Yes No No No No No No No No
106 Thermal treatment of materials at high temperature Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No No No
107 Testing of materials at high flux Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No No No
108 Solar pumped LASER testing Yes No No No No No No No No