Making solar energy possible
Solar energy may be climate-friendly, but in order for it to be adopted on a wide scale, it must also be technologically and economically viable. One approach that is gaining popularity is parabolic trough collectors. They concentrate the sun's energy on pipes, heating liquids (e.g. water) contained inside. The heat is then converted into electricity. The Solar Research arm of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) experimented with improving parabolic collectors by incorporating Direct Steam Generation (DSG). The project, entitled INDITEP, brought together twelve organisations from Germany and Spain. Building on earlier research, they constructed a 5MW power plant employing DSG technology. In order to realise this milestone, it was necessary to manufacture new components to optimise the output of the power plant. DLR was called upon to design and test a novel phase separator to separate the steam, which is used to generate electricity, from residual water droplets, which are recycled back into the system. This was achieved by employing special baffles inside the phase separator. The performance of the new phase separator was evaluated during INDITEP under various operating conditions. The results were encouraging, with a phase separation efficiency exceeding 95%. This research will help make solar energy more competitive with traditional power plants that rely on fossil fuels.
