Can solar power generate heat over 1000 degrees Celsius?

Cell Press. (2024, May 15). Scientists generate heat over 1,000 degrees Celsius with solar power instead of fossil fuel. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 1, 2024 from 240515122039.htm

Can solar energy deliver heat at high temperatures?

Using solar radiation, they have engineered a device that can deliver heat at the high temperatures needed for the production processes. The team led by Emiliano Casati, a scientist in the Energy and Process Systems Engineering Group, and Aldo Steinfeld, Professor of Renewable Energy Carriers, has developed a thermal trap.

Where does solar energy come from?

Solar radiation enters at the front, heat is generated in the rear area. (Visualizations: Casati E et al. Device 2024, edited) Large-scale solar concentrating technologies are already established at an industrial scale for solar power generation, for example in Spain, the US and in China. These plants typically operate at up to 600 degrees.

What are large-scale solar concentrating technologies?

Large-scale solar concentrating technologies are already established at an industrial scale for solar power generation, for example in Spain, the US and in China. These plants typically operate at up to 600 degrees. At higher temperatures, heat loss by radiation increases and reduces the efficiency of the plants.

Can a solar receiver transmit solar energy at a high temperature?

However, this technology has difficulties transferring solar energy efficiently above 1,000°C. To boost the efficiency of solar receivers, Casati turned to semitransparent materials such as quartz, which can trap sunlight -- a phenomenon called the thermal-trap effect.

Can solar energy be used to produce cement?

Instead of burning coal or oil to produce cement or steel, in the future solar energy could be used for this purpose. Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a thermal trap that can absorb concentrated sunlight and deliver heat at over thousand degrees Celsius. The main component of the thermal trap is a cylinder made of quartz.