The Solar Tower Jülich - A Research and Demonstration Plant for Central Receiver Systems

Abstract

A solar thermal power tower plant with high temperature air receiver (HiTRec) has been built to demonstrate this technology as complete system in 1.5 MW scale. The HiTRec technology works with a porous absorber material that absorbs concentrated radiation inside the volume of the structure and transfers the absorbed heat to a fluid passing through the structure. This allows the use of air as heat transfer medium despite its low heat transfer coefficient. This so-called volumetric receiver technology has been developed since the early 1990's in various R&D projects with major contribution of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). The Solar Tower Jülich is located in the city of Jülich in the north west of Germany and is dedicated to investigate the dynamic plant behaviour under transient boundary conditions. It was built by the Kraftanlagen München (KAM) and will be operated by the local utility Stadtwerke Jülich (SWJ). The receiver operation was initiated in early 2009 and the first solar electricity was delivered to the grid in early April 2009. The plant construction and operation is accompanied by a research program conducted by the DLR and the Solar-Institute in Jülich (SIJ). Its objective is to develop methods, tools and procedures that support the engineering, the qualification of key components and a safe and efficient operation of future plants with this technology.