Funding Opportunity: CSP: APOLLO
SETO Subprogram: CSP
Location: Santa Monica, CA
Amount Awarded: $2,357,159
Awardee Cost Share: $589,291

This project will develop a concept for creating affordable, compact, and lightweight ceramic receiver for CSP applications. SolarReserve's CSP technology with molten salt energy storage captures and stores the sun's power onto a large heat exchanger called a receiver that sits atop a central tower. Within the receiver, molten salt flows through piping that forms the external walls, absorbing the heat from the concentrated sunlight. Currently the molten salt is heated from 550°F to 1050°F. This project will develop a ceramic receiver that can withstand 1350°F, breaking through current temperature and performance barriers, while meaningfully increasing efficiency, energy storage capabilities, and lowering capital cost. This project was announced on September 16, 2015 at the Solar Power International conference. Read the press release.

APPROACH

This project will build upon SolarReserve’s history of developing CSP technology with molten salt energy storage. The receiver will be capable of heating air, carbon dioxide, molten salts, or other corrosive and oxidizing fluids to 1350°F, 300°F hotter than current receiver design, through the use of commercially available silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics. SolarReserve is also partnering with University of California San Diego to utilize its solar selective coating, which provides greater solar absorptivity, lower infrared emissivity, and can withstand higher temperatures than current state-of-the-art coatings

INNOVATION

This project will develop an innovative 1350°F ceramic receiver that breaks through current temperature and performance barriers, while meaningfully increasing efficiency, energy storage capabilities and lowering capital cost.