Southwest Solar Technologies declared that it has successfully completed on-sun assessment and proof of principle of a solar-turbine system being developed by it.
The Southwest Solar Technologies’ power system. Credit: Southwest Solar Technologies
The all-out prototype test was the first functional proof of the integrated system, which utilizes a bigger- sized parabolic solar dish fitted with mirrors to focus the energy of sun to run an air-based open cycle type of turbine to generate electric power. The company developed the components of turbo alternator and receiver in association with Hampton, N.H., located Brayton Energy.
The landmark field test was performed in Phoenix by deploying a 320 sq m solar power focusing disc developed by the company and the biggest in North America. The disc generated and delivered 2,000 suns of focused sunlight to its sophisticated high-temperature solar thermal receiver with compressed air. The superheated compressed air is in turn utilized to power and run a high-speed turbine alternator to generate electrical energy.
The present test was the third phase of an all included development plan. In the first phase it declared the installation and put into service its solar dish in the last quarter of 2010 and it declared the productive test process and high-temperature functioning of its solar power receiver. The present full-scale test was performed at the operations facility and headquarters of the company at Southwest Solar Research Park located in Phoenix, Arizona.