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Two Norwegian companies are designing a floating concentration photovoltaic thermal technology that can produce both electricity and heat.
Norwegian research company Sintef and Norwegian floating PV specialist Svalin Solar are developing a floating Concentrating Photovoltaic Thermal Receiver (CPVT) for carbon capture facilities.
“The energy requirement for CO2 removal is perhaps the most dominant factor in solvent-based post-combustion capture technology,” Martin Bellmann, Sintefs business development director, told pv magazine . In essence, any technology that significantly reduces the so-called "reboiler duty" (energy consumption for CO2 stripping) is highly coveted."
The two companies described the new technology as a solar-assisted carbon capture system that generates all or part of the thermal energy needed for gas separation.
“The proposed CPVT design is a single-axis tracking system of the linear through type, in which the rows of curved mirrors rotate mechanically so that the longitudinal direction of the mirrors is always parallel to the incident sunlight and follows the daily movement of the sun”, added Bellmann. "Concentration ratios of about 10 soles can be reached."
The CPVT receiver is based on a tube to which strips of solar cells are attached. The reduced surface area of ??the CPVT receiver allows the use of high-efficiency photovoltaic cells. "Although these photovoltaic cells are more expensive, the cost can be offset by the smaller area required," explains Bellmann. “Conventional crystalline silicon and multijunction cells must be taken into account. The price-performance ratio will then be evaluated, once the prototype is operational and we have collected enough data from trial tests.”
According to Sintef, the effective thermal management of the CPVT receiver is achieved by means of a heat transfer fluid that circulates through the pipes. The cold fluid enters the pipe network through the inlet, collecting the heat from the receiver and keeping the photovoltaic cells at a low temperature. The collected heat is then transferred to a high-temperature heat pump (HTHP), which acts as an auxiliary thermal energy amplifier enhancing waste heat and low-temperature heat from the receiver for in-process steam production. carbon capture storage (CCS).
The electrical energy produced by the photovoltaic cells can be supplied to the grid or used directly to power the HTHP or other auxiliary processes of the CCS process.
Sintef is currently working on the design and design extension of the Svalin Solar plant and plans to purchase the components and assemble a pilot installation in the summer of 2024. “Initially, the plant will be tested on land as part of a existing carbon capture that Sintef operates in Tiller, just outside Trondheim,” Bellmann stated. “To achieve cost-effective CPVT system design, it is crucial to understand if the annual energy production, both thermal and electrical, can offset the added costs of installation, monitoring and maintenance.”
The demonstrator will be part of the EU-funded project "Transformation of energy-intensive process industries by integrating energy, process and raw material flexibility" (TRINEFLEX), which has a total budget of 19.3 million euros (21.2 million dollars) and in which 28 partners participate.
Other Sintef researchers have recently developed a floating structure for offshore photovoltaics, a high-temperature industrial heat pump that can run on pure water as the working medium, and a floating solar platform for use in aquaculture projects. |
