Scientific and Technological Alliance for Guaranteeing the European Excellence in Concentrating Solar Thermal Energy

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Publications

Towards an alignment of national research programmes and funding for CST technologies in Europe

Publication . Cardoso, João P.; Marcelo, Teresa; Jarraud, Nicolas; Dufour, Elena; Papanicolas, Costas N.; Mendes, J. Farinha; Blanco-Gálvez, Julián

ABSTRACT: One of the STAGE-STE project work packages aims to develop relations with public bodies relevant to Concentrating Solar Thermal (CST) research, such as national research funding agencies, ministries and other leading decision making bodies, in order to foster coordination and alignment of research programmes and funding at European level. Working groups have been created in eight European countries and concept notes were prepared regarding each group’s position on national CST research and funding programmes and its possible alignment at European scale. General trends and main conclusions drawn from the concept notes are presented, aiming to provide clues and common themes to the development of aligned CST research and funding programmes. Although the National Working Groups present different approaches there are coincident points, thus a common Research and Technological Development agenda for CST can be achieved at European scale. The alignment of CST research funding represents an harder task and will demand the improvement of available funding schemes or the development of a new one. However, there is some convergence regarding the general characteristics of the scheme and the kind of projects to be funded.

2018Journal article

Open access

New functionalities for the Tonatiuh ray-tracing software

Publication . Cardoso, João P.; Mutuberria, Amaia; Marakkos, Costas; Schoettl, Peter; Osório, Tiago; Les, Iñigo

ABSTRACT: Tonatiuh is an open source, freeware, Monte Carlo ray tracer suitable for CST applications, and is currently under further development to to increase and improve its functionalities. Work has recently been performed to implement the following functionalities: a flux distribution calculation utility; materials with incidence angle dependent optical properties; and the ability to import 3D geometries from CAD files. This paper provides a detailed account of these new functionalities, and the tests performed to establish their correct implementation in the new software version, Tonatiuh v 2.2.3

2018Journal article

Open access

High-temperature corrosion performance of austenitic stainless steels type AISI 316L and AISI 321H, in molten solar salt

Publication . Gomes, A.; Navas, M.; Uranga, N.; Paiva Luís, Teresa; Vasques, I. F.; Cunha Diamantino, Teresa

ABSTRACT: The corrosion rates of AISI 316L and AISI 321H austenitic stainless steel, immersed in a stagnant isothermal mixture of 60% NaNO3 and 40% KNO3 molten salt at 550 degrees C in atmospheric air are 8.6 and 9.0 mu m/yr, respectively. The corrosion mechanism was proposed by recording the weight changes of the steel coupons at different time intervals up to 3000 h, and by the characterization of multilayer oxide scales formed on the steel surface. Multilayers made of different oxides, mainly Fe2O3 and Fe3O4, are the principal scale products. At 3000 h, the thickness of the scale layer formed on AISI 321H (7.5 +/- 2.9 mu m) is slightly higher than the one formed at the AISI 316L (6.9 +/- 2.1 mu m). This small difference might reflect the partial spallation of the corrosion layer on AISI 321H, which is seen for times longer than 1000 h. A minimal change of the composition of the molten nitrate salt is observed in time and is predominantly due to the appearance of soluble chromate products and nitrite compounds (0.004 wt% and 1.4 wt% at 3000 h, respectively). The observed corrosion behaviour of these alloys shows that they are good candidate for usage as containers of molten nitrate salts in the thermal energy storage (TES) system for a CSP plant.

2019Journal article

Open access

Simulação de um sistema de receptor central de pequena potência para fornecimento de electricidade e calor na indústria agroalimentar

Publication . Cardoso, João P.; Maag, G.; Bezerra, P.H.S.; Oliveira, C.; Mendes, J. Farinha

RESUMO: Dada a importância económica da indústria agroalimentar e o seu peso no consumo total de energia, é imperativo promover medidas de eficiência energética e introdução de fontes de energia renováveis neste sector por forma a reduzir a sua pegada ambiental e promover o seu desenvolvimento sustentável. Este trabalho foca-se num modelo TRNSYS desenvolvido com o objectivo de estudar a integração da energia produzida por um sistema de receptor central de pequena potência em matadouros brasileiros. É apresentando o modelo e resultados de simulação de uma instalação de demonstração, construída no campus de Pirassununga da Universidade de São Paulo. Este sistema permite fornecer 70 kW de potência eléctrica e 300 kW de potência térmica, suprindo as necessidades energéticas de um matadouro. Simulações de desempenho anual indicam que este sistema solar térmico concentrador permite o fornecimento de 394 MWh de electricidade e entre 190 a 236 MWh de água quente aos processos industriais do matadouro, suprindo a totalidade do consumo eléctrico e entre 96 a 99% das necessidades de energia térmica.

2020-11Conference object

Open access

Slow pyrolysis of cork granules under nitrogen atmosphere: by-products characterization and their potential valorization

Publication . Costa, Paula; Barreiros, M. Alexandra; Mouquinho, Ana; Silva, P. Oliveira e; Paradela, Filipe; Oliveira, Fernando Almeida Costa

ABSTRACT: Cork granules (Quercus suber L.) were slowly pyrolyzed at temperatures between 400-700 degrees C and under N-2 flow. While preserving its structure, some cells of the cork biochar became interconnected, allowing such carbon residue to be used as templates for manufacturing ceria redox materials. The pyrolytic char morphology was similar to that of the natural precursor. The produced cork biochar belonged to Class 1 (C > 60%) and possessed a high heating value of 32 MJ kg(-1). Other pyrolysis-derived compounds were identified and quantified through GC-FID and GC-MS analyses. The yield of gases released during cork pyrolysis was strongly dependent on the temperature used due to the thermal decomposition reactions involved in the degradation of cork. In particular, rising pyrolysis temperature from 500 to 700 T resulted in reducing the total hydrocarbon gases from 74 to 24 vol%. On the other hand, the yield of H-2 increased from 0 to 58% by increasing the pyrolysis temperature from 400 to 700 T. Due to the presence of suberin in cork, the composition and yield of bio-oil could be regulated by the pyrolysis temperature. Cork bio-oil was found to consist of long-chain hydrocarbons (from C11 to C24). The bio-oil resulting from the slow pyrolysis of cork residues is suitable as an appropriate feedstock for producing aliphatic-rich pyrolytic biofuels or as a source of olefms. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that Quercus suber L. could be a promising feedstock for biochar and biofuel production through the pyrolytic route and could contribute to the environmental and economic sustainability of the cork production industry.

2022-03Journal article

Open access