Mirror Carousel to increase efficiency of tower power stations

In addition to Plata forma Solar de Almería, the Spanish research centre CTAER plans to test a new concept for tower power stations.

Source: CTAER
With this system, the mirrors are not mounted on stationary masts, where they track the sun biaxially, but move on concentric rails around the receiver. The tower itself also rotates around its axis.

Simulations have shown that this concept could increase the yield of tower power stations by up to 17 %. The background: In contrast to tracking PV modules, the heliostats are not aligned perpendicular to the sun, but have to reflect the sunlight onto the receiver in the tower. Especially in the morning and evening, this means that the sun's radiation strikes the mirror at a very flat angle. Therefore, the radiation density is correspondingly low. In contrast, with the mirrors on rails and the rotating tower a steep angle of incidence can be achieved all day.

The patent for this new concept is owned by CTAER. The Spanish Abengoa Group will be responsible for the construction work. The costs of € 4.7 million will be borne by the Ministry of Science and the Economy. It is planned to complete the rotating power plant 16 months from now.