Could a concentrated solar power plant be upgraded to be used as a radio telescope at night?
I mean one of those solar plants that use mirrors that reflect solar radiation into a central spot. I get that there would need to be equipment upgrades to tracking, receiving and possible even the mirrors. If it is possible how feasible it would be to see one of these being built?
Given that these plants already have hardware for moving the mirrors, usually cover a large surface area and are basically at idle when the sun sets.
Can anyone please suggest a platform for simulation of CSP system.
Thanks in advance.
Solar PV is an excellent, low cost source of electricity, but many industrialized processes require more flexible, readily available dispatch of power. Plus, industrial processes are not outfitted for the use of electricity, but are already designed to be powered by fuels. This is where hydrogen fuel steps in.
"Green" hydrogen is the use of renewable energy to electrolyze, or create hydrogen. This video shows how a company that uses concentrated solar power (CSP), which directs mirrors at a collection tower for both heat and electricity (steam) production. The companies claim the high-heat method is 45% more efficient than using solar PV for hydrogen electrolysis.
Press Release:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210707005442/en/Athena-Technology-Acquisition-Corp.-Announces-Business-Combination-with-Heliogen-Inc.-a-Leading-Provider-of-AI-Enabled-Concentrated-Solar-Energy-Combined-Company-Expected-to-Be-Listed-on-New-York-Stock-Exchange
Investors Presentation:
https://1lfzd51welg49wnal3h3ei2m-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Heliogen_Investor_Presentation-FINAL.pdf
Article:
Concentrated Solar Power Firm Heliogen to Go Public in $2 Billion SPAC Merger
Heliogen Inc. is merging with a special-purpose acquisition company to go public in a combination that values the concentrated solar power company at about $2 billion, the companies said.
Founded in 2013, Heliogen uses mirrors that are positioned with artificial intelligence to reflect sunlight at a small receiver, generating an intense heat. That sunlight can be collected and processed to generate electricity even when the sun goes down, the company says. The renewable energy can also be used to power industrial processes needed to make materials like steel and to produce hydrogen fuel.
The company’s CEO is angel investor and entrepreneur Bill Gross —sometimes confused with the bond investor Bill Gross, who co-founded investment giant Pacific Investment Management Co. Heliogen’s Mr. Gross has made a fortune backing internet startups through his Idealab incubator and is now focusing on renewable energy companies. The firm expects to install its first commercial project in 2023.
Heliogen is combining with the SPAC Athena Technology Acquisition Corp., one of the few so-called blank-check companies led by women. Cybersecurity executive and former U.S. Army officer Phyllis Newhouse and venture capitalist Isabelle Freidheim are the SPAC’s CEO and board chair, respectively. Former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is one of its advisers.
Based in Pasadena, Calif., Heliogen has been testing its technology in a demonstration facility since 2019. It now hopes to scale operations to bring down costs and emissions in energy-intensive industries like mining, Mr. Gross said in an interview.
“This allows us to be a defining solution for industrial decarbonization,” he said. While commercial projects are expected to be much larger than the Heliogen test site, the comp
... keep reading on reddit ➡Hi! My topic for final year project is to make a small scale CSP plant for our campus. Is it possible to make a small scale CSP that generates 1kW?
