Lights ... and action!
The town of Jülich in North Rhine Westphalia is home to the world's largest artificial Sun. Its purpose is to help develop new photovoltaic and solar thermal systems and research technologies for producing green hydrogen from sunlight. Dmitrij Laaber from the DLR Institute of Future Fuels is the mastermind behind 'Synlight'. Here, he explains why its light comes from cinema projectors and discusses its potential role in a climate-neutral energy economy.
Why would anyone build such an unusual system?
The main purpose of Synlight is to test full-scale systems for solar thermal power plants or solar chemical reactors. Normally, the development of new technologies starts on a small scale in the laboratory. There are a few such plants around the world. They are relatively inexpensive to build and deliver between 10 and 20 kilowatts of radiant power, making them quite compact. However, before the reactor can be installed in a solar tower, where it will be irradiated by several hundred or perhaps 1000 heliostats, many 'teething troubles' have to be ironed out. This is best done under clearly defined and repeatable conditions. That is what Synlight is for. In principle, the facility is available to all interested parties, and for smaller research groups there are funding programmes available to finance its use.
Where do the spotlights in this 'Sun' come from?
There are currently 148 medium-sized cinema projector lamps installed in Synlight, with a connected electrical load of seven kilowatts. In cinemas, these xenon lamps are used to reproduce colours faithfully on screen. We use them to replicate real sunlight as closely as possible and thus achieve realistic test conditions. This means that we are not dependent on the time of day or season and can illuminate virtually 24 hours a day. But no one can be in the test rooms or the irradiation hall when the lamps are on because they would be blinded, and the UV radiation is also very intense. Even if you just stood next to the lamps, you would immediately get severe sunburn. That is why we monitor all the experiments with special cameras designed for use in desert environments.
You studied mechanical engineering and then energy engineering. Have you always been interested in technical subjects?
It's almost a family tradition. My grandfather was an engineer and my mother studied mechanical engineering. I wasn't forced to continue this tradition, but was always interested. After leaving school, it seemed logical to study something technical. The choice of mechanical engineering was perhaps arbitrary, but I've never regretted it. My subsequent specialisation in energy engineering was a much more conscious decision.
... and during your studies you also wrote and directed plays ...
That is right. My girlfriend at the time – now my wife – inspired me to do that. I was missing a bit of culture at my university, the TU Hamburg. That is how the idea of founding a theatre club came about. The club still exists to this day and has even won an award for improving student life at the TU.
My job is important to me because I can research the most environmentally friendly forms of energy and hopefully contribute to making them suitable for mass use.
The environment is very important to you. What can you do to help with your research?
I think a lot about the environment, my own behaviour and global problems. My job is important to me because I can research the most environmentally friendly forms of energy and hopefully contribute to making them suitable for mass use. Even if my personal contribution is quite small, it is one of many on the way to a climate-neutral energy economy with hydrogen as a key component.
Green hydrogen is all about producing renewable energy. How can Synlight help to optimise this process?
This is at the heart of many of the experiments we are doing here. We are developing processes in which we use sunlight to trigger a chemical reaction. This involves splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen. For the development, we use light from Synlight to heat our reactors to about 1400 degrees Celsius. Later, the Sun will take over this step. This process is more environmentally friendly than producing hydrogen from natural gas, as there are no emissions. Solar research can also help make industrial processes less carbon-dioxide-intensive, as the chemical industry requires both raw materials and a great deal of heat.
To help bridge the gap once more, you're a bit of a director here too ...
Naturally, I do not conduct every test myself. We have an entire team dedicated to that task. I am not directly involved in every setup, but all the planning, development, and coordination flow through me.
How do you amalgamate science with creativity?
Without creativity, there is no science. In research, there are no preexisting solutions. You constantly need to explore new avenues, at times even delving into unconventional territories, where seasoned experts might exclaim, "You're mad, it'll never work!" Admittedly, failure happens, yet there is no success without failure.
The DLR-FORSCHtellungsgespräch podcast is produced by Daniel Beckmann, Andreas Ellmerer and Antje Gersberg. They all work in DLR Corporate Communications. An article from the DLRmagazine 174.