This experiment in the solar furnace demonstrates the energy contained in sunlight
In just 60 seconds, concentrated sunlight burns a hole in a one-centimetre-thick steel plate. The tem-perature rises to 1200 degrees Celsius and the energy density at the burning hole is five megawatts per square metre. The high-flux density solar furnace and solar simulator of the DLR Institute of Solar Research and the department of Solar Chemical Engineering in Cologne produce highly concentrated solar and artificial light for the research and testing of new technologies and materials.
The solar oven consists of three parts – the heliostatic mirror, the concentrator and the experimental room
The sunlight first hits the heliostat mirror (right). This concentrates the Sun's rays and sends them to the concentrator mirrors (left), which direct the sunlight in 5000-fold concentration to the experimental setup in the building. The high-flux density solar furnace and xenon high-power radiators of the DLR Institute of Solar Research and the department of Solar Process Engineering generate highly concentrated sunlight and artificial light for researching and testing new technologies and materials.
The high-flux density solar furnace and solar simulator of the Institute of Solar Research and the department of Solar Chemical Engineering in Cologne produce highly concentrated solar and artificial light for the research and testing of new technologies and materials. This enables researchers to conduct experiments into hydrogen production, the testing of receiver components for solar thermal power plants and irradiation tests with materials designed for use in space.
The high-flux density solar furnace and the xenon high-power spotlights operated by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) are used to generate irradiances of up to five megawatts per square metre and temperatures of over 2000 degrees Celsius.
Concentrated sunlight to test new materials for space
The focus of this large-scale facility is on experiments for solar process engineering and solar power plants. For the first time ever, researchers here have demonstrated that hydrogen can be produced using concentrated sunlight. Here, researchers are investigating ceramic receiver elements for tower power plants by testing their temperature and shock resistance.
Space research is another field of application. The material is exposed to highly concentrated solar radiation under high vacuum conditions, similar to those encountered in space. Tests with materials and components at certification level complete the range of services offered by DLR's solar furnace. The equipment at the large-scale facility meets all of the requirements for carrying out short-duration experiments all the way up to irradiation over a period of several months under stable conditions.
Solar researchers at DLR's solar furnace advise on and support users regarding the preparation of and running of experiments. The facility's customers include European research institutes and industrial companies from Germany and abroad.
Contact
Volker Speelmann
Head of Research Infrastructures
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Executive Board department for Innovation, Transfer and Research Infrastructure
