Better receiver designs provide higher plant efficiencies, better coupling with thermal energy storage and cost reductions. Current solar receivers are usually coated with a high sunlight absorptivity layer applied over the bare surface of the absorber receiver's tubes, in order to enhance their absorptivity and light-to-heat conversion.
In order to improve the efficiency of a solar receiver, the operating temperature has to be increased, from 500°C in the 1st generation (direct steam generation solar receivers) to 700°C in the current generation (molten salt solar receivers) and up to more than 800°C in the next generation (higher temperature molten salt solar receivers).
This very high operating temperature requires the employment of a solar absorber coating showing high optical performances and good stability at high temperature in order to guarantee the nominal solar receiver performances. The absorber coating currently used exhibits lower performances at such temperatures. For this reason, the development of a new absorber coating having the required high performances at high temperature is sought.
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Innovation sector
Renewable Energy
Sustainable materials
Core sciences & engineering
University researcher
Corporate researcher
Startup or entrepreneur
Solution provider
Solar energy
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