Supercritical steam powered by the sun
CSIRO has used solar energy to generate hot and pressurised supercritical steam at record-breaking temperatures - the highest ever reached outside of fossil fuel sources. The breakthrough was achieved through a $5.7 million research program supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and part of a broader collaboration with Abengoa Solar.
Supercritical solar steam is water pressurised at enormous force and heated using solar radiation. Only a small number of power stations are powered by supercritical steam - which is itself only heated by coal or gas - but the recent milestone has demonstrated that such power plants could one day be powered by the sun.
The world record was set in May at the CSIRO Energy Centre, Newcastle, where researchers achieved a pressure of 23.5 megapascals and temperatures up to 570°C. According to CSIRO Energy Director Dr Alex Wonhas, this is a game-changer for the renewable energy industry.
“It’s like breaking the sound barrier; this step change proves solar has the potential to compete with the peak performance capabilities of fossil fuel sources,” Dr Wonhas said.
“Instead of relying on burning fossil fuels to produce supercritical steam, this breakthrough demonstrates that the power plants of the future could instead be using the free, zero-emission energy of the sun to achieve the same result.”
Commercial solar thermal power plants around the world use subcritical steam, operating at similar temperatures but at lower pressure. If these plants were able to move to supercritical steam, it would increase the efficiency and help to lower the cost of solar electricity.
ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said, “Achieving the critical combination of high pressure and high temperature is a giant step - it demonstrates solar energy has the potential to effectively power the steam turbines currently used by advanced coal-fired plants.
“In addition to being a renewable energy world first, this landmark development stands to deliver greater plant efficiency as well as advance a diverse energy future for Australia,” he said.
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