CERTH’s Solar Furnace (Photo 1, 2) is a platform for testing chemistry-related receivers-reactors and materials. It is the first of its kind in Greece and has a nominal power of 50 kWth. It consists of a heliostat, continuously tracking the sun across the sky and reflecting the parallel rays of sunlight towards a stationary, large curved mirror, the concentrator. The latter is a massive parabolic mirror that receives the sunlight and concentrates it into a focal point. An attenuator is placed between the heliostat and the concentrator, in order to regulate the amount of sunlight passing through, allowing temperature and power control of the process. Finally, the receiver-reactor is placed in a test platform, lifted to align with the focal point (Photo 3). A dedicated control room accommodates the systems for regulating the sun-tracking mechanism, attenuator position, and receiver-reactor operating conditions. The Solar Furnace concept is solely used for experimental validation purposes.
