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Cientists develop solar simulator for fuel production
The equipment reproduces the light intensity of one to two thousand times the Sun's radiation and is used in different industrial segments
After years of study, the device is now ready for use – Photo: Marcos Santos/USP Images
Solar energy is one of the primary bets for the energy transition: it is expected that, by 2050, this source will account for a quarter of the world’s total energy sources. At the laboratory level, despite its advantages, solar energy has its limitations: experiments are dependent on the incidence of radiation, the day cycle, and, in general, the atmospheric conditions during the test period. That’s why researchers from the Laboratory of Alternative Energy Systems (Sisea) at USP’s School of Engineering (Poli) have created a piece of equipment that simulates solar energy inside the laboratory.
The equipment consists of eight high-temperature xenon arc bulbs. The light emitted by this element achieves high brightness and intensity, closely resembling the solar spectrum. The light emitted in collimated beams – i.e., almost parallel – is reflected by a set of parabolic mirrors and hits a small black chamber.
Geometry shows that, in a parabola, any beam that falls parallel to the axis of symmetry converges on the focus. The researchers leveraged this concept to position the black camera at the focal point of the parabolic mirrors. In this way, they ensure that almost 100% of the radiation emitted by the bulbs is concentrated in the desired region.
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The concentrated thermal energy is so great that it is equivalent to the radiation of 1,000 to 2,000 Suns: the region of the cavity can heat up to 2,000 °C. In an interview with Jornal da USP, the Poli’s professor José Simões, coordinator of the Sisea Laboratory, explains that these conditions make it possible to carry out experiments that require high activation energy, such as the production of fuels.
The simulator can be used to produce green hydrogen, synthesis gas (syngas), natural gas, and carbon monoxide. “In addition to all this production, we also use the equipment to heat water and produce steam in thermal cycles,” Simões says.
Hydrogen is produced from the redox of metals – a process in which electrons are transferred between substances. Synthesis gas is made by reacting methane (CH4) with water vapor (H2O).
These processes, such as those related to natural gas, are essential for the operation of various industrial segments. “Synthesis gas, for example, has several uses: from driving engines and machines to combustion,” the professor explains.
Security protocol and differentials
Engineers have created safety mechanisms to prevent risks associated with the system overheating, as the operating temperatures are high enough to melt metal. The bulbs are lined with glass compartments to block ultraviolet radiation and contain debris in the event of an explosion. A plate connected to a cooling system was also added to the compartments. Additionally, if anyone attempts to open the door to the room where the simulator is located, the bulbs automatically shut off.
“Every precaution is necessary for the safety of the environment and those involved; there have been tests in which even our materials have been melted. It’s dangerous. If anyone puts their hand here, it evaporates” – José Roberto Simões
One of the great differentials of this equipment is the use of parabolic mirrors, rather than ellipsoidal ones. Ellipses have two foci; therefore, the reflection dynamics of the beams differ from those of parabolas. In the main common simulators, the bulb is placed in one focus, and the black chamber is positioned in the other.
Simões explains that the equipment built with parabolic mirrors simulates solar radiation in an external environment in a more realistic way, concentrating the light at a single point. That’s why, although it was built to facilitate indoor experiments, it can also be used outdoors – something that doesn’t happen as efficiently in ordinary simulators.
The article Novel high-flux indoor solar simulator for high temperature thermal processes is available online and can be read here. The work received funding from Fapesp.
More information: email jrsimoes@usp.br
*Intern supervised by Fabiana Mariz
English version: Nexus Traduções, edited by Denis Pacheco
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A reprodução de matérias e fotografias é livre mediante a citação do Jornal da USP e do autor. No caso dos arquivos de áudio, deverão constar dos créditos a Rádio USP e, em sendo explicitados, os autores. Para uso de arquivos de vídeo, esses créditos deverão mencionar a TV USP e, caso estejam explicitados, os autores. Fotos devem ser creditadas como USP Imagens e o nome do fotógrafo.
A reprodução de matérias e fotografias é livre mediante a citação do Jornal da USP e do autor. No caso dos arquivos de áudio, deverão constar dos créditos a Rádio USP e, em sendo explicitados, os autores. Para uso de arquivos de vídeo, esses créditos deverão mencionar a TV USP e, caso estejam explicitados, os autores. Fotos devem ser creditadas como USP Imagens e o nome do fotógrafo.