Industrial Integration of Mid-Temperature Solar Heat – First Experiences and Measurement Results

The integration of solar thermal energy at mid-temperature level (up to 200°C) in industrial applications has an enormous potential. Developing a flexible simulation environment within the software MATLAB/Simulink for various kinds of industrial processes is therefore one of the main goals of the present project work. Furthermore, a modular hydraulic system has been developed and installed at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, which provides the possibility to recreate processes on a laboratory scale in order to gain measurement data for verifying and adjusting the simulation environment. A centerpiece of the hydraulic system is a concentrating solar collector (Fresnel system) driven by thermal oil, which is currently being operated within a long-term measurement to achieve a comprehensive characterization at the location of Wels, Austria. By the end of this project work a simulation environment with unique reliability will be available, which will highly support the integration of mid-temperature solar energy in industrial processes.