CET researchers to participate in DoE Heliostat Consortium
Congratulations to Mechanical Engineering and Centre for Energy Technology researchers Dr Matthew Emes and Professor Maziar Arjomandi on their invitation to participate in theÌýUS Department of Energy (DoE) funded Heliostat Consortium.
TheÌýCentre for Energy TechnologyÌýresearchers work on innovating solar mirrors, or 'heliostats' to decrease their cost which will lead to decreases in clean energy costs.
With more than 10,000 heliostats often making up a single solar thermal plant, this can represent up to 50% of the cost of construction. Working to decrease these costs will increase energy efficiencies and decrease energy costs.
The wind engineering and experimental fluid mechanics research group have developed innovative techniques in wind tunnel experiments to measure wind loads on heliostats. Their research has focusedÌýon understanding the effects of turbulence in the lower part of the atmosphere on the operational and destructive forces onÌýheliostats, and developingÌýtools to increase the resolution and accuracy of wind load predictions.
The US Department of Energy funded Heliostat Consortium, HelioCon, will bring together the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide, CSIRO, the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n National ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥, and Queensland ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Technology to collaboratively work together on these challenges.
Dr Matthew Emes said the goal is to develop knowledge on how surface layer turbulence impacts on heliostatÌýaerodynamics, solar thermal energy efficiency and levelisedÌýcost of solar thermal power.
"The development of wind characterisation tools and engineering guidelines through work in HelioConÌýwill aid the development of sustainable energy technologies, agricultural practices and urban planning for a low-carbon economy," he said.
"This research will contribute to the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥'s well-deserved recognition for high-quality research into clean energy technologies and practices that reduce emissions, increase energy efficiencies, and decrease energy costs."