Solarlite

Key takeaways

Solarlite belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Solarlite to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Solarlite from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Solarlite CSP Technology GmbH, located in Mecklenburg-Pomerania, Germany, develops decentralized solar-thermal parabolic trough power plants (concentrated solar power) and process heat plants.

Technology Solarlite has tested the direct steam generation (DSG) concept in three pilot projects in Thailand and Germany. The results indicated that a higher operating temperature may be achievable with DSG. The Solarlite SL 4600 parabolic trough can generate temperatures up to 400°C. Each panel has an aperture width of 4.6 m and is made of composite materials combined with a thin glass mirror. This mirror reflects up to 95% of the sun's radiation onto the absorber pipe positioned at the ideal focus of the parabolic mirror. Water passing through the receiver pipe is heated up by the concentrated reflected sun radiation and is converted into steam within a controlled process. A turbine generator then uses the steam to produce electricity. Residual heat can be used for other applications such as seawater desalination or for absorption cooling. The basic element of the Solarlite 4600 collector is the Solarlite composite panel, which has dimensions of 2.3 m width and 1 m length. These panels are combined together to form one segment with an aperture width of 4.6 m and 12 m length. It is possible to connect ten of these segments to form one collector, thus reaching up to 120 m in length. These collectors are combined together to form rows (collectors aligned in 1 axis in the north-south direction) and loops, which are collectors that are connected in series, where the cold fluid enters at one end and the hot fluid leaves at the other end. The collector is moved from east to west to track the sun by means of a hydraulic drive system. The modular concept of Solarlite allows choosing the optimal length of the collector based on the specific locations' wind data. The combination of the lightweight composite and slender steel structure allows having a reduced specific weight compared to the competitors.

Bankruptcy In 2012, Solarlite was forced to declare insolvency. According to BonVenture, the reason for this was "the unexpected market shift towards photovoltaics due to the Chinese government's subsidies policy and the non-fulfillment of contractual obligations and payments by two customers". The company then reincorporated on January 1, 2013, as Solarlite CSP Technology GmbH with the same CEO, Joachim Krüger.

Projects "TSE 1" Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand – Completed in 2011, this was the first of what was originally planned to be 15.9 MWe concentrated solar power plants. Thailand's Solar Programme required that the plants be completed by 2015. However, due to complications, including Solarlite filing for bankruptcy in 2012, no other plants were built. The TSE 1 solar thermal power plant in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, was the first commercial parabolic trough plant based on direct steam generation. The plant utilized the Solarlite Trough SL4600, which incorporates composite materials and thin-glass mirrors to optimize solar radiation reflection. Its modular construction allows flexibility for smaller solar thermal plants starting from 500 kWe. DUKE, Spain CompoSol Solarlite, Duckwitz / DLR TRESERT, Thailand Woltow, Germany

Direct steam generation Solarlite has tested the DSG concept in three pilot projects. Solarlite's adaptation of the DSG concept is based on the following advantages:

The DSG concept is environmentally friendly and it avoids the usage of flammable and environmentally hazardous materials. The DSG technology helps reduce total investment costs and levelized electricity costs. With DSG a higher operating temperature will be achievable. The DSG concept already has acceptance at financial institutes; the first power plant has been financed.

Direct steam generation 2.0 Flow path concept, development and testing: In a joint research project known as "Duke" that was supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Solarlite CSP Technology GmbH and the German Aerospace Centre tested a new version of direct steam generation. Project aim:

Investigation of the flow path concept under real conditions Demonstration of solar direct steam generation at 500 °C Detailed system analysis for debitable costing under consideration of the Solarlite collector

Awards and nominations Die Finalisten des Deutsche Innovationspreises CSP Today Award:Solarlite GmbH was a Newcomer of the year finalist in 2010 National Energy Globe Award Thailand 2012 Step Award 2011 in den Kategorien Produkt und Technologie und Nachhaltigkeit

References Parabolrinnen für Prozeswärme-Projekte und Entwicklungen. Parabolic trough solar collector and their applications The secret of success Case study: Zero Campus Design, University of Minnesota 16. Kölner Sonnenkolloquium Klimaretter

Footnotes

External links http://www.solarlite.de http://www.mss-csp.info/companies http://www.seao2.com/solarsphere/csp.htm http://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/project_detail.cfm/projectID=207

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Solarlite

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Solarlite claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Solarlite before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Solarlite ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Solarlite

In research: Solarlite appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Solarlite in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Solarlite is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Solar thermal energy, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Solarlite outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Solarlite in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Solarlite means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Solarlite out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Solarlite in simple terms?

Solarlite CSP Technology GmbH, located in Mecklenburg-Pomerania, Germany, develops decentralized solar-thermal parabolic trough power plants (concentrated solar power) and process heat plants. Technology Solarlite has tested the direct steam generation (DSG) concept in three pilot projects in Thail…

Why does Solarlite matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Solarlite?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Solarlite.