The Jülich Tower

The Solar Thermal Test and Demonstra- A plot of about eight hectares contains an tion Power Plant Jülich (STJ) is both a array of 2,153 movable mirrors () research facility and a model for future with a total surface area of nearly 18,000 commercial power plants in southern square metres. These mirrors track the Europe and North Africa. Power plants of movement of the sun and focus its rays on this kind also feature prominently in the a receiver measuring about 22 square DESERTEC initiative. The technology metres, which is mounted at the top of a tested at Jülich and the knowledge tower 60 metres in height. The receiver gained thereby will be used in regions of consists of porous ceramic elements abundant sunshine where the potential of conducting a flow of air which is sucked solar-thermal power plants is greatest. in from the outside. Heated to about 700 degrees Celsius, the air transfers its heat The plant was planned, built, and finally to a water-steam circuit in a heat recovery completed in 2008 by a co-operative con- boiler. The steam generated in the boiler sortium of research facilities and industry. powers a turbine coupled to a generator, While the German Aerospace Center which produces . The peak elec- (DLR) and theSolar-Institut Jülich (SIJ) of tric power output of the plant amounts to the Aachen University of Applied Sciences 1.5 megawatts. The system features an contributed their scientific expertise, integrated heat storage system filled with Kraftanlagen München GmbH (KAM) a packing of ceramic elements which are acted as principal contractor and Jülich's heated by hot air flowing between them. public and water supplier Stadt- The stored heat can be tapped by reversing werke Jülich (SWJ) played the part of the process: the thermal storage gives off owner and operator. In mid-2011, DLR its energy so that power generation can took over the plant from the local utility continue while clouds pass overhead. The Receiver in order to expand and intensify its receiver technology which is a main part of research and development activities, the plant was developed and patented by making Jülich DLR's 16th research site. DLR.

The project was funded by the Federal Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Reactor Safety (BMU), the Ministry of Economics, Building, Housing, and Trans- port and the Ministry of Innovation, Sci- Hot Air (680 °C) ence, and Research of the State of North- Rhine Westphalia as well as the Bavarian Steam Ministry of Economics, Infrastructure, Generator Transport, and Technology.

There are numerous projects under way to Heat Turbine G develop and optimise this technology in Storage collaboration with the SIJ and industrial Con- enterprises. In all of these projects, the

Return Air Steam Boiler denser focus is on increasing efficiency, reducing the cost of production and operation, and Condensate developing storage systems for demand-led power generation, which are of crucial importance for their eventual commercial Field success.

Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt Directors: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Robert Pitz-Paal Contact: Dr. Karl-Heinz Funken German Aerospace Center Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernhard Hoffschmidt

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