The solar dish is Enea's new technology designed to capture enough energy from the sun to power a residential block of 5 apartments.
The world's first solar dish capable of generating electricity through integration with an innovative air microturbine. The technology is able to capture 70 kW of radiant power from the sun and convert it into virtually up to 15 kW of electrical power, enough to supply a residential block of 5 apartments.
The system consists of the solar dish and a microturbine. The dish has a diameter of 12 metres and a surface area of 88 square metres entirely covered with solar mirrors that concentrate solar radiation up to 2,000 times in a small area. Compared with conventional photovoltaics, it has the advantage of storing the absorbed energy and converting it into electricity on demand, even at night or in the absence of solar irradiation. Compared with concentrating solar power systems, which operate on an industrial scale, it is easy to manage and modular. All of this makes it suitable for use by small shopping centres and businesses, supermarkets and schools, whether connected to or disconnected from the electricity grid.
The main components of the system are the solar concentrator, the receiver and the air microturbine. The solar concentrator is circular, with a parabolic reflective surface at whose focal point the receiver is positioned; air circulates inside the receiver.
The concentrator reflects solar radiation onto the receiver's window, which absorbs it internally, while the circulating air heats up to a temperature of approximately 800/900°C.
A compressor draws in outside air, compresses it to around 3 atmospheres and sends it to the receiver. Here, thanks to solar heat, the airflow is heated before passing to the microturbine, where it expands, while the residual heat is transferred to a recuperator before the air is released into the environment.
The expansion of the air in the turbine will enable the high-frequency generator to reach a rotational speed of approximately 150,000 rpm, thereby ensuring an electrical output of between 3 and 15 kW, sufficient to power a small residential block.
"The plant is the first in the world to combine the latest advances in research on concentrating solar technologies with the innovative air microturbine, derived from the automotive sector, which is more compact and lighter than the engines commonly used in this type of application," explained Michela Lanchi, an Enea researcher in the Energy Technologies Department.
The dish will be on preview display – also in operation – at the Enea Casaccia Centre on 29 September, on the occasion of the first Open Day of Research organised by the Agency.
The demonstrative solar plant was funded in 2013 with 5.8 million euros by the European Union's 7th Framework Programme, as part of the OMSoP – Optimised Microturbine Solar Power System – project. In addition to Enea, the project involved Roma Tre University, City University of London, Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and University of Seville, as well as the companies Compower, Innova and European Turbine Network.