Project Title:
A Large Deployable Solar Concentrator with Receiver & Heat Storage
10.04-7039
A Large Deployable Solar Concentrator with Receiver & Heat Storage
Energy Science Laboratories Inc.
11404 Sorrento Valley Rd, #113
San Diego
CA
92121
Carroll
Joseph A.
NAS3-24882
Amount:
LeRC
NAS3-24397
Abstract:
We investigated designs for 2 key components of solar dynamic power systems: concentrator and receiver. Our concentrator stows compactly for launch, on the
unused 2nd Remote Manipulator System ledge. The receiver ??????? both concepts greatly.
The Phase I study led us to downsize the concentrator from 35 m to 14 m across.
This fits NASA's program needs better and also reduces production tooling cost.
We also discovered a better stowing geometry, which may allow 4 concentrators to
be stowed on one RMS ledge. We also fabricated small self-deploying models which
validated our stowage/deployment concept. The Phase II effort will revise the design,
fabricate 20% prototypes & sections of full-scale models, and test for performance
ruggedness.
The receiver evolved from separated-storage in liquid media to integral storage for
a Brayton cycle in solid media. This prevents contamination from leakage of condensible
volatiles. Several receiver features were discovered which raise system efficiency
for any given concentrator. The Phase II effort will revise the design, model the
system behavior, and fabricate & test critical components.