Product News
Innovative parabolic trough solar module developed at TU Graz
An international team led by Armin Buchroithner from the Institute of Electrical Measurement and Sensor Systems at Graz University of Technology ( TU Graz ) has developed a parabolic trough collector with cost-effective |
photovoltaic cells that can be used to generate solar power and thermal energy at the same time . The solar module developed consists of a trough-shaped concave mirror that focuses the sun ’ s rays onto the photovoltaic |
cells arranged in the focal line . The waste heat from the solar cells is transferred to a heat transfer fluid that flows along the back of the cells in a system of pipes . The thermal and electrical energy generated in this way can , for instance , be used for climateneutral heating and cooling of buildings or various industrial purposes , e . g . in the food or textile industry . The idea of generating electricity and heat from solar radiation at the same time has been around since the 1970s but has not been successful due to high costs and technological problems . This could now change , as Buchroithner ’ s team has succeeded in developing several technological innovations in the course of the ECOSun |
– Economic COgeneration by Efficiently COncentrated SUNlight research project . In cooperation with the partner IMK Solarmirrotec , the parabolic trough collectors were manufactured much more efficiently using industrial production methods such as injection moulding technology . The silicon solar cells developed with the Turkish research centre GÜNAM are cost-effective and robust so that they can withstand the high temperatures of concentrated sunlight . This is an important factor since the parabolic trough mirrors amplify the solar irradiation by a factor of 60 to 120 . The researchers were also able to optimise the cooling of the solar cells , making the waste heat more usable for further applications . |
MITSUI E & S takes delivery of SCR from MAN Energy Solutions
MAN Energy Solutions has announced the production of a massive Cluster 5 Double Layer SCR ( Selective Catalytic Reduction ) catalytic converter for customer , MITSUI E & S Co ., Ltd . The cluster comes ammonia-ready and is the largest such unit that the company has ever built . Such systems are typically used aboard cruise ships and cargo ships to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 90 %. Dr . Daniel Struckmeier , Head of Sales & License Turbochargers & Exhaust Gas Treatment APAC , said : “ As the very first SCR for an ammonia engine anywhere in the world , this is a historic moment . As the largest , high-pressure SCR we have ever built , this marks a new milestone for our business . The new equipment also passed its Factory Acceptance Test without any major issues and I congratulate everyone involved in this groundbreaking project .” The Cluster 5 Double Layer has a diameter of 3,900 mm , a total weight of 28 metric tons , and will shortly be available for series production . The quality of the product was confirmed during the final inspection by MAN Energy Solutions and MITSUI E & S . Following a successful waterpressure test , the component was subsequently shipped from Dalian , China to Tamano , Japan . Exhaust gas after-treatment systems from MAN Energy Solutions optimise ship performance , not only in terms of emissions but also economy and operation .
Star Refrigeration to deliver water sourced heat pump
A deal has been signed with Star Refrigeration Ltd to provide a GBP 2.5M water source heat pump to the Mersey Heat Energy Centre currently under construction at Peel Water ’ s Liverpool Waters at Princes Dock in Liverpool . Led by Peel NRE ’ s district heat network specialist Ener-Vate and being built by Vital Energi , the project is set to become a major part of the city ’ s low carbon energy infrastructure . One of the first to be installed in the UK , the pump will use game changing technology to extract heat from the water in the Leeds Liverpool Canal and use it to provide low carbon energy to thousands of homes and businesses around the city via a 6km district heating network . Set to be operational by winter 2024 , the Mersey Heat Energy Centre will provide an easy , affordable , and convenient solution to decarbonise heating with the potential to provide enough low carbon heat for over a fifth of the homes in Liverpool . Local homes and businesses will be able to connect into the existing district heating pipework which has already been installed . The government has identified heat networks as a crucial part of how the UK will reach net zero and one of the most costeffective ways of decarbonising heating in built up areas . Using a water sourced heat pump to heat buildings is three times more efficient than using electricity for heating and has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by up to 90 %.
ECO2 Systems to launch Modbus Connectivity
ECO2 Systems , a U . S . manufacturer of CO2 ( R744 ) -based heat pump water heaters ( HPWHs ), has announced that in May or June , it will launch its fifth generation ( Gen5 ) model with Modbus connectivity to utilities . The Modbus capability will allow the heat pump ’ s controller to communicate with utilities so that “ when they want to control demand they can send a signal ” to the unit , explained Maho Ito , Managing Director for ECO2 Systems . During peak demand periods , she continued , the utility could opt to turn off the heat pump , but “ if the homeowner needs to take a shower , he can override it .”
“ We ’ re in the age of demand control ,” added Ito . “ In California , rebates are not allowed without demand control .” ECO2 Systems offers SANCO2-branded air-towater commercial and residential CO2 HPWHs for domestic hot water ; about 40 % of the business is generated by residential units and the rest by commercial , said Ito . In 2020 , Ito and John Miles , also a Managing Director for ECO2 Systems , started the company by acquiring the rights to sell Japanese OEM Sanden ’ s CO2 HPWHs in the North American marketplace . Miles and Ito marketed the OEM ’ s heat pumps in North America prior to the acquisition .
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