Thermal energy is one of the types of energy that we ignore but use the most nowadays. While hot water is used for showers and heating in central heating systems, we frequently need steam reaching hundreds of degrees in many stages of production in the industry. Unfortunately, this heat is mostly provided by burning natural gas. Companies that want to produce without carbon emissions are turning to systems such as solar.
With its innovative approach, the system, which provides water or steam between 80°C and 550°C and can be shipped in a single container, reaches a length of 220 meters, a diameter of 9 meters and a power of 0.9 MW when inflated. The area where a single module of this size captures and reflects the sun reaches 1543 m2.
Since the system, whose efficiency is not given much information, is designed to reduce initial investment and operating costs, it is certain that it will be lower than classical parabolic solar focusing systems, but the company states that it offers an initial investment cost reduction of up to 55% and has an advantage in this regard.
The system, which provides 93% reflection on the polymer film, focuses all the sun on the heating pipe in the middle when inflated. The structure, which is inflated like a balloon and fixed to steel poles and rings, rotates and automatically follows the sun throughout the day.
The company will build its first commercial unit in Oman, where it will be used to generate heat at a facility where it will be used for desalination. The system will produce 140 m3 of usable water per day from water that is 3 times more salty than sea water and will use it in the oil facility.
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