Experimentally Driven Choices in the Fabrication of a 45 Kw Solar Simulator

Solar-thermal technology has been successfully used to drive biomass gasification, metals reduction and electrical generation in a renewable manner. The development of these applications relies on high-flux solar simulators: assemblies of high power lamps whose irradiance mimics concentrated sunlight. These platforms provide controlled environments for the evaluation solar-thermal technologies at the laboratory scale. To date more than seven high-flux solar simulators are available worldwide for academic studies.In conjunction with Alpha-Omega Power Technologies (LLC), we evaluated choices in high-flux solar simulator construction. This included the effect of different reflector coatings – uncoated, silvered, and aluminized – on lamp efficiency. Additionally, the importance of automated filament positioning was quantified. These results educated the installation of a new, 45 kW, solar simulator at the University of Colorado Boulder.