Research Facility ST
Solar Thermal Group
Using Solar Thermal Energy for Power Generation, Desalination and other Applications
Solar Tower
A 300-kWth central receiver test facility is built in Riyadh Techno Valley. It is primarily designed to test the solid particle receiver concept. The field is north-facing and consists of 66 heliostats (8 m2 each) which are centrally controlled from the Control Room. The tower height is approximately 30 m.
Thermal Energy Storage Test Bed
The test bed has a small-scale test bin and two medium-scale rectangular and round test bins. All three test bins are constructed in multiple layers of refractory materials that can withstand temperatures up to 1000°C.
Parabolic Trough Collector Array
This is a small-scale parabolic trough array consisting of two rows of collectors. Each row consists of two modules with an aperture area of approximately 3 m2 each.
Solar Radiation Measurement Station
The station contains a rotating shadow band radiometer (RSR2) setup, as well as an Eppley Normal Incidence Pyrheliometer (NIP) and an Epply Precision Spectral Pyranometer (PSP). The station has been functional for more than one year, and it is a part of K.A.CARE’s national solar radiation monitoring network.
