Objectives of the operation

Strategic Objectives

The AFLR-Alentejo (SAICT-45-2018-02, contract nr. 039487) project has as its central objective the development of Advanced Linear Fresnel Reflector technology to produce dispatchable electricity at a competitive price.

This purpose frames the project in the general objectives expressed in the Intelligent Specialization Strategy for Alentejo: Establishment of the region as innovative and with strong skills in the technological and scientific area; Creation of an environment conducive to innovation and the transfer of knowledge aimed at the market; Establishment of strategic alliances with other knowledge centers (research and industry) at national and international level that allow the development and sharing of knowledge of the Regional System of Technology Transfer and strengthen the relationship between Academy and Society; Increasing business competitiveness through technological integration, innovation and creating added value and increasing regional competitiveness; and Identification of new lines of research via the specific needs of the regional economy.

General objectives

The ALFR-Alentejo project aims at modeling, installing, operating, and analyze a solar concentrator prototype ALFR (Advanced Linear Fresnel Reflector) for solar thermal electricity production (STE - Solar Thermal Electricity) and coupling it to storage systems with mixtures of molten salts.

Through this experience it is intended to be able to operate at higher temperatures, above 500°C, in order to increase the conversion efficiency of solar energy. Operation and collection of data that are crucial for the development of this technology, which also aims at a substantial reduction of costs in the production of electricity by solar thermal.

The project is being implemented in conjunction with the EMSP (Evora Molten Salt Platform) and PECS (Solar Concentrator Testing Platform) platforms of the University of Évora (UÉ), from the valences of the Renewable Energies Chair - University of Évora (CER-UÉ) and the National Infrastructure in Research on Solar Energy concentration (INIESC), as well as the high availability of solar radiation in the region. This operation is also part of the anchor areas of the UÉ: Agriculture, Water and Energy and Territorial Planning.

Specific Objectives:

With regard to specific objectives, the ALFR-Alentejo intends to: The optimization and final definition of the geometric parameters of the prototype; Installation, operation and maintenance of the prototype in PECS (Solar Concentrators Testing Platform) and EMSP (Evora Molten Salt Platform), operating in different relevant scenarios and specific modes of operation, with the aim of producing electricity by means of solar thermal; Analysis and processing of the collected data; Comparison with data from previously developed numerical models and other existing technologies, in EMSP and other structures; Relevant scientific publication; Promotion and dissemination of the obtained results.

Institutional Objectives

The University of Évora also has particular interest in the development of a set of topics in the field of high concentration: Optical and thermal characterization testing of pre-industrial prototypes and certification of solar thermal concentrators; Development of new technologies of solar concentrators and energy storage; Development and validation of testing methodologies and characterization of solar concentrators; Management of solar concentrators fields, through variability of DNI (Direct Normal Irradiance) in short intervals (nowcasting, forecasting); Testing and development of thermal applications of solar energy in the field of medium temperatures (solar cold, solar thermoelectricity, desalination, process heat, poly generation).