Thermal effects testing at the National Solar Thermal Test Facility
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Technadyne Engineering Consultants, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
The National Solar Thermal Test Facility is operated by Sandia National Laboratories and located on Kirkland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The permanent features of the facility include a heliostat field and associated receiver tower, two solar furnaces, two point-focus parabolic concentrators, and Engine Test Facility. The heliostat field contains 220 computer-controlled mirrors, which reflect concentrated solar energy to test stations on a 61-m tower. The field produces a peak flux density of 250 W/cm[sup 2] that is uniform over a 15-cm diameter with a total beam power of over 5 MW[sub t]. The solar beam has been used to simulate aerodynamic heating for several customers. Thermal nuclear blasts have also been simulated using a high-speed shutter in combination with heliostat control. The shutter can accommodate samples up to 1 m [times] 1 m and it has been used by several US and Canadian agencies. A glass-windowed wind tunnel is also available in the Solar Tower. It provides simultaneous exposure to the thermal flux and air flow. Each solar furnace at the facility includes a heliostat, an attenuator, and a parabolic concentrator. One solar furnace produces flux levels of 270 W/cm[sup 2] over and delivers a 6-mm diameter and total power of 16 kW[sub t]. A second furnace produces flux levels up to 1000 W/cm[sup 2] over a 4 cm diameter and total power of 60 kW[sub t]. Both furnaces include shutters and attenuators that can provide square or shaped pulses. The two 11 m diameter tracking parabolic point-focusing concentrators at the facility can each produce peak flux levels of 1500 W/cm[sup 2] over a 2.5 cm diameter and total power of 75 kW[sub t]. High-speed shutters have been used to produce square pulses.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 6862171
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-92-2167C; CONF-930561--3; ON: DE93009825
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
140909* -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Miscellaneous Solar Applications-- (1980-)
42 ENGINEERING
420200 -- Engineering-- Facilities
Equipment
& Techniques
CENTRAL RECEIVER TEST FACILITY
CONCENTRATING COLLECTORS
EQUIPMENT
FURNACES
RADIATIONS
REENTRY
SIMULATION
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR FURNACES
SOLAR RADIATION
SOLAR RECEIVERS
SPACE FLIGHT
SPACE VEHICLES
STELLAR RADIATION
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
TEST FACILITIES
TESTING
TOWER FOCUS COLLECTORS
USES
VEHICLES