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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Modular industrial solar retrofit project (MISR)

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6888076

The intent of this paper is to describe a major Department of Energy (DOE) thrust to bring line-focus solar thermal technology to commercial readiness. This effort is referred to as the MISR Project. The project is based upon the premise that thermal energy is the basic solar thermal system output and that low-temperature, fossil fuel applications are technically the first that should be retrofitted. Experience has shown that modularity in system design and construction offers potential for reducing engineering design costs, reduces manufacturing costs, reduces installation time and expense, and improves system operational reliability. The modular design effort will be sponsored by Sandia National Laboratories with industry doing the final designs. The operational credibility of the systems will be established by allowing selected industrial thermal energy users to purchase MISR systems from suppliers and operate them for two years. Industries will be solicited by DOE/Albuquerque Operations Office to conduct these experiments on a cost sharing basis. The MISR system allowed in the experiments will have been previously qualified for the application. The project is divided into three development phases which represent three design and experiment cycles. The first cycle will use commercially available trough-type solar collectors and will incorporate 5 to 10 experiments of up to 5000 m/sup 2/ of collectors each. The project effort began in March 1980, and the first cycle is to be completed in 1985. Subsequent cycles will begin at 3-year intervals. The project is success oriented, and if the first cycle reaches commercial readiness, the project will be terminated. If not, a second, and possibly a third, development cycle will be conducted.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-76DP00789
OSTI ID:
6888076
Report Number(s):
SAND-80-1857C; CONF-801208-1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English