InfraTec GmbH Thermographic Monitoring of Solar Tower Power Plants SPTC

Solar tower power plants belong to the category of solar-thermal power plants whose basic principle relies on the absorption of direct radiation from the sun and its conversion into thermal energy. This takes place in a highly effective absorber, which is located in the upper part of a solar tower of up to 250 meters in height. Around the solar tower on the floor, thousands of motorized, movable mirrors (so-called heliostats) are arranged in concentric circles, which are aligned permanently by a control system in such a way that the solar radiation concentrates on the absorber as optimally as possible. This heat energy is normally conducted from the absorber by liquid salt as a carrier medium and used to generate steam for the subsequent generation of electricity with conventional steam turbines and generators by means of a heat exchanger. The very good storage capacity of this hot, liquid salt as a heat-transfer medium offers great benefit compared to other forms of solar energy generation by the fact that the generation of electrical energy can take place continuously. With Solar Power Tower Check (SPTC) InfraTec offers a high-performance system for fully automatic remote monitoring of the surface temperature for the entire absorber of a solar tower. SPTC works on the basis of infrared thermography technology and provides important measurement data reliably for optimum and safe operation of a key point of the solar tower power plant.