Dish Engine
DOE funds solar research and development (R&D) in dish/engine systems as one of four concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies aiming to meet the goals of the SunShot Initiative. CSP dish engines, which provide high solar concentration and are in use globally, currently hold the world record for solar-to-electric system efficiency at 31.4%. The SunShot Initiative funds (R&D) on dish/engine systems and related aspects within the industry, national laboratories and universities to meet the SunShot goals. An extensive set of core capabilities at the national laboratories support the R&D endeavors.
Industry Awards
- 3M Company: Next-Generation Solar Collectors for CSP (CSP SunShot FOA)
- 3M Company: Cleanable and Hardcoat Coatings for Increased Durability of Silvered Polymeric Mirrors (CSP R&D FOA)
- Abengoa Solar: Reducing the Cost of Thermal Energy Storage for Parabolic Trough Solar Power Plants (Thermal Storage FOA)
- Abengoa Solar: Advanced Polymeric Reflector for CSP Applications (CSP R&D FOA)
- Acciona Solar: Indirect, Dual-Media, Phase Changing Material Modular Thermal Energy Storage System (Thermal Storage FOA)
- Acciona Solar: Sensible Heat, Direct, Dual-Media Thermal Energy Storage Module (Thermal Storage FOA)
- Brayton Energy: Brayton Solar Power Conversion System (CSP R&D FOA)
- General Atomics: Baseload CSP Generation Integrated with Sulfur-Based Thermochemical Heat Storage (Baseload CSP FOA)
- General Atomics: Thermochemical Heat Storage for CSP Based on Multivalent Metal Oxides (Thermal Storage FOA)
- Halotechnics: Deep Eutectic Salt Formulations Suitable as Advanced Heat Transfer Fluids (Thermal Storage FOA)
- Infinia: Innovative Application of Maintenance-Free Phase-Change Thermal Energy Storage for Dish Engine Systems (Thermal Storage FOA)
- Infinia: Innovative Phase Change Thermal Energy Storage Solution for Baseload Power (Baseload CSP FOA)
- Infinia: Maintenance-Free Stirling Engine for High-Performance Dish CSP (CSP R&D FOA)
- PPG: Next-Generation Low-Cost Reflector (Baseload CSP FOA)
- Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne: Solar Power Tower Receiver Development (CSP R&D FOA)
- SENER: High-Efficiency Thermal Storage System for Solar Plants (Baseload CSP FOA)
- Southwest Research Institute: CSP Tower Air Brayton Combustor (CSP SunShot FOA)
- Southwest Research Institute: Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Turbo-Expander and Heat Exchangers (CSP SunShot FOA)
- Terrafore: Heat Transfer and Latent Heat Storage in Inorganic Molten Salts for CSP Plants (Thermal Storage FOA)
National Laboratory Awards
- Argonne National Laboratory: High-Efficiency Thermal Energy Storage System for CSP (National Laboratory R&D)
- Argonne National Laboratory: Chemically Reactive Working Fluids (CSP SunShot FOA)
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Low-Cost, Lightweight Solar Concentrators (CSP SunShot FOA)
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Degradation Mechanisms and Development of Protective Coatings for TES and HTF Containment Materials (National Laboratory R&D)
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory: 10-Megawatt Supercritical-CO2 Turbine (CSP SunShot FOA)
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Nanomaterials for Thermal Energy Storage in CSP Plants (CSP Recovery Act)
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Low-Cost Self-Cleaning Reflector Coatings for CSP Collectors (National Laboratory R&D)
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory: Integrated Solar Thermochemical Reaction System (CSP SunShot FOA)
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory: Thermochemical Energy Storage for Stirling CSP Systems (CSP Recovery Act)
- Sandia National Laboratories: Dish/Stirling High-Performance Thermal Storage (National Laboratory R&D)
- Savannah River National Laboratory: Fundamental Corrosion Studies in High-Temperature Molten Salt Systems for Next-Generation CSP Systems (National Laboratory R&D)
- Savannah River National Laboratory: Low-Cost Metal Hydride Thermal Energy Storage System for CSP Systems (National Laboratory R&D)
University Awards
- Boston University: Self-Cleaning CSP Collectors (CSP SunShot FOA)
- City College of New York: A Novel Storage Method for CSP Plants Allowing Operation at High Temperature (Thermal Storage FOA)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Concentrated Solar Thermoelectric Power (CSP SunShot FOA)
- Oregon State University: High-Flux Microchannel Solar Receiver (CSP SunShot FOA)
- Texas Engineering Experiment Station: Molten Salt-Carbon Nanotube Thermal Storage (Thermal Storage FOA)
- University of Alabama: Novel Molten Salts Thermal Energy Storage for Concentrating Solar Power Generation (Thermal Storage FOA)
- University of Arizona: Halide and Oxy-Halide Eutectic Systems for High-Performance, High-Temperature Heat Transfer Fluids (SunShot MURI FOA)
- University of Arizona: Advanced Manufacture of Reflectors (CSP SunShot FOA)
- University of Arkansas: Development and Performance Evaluation of High Temperature Concrete for Thermal Energy Storage for Solar Power Generation (Thermal Storage FOA)
- University of California, Los Angeles: High Operating Temperature Liquid Metal Heat Transfer Fluids (SunShot MURI FOA)
- University of Connecticut: Novel Thermal Energy Storage Systems (TES) for Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) (Thermal Storage FOA)
- University of South Florida: Innovative Thermal Energy Storage for Baseload Solar Power Generation (Baseload CSP FOA)
Core Capabilities
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory: System Advisor Model Enhancements for CSP (National Laboratory R&D)
- Sandia National Laboratories: DOE National Solar Thermal Test Facility (National Laboratory R&D)
Learn about other DOE competitive awards for concentrating solar power research that are in progress.