GrafTech International Ltd., a developer of carbon and graphite materials, has been awarded a $1.15 million U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant in partnership with a team led by SENER Engineering and Systems Inc. and with the participation of the University of California, Berkeley.
The partners will use the funds to construct a high-efficiency thermal storage system for solar plants. The project is part of a $62 million DOE initiative to collaborate with industry participants to research and develop concentrating solar power systems.
The solar plant storage system will be designed using technology that can extend the operating temperature range of thermal storage, GrafTech says. GrafTech and SENER will construct a pilot plant in Seville, Calif. The university will conduct complete storage system simulation tailored to demonstrate storage plant size and characteristics, as well as test execution and test reports.
SOURCE: GrafTech International Ltd.
