Work begins on Australia’s largest Brayton Cycle solar-thermal tower 29 November 2010 Work has begun on Australia’s largest Brayton Cycle solar-thermal tower system at the CSIRO* National Solar Energy Centre in Newcastle, New South Wales. The solar-thermal tower’s 450 large mirrors, called heliostats, are part of an advanced new solar technology which has been developed by CSIRO and manufactured by the Performance Engineering Group. With the development of this new solar technology, CSIRO aims to generate electricity at the same cost, or cheaper than that produced by fossil fuel. The heliostats’ large mirror panels, 2.4 x 1.8m in size with a specific concave shape to achieve a highly accurate reflection point, concentrate the sun’s rays to create temperatures of up to 1000°C. The CSIRO’s Dr Alex Wonhas says that the economical design of the heliostats will make solar fields more cost effective to build and operate. Lightweight steel frames holding the mirrors have been especially created for commercial mass production. While the heliostat units are smaller than many of those now in use around the world, they are just as efficient, easier to install and cost effective. The heliostat field is part of CSIRO’s new solar Brayton Cycle project – a solar tower and field that generates electricity from just the air and sun. The CSIRO’s heliostat work has been supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Solar Institute as part of the Clean Energy Initiative. *CSIRO – The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia's national science agency, is one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world. More information |