In May of 2015, as a member of a European consortium, we started work on the EU sponsored CAPTure project deleloping the next generation of concentrated solar power plant using energy storage and combined cycle.

A key deliverable in the CAPTure concentrated solar power project was the Brayton cycle component requirement spec. This document describes in details the requirements for all the key components including:

– The Low and High pressure turbochargers

– The interstage intercooler

– The Turbogenerator

– Power electronics

– The control system

– Ancilliaries (e.g. Lubrication and cooling system)

Over 2017, the components will be designed and manufactured ready for test towards the end of the year.

After a year of development effort, we’ve now finished building the first 100kW DUO+ for Schmid Energy.

The system features a turbocharger supplied by ABB, turbogenerators and power electronics supplied by Bowman Power, cooling system manufactured by Hydac integrated with a control system by Bluebox Energy.

The system will be integrated with the biomass / waste wood furnace and heat exchanger in Switzerland and commissioned at Dudingen in Swizerland during April.

After much discussions and Dymola simulation work, the specification for the new high pressure hot air turbine system needed to recover the energy from a concentrated solar tower has been frozen. Headline performance figures are:
Two stage compression system
Interstage cooled
Total pressure ratio of 10:1
Turbine inlet temp of 850 Deg C
Power output 55kWe
Efficiency – 17%
Air discharge temp (for Rankine cycle) – 420 Deg C

The plan is now to release detailed component specifications in Jan 2016, complete the design work in 2016, with manufacture and testing in 2017 when we will start the project to upscale the technology to ~500kWe per module.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 640905.

12 companies have joined together to form the CAPTure project team.  The project will develop the next generation of concentrated solar power technology aimed at dramatically reducing the costs of generation.  In particular the project will focus on 5 areas a:

• High efficiency volumetric solar collectors
• De-coupled regenerative heat exchangers
• High pressure inter cooled Brayton hot air turbine system
• Low cost heliostat with advanced aiming strategies
• Multiple tower approach to reduce ray losses and enabling the power station to be modularised

As well as Bluebox Energy focussing on supplying the Brayton hot air turbine, other project partners include:

• CENER- project coordination and development of the solar collector
• Tekniker – Thermodynamics and integration engineering
• Fraunhofer IKTS – specialists in ceramics
• CEA – specialists in coating
• FCT – specialists in ceramics
• Haver and Boeker – supplier of regenerative heat exchangers
• CIEMAT- PSA – will run the testing at their solar facility
• FLAGSOL – looking after integration engeering
• K- Controls – developing and supplying the high temperature valves
• Electricitie de France – Specialising on commercialisation
• Sonce-boz – development of the low cost heliostat
• EUREC- looking after communication and dissemination

H2020
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 640905.

Flavien joined Bluebox Energy in June of 2015 as our Principle engineer. Flavien’s most recent work included being a control specialist, manager of complex programs and business development at Ricardo, then Strategic Consultant in Brazil. His key achievements were the design and development of the control system of the 1st Diesel Hybrid demonstrator for VALEO and PSA Peugeot Citroën (World Premiere). International complex programs coordination (Europe, Americas, Asia). Delivery of Mégane RS 225 derivative for Renault from concept to production. At Bluebox Energy, Flavien will look after controls and programme management as well as supporting our business development activities.

Rachel joined Bluebox Energy in May of 2015 as our project administrator. In previous positions Rachel was involved in the consumer electronics industry for over 25 years, helping to develop innovative products in companies such as Hasbro, Psion Computers and Frontier Silicon with new Digital radios (DAB).

Following the successful review of our feasibility study, Schmid Energy chose Bluebox Energy to provide a DUO+ hot air turbine system to accompany their biomass furnace. The system wil generate 100kW of electricity as well as provide heat to a site in Dudingen.

Link to Schmid Energy hot air turbine system

Link to Dudingen hot air turbine “Lighthouse” project website

Schmid energy solutions is a Swiss family business, which has been dealing with energy issues for over 75 years and employs around 300 people. Schmid have evolved into a specialist manufacturer of biomass energy systems.

Due to their complexity and maintenance requirements, Schmid Energy have found that ORC systems and steam turbines only become worthwhile as large-scale systems with a thermal capacity above 2 MW. In many cases, heat offtake all year round cannot be ensured for such high capacities. The hot air turbine therefore fills the gap in the smaller operating range.

Schmid Energy have developed a prototype hot air system with a micro-turbine system.  However, they wished to find an alternaive with improved performance and asked BlueBox Energy to perform a study to evaluate the performance and economics of our hot air turbine solution coupled with Schmid Energy’s combustion and heat exchanger system.

Due to the need for high efficiency’s, the study concluded that the Duo+ system was the most suitable.  Schmid Energy are now in the process of deciding whether to move forward with the technology.

Link to Schmid Energy hot air turbine system

We assisted Bowman Power in their development of a turbogenerator system for a Caterpillar 3516 engine in Sumatra.

Testing was held at site over a period of one week and confirmed the performance of the engine system was as anticipated and gave the team valuable information on how the engine performed in this environment.

Link to Bowman Power Caterpillar 3516 solution