Energy / Climate Change

December 24, 2004

 

Small, Efficient Solar Power System Developed in Japan

Keywords: Environmental Technology Renewable Energy University / Research institute 

Professor Takeo Saito and his research group of the Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University in Japan announced in August 2004 that they have successfully developed the world's first of its kind small, highly efficient solar power system. The professor says its solar energy conversion efficiency is between 16 and 20 percent, and its power generation efficiency is double that of solar cells and 1.5 times that of fuel cells.

This system uses the Rankine cycle system, in which water heated by solar energy heats up hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) fluids to between 120 to 200 degrees Celsius. The vaporized HCFC is sprayed through a small nozzle at a supersonic speed of Mach 2 to 3 to drive the turbine and generate electricity. The group spent 12 years to develop this system, achieving high efficiency through a combination of over ten features, including the rotor shape.

The developers hope to lower the power generation cost to about 200,000 yen (U.S.$1835) per kilowatt from the current cost of photovoltaic power generation at about 700,000 yen (U.S.$6,422) per kilowatt. If the system is installed at home, water heated during the daytime can also be used for a 24-hour hot water supply and room heating system. "The new system can be utilized for various applications such as household power generators and hybrid-car engines. We plan to start a field test by the end of 2004, aiming to commercialize a small household generator with a capacity of about three-kilowatts during 2005 at the earliest," said the professor.


http://www.kankyo.tohoku.ac.jp/en/index.html

Posted: 2004/12/24 12:04:09 PM
Japanese version

 

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