The successful acquisition of this contract not only solidifies Sciencetech's position as an industry leader but also underscores our commitment to research and development in cutting edge fields of science and engineering.
Scott Hafekost, President
Sciencetech Builds Cutting-Edge Solar Simulator for Solar Reactor testing
Written Amanda Obodovsky
London, Ontario, June 2024 – Sciencetech, a leading innovator in solar simulators and spectroscopy instrumentation, is thrilled to announce its successful design and manufacture of a new high flux solar simulator (HFSS).
This agreement will see the construction of new technologies used in the field of physics and engineering but also demonstrates Sciencetech’s dedication to advancing scientific research and its position as a global leader in cutting-edge technology development.
A key application for a HFSS is high-temperature testing. HFSS provides intense radiation beams, suitable for high-temperature, high-heating testing of various energy conversion and materials technologies. They are used to develop and test solar receivers, solar reactors, thermal energy storage, solar sterling engines, and other technologies requiring high temperatures and radiative fluxes at a lab scale.
The contract, awarded by the French government, underscores Sciencetech's exceptional capabilities in the field of solar simulation. Working with specifications outlined by the team of researchers, the Sciencetech technical team is developing, manufacturing, and assembling a custom system to match the experiments proposed for research. This system is at the cutting edge of research and includes many innovative features.
Key features of the high flux solar light source:
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The 6.5kW xenon lamp housing and support is an innovative custom design that allows for fine adjustments of lamp position including adjustable travel along the optical axis (+/-5cm). Housing rotation and tilt adjustment of (+/-30) degrees allowing these housings to be integrated for larger systems,
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An XYZ stage system for positioning the solar furnace or sample that allows for displacement as small as 10cm and can support samples up to 30kg in weight and up to 80cm cubed in size.
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A measurement system to measure the spatial irradiance of a 20cm x 20cm target. This is performed in two ways.
- XYZ movements of a calibrated Gardon gauge measuring each point as it travels the specified target area.
- An industrial camera calibrated to measure the intense light reflected off a custom water cooled, alumina coated Lambertian plate. The benefit of this is the ability of lamp alignment in real time knowing the exact power distribution that the final device under test will be subjected to.
Irradiance at Focal
A 6500W xenon arc lamp modeled in the optical modelling software FRED to estimate the power over various areas at the focal plane. Measurements of the system were then taken to confirm the optical modelling results.
Total Power at Focus
Using optical modelling software FRED to model the irradiance and how it increases for smaller sized apertures at the focus plane. Here we see the total power vs diameter in millimeters at the focus plane. This graph shows how the total power increases for larger sized apertures.
Lambertian Plate and detector
Camera Irradiance Measurement
XYZ measurement stage measurement
Sciencetech would love to review your application. Our applications scientists are here to provide standard or innovative solutions for your projects. Please contact our application scientists at sales@sciencetech-inc.com.
About Sciencetech:
Sciencetech Inc. is a Canadian company who has been designing and manufacturing high performance, reliable optical instruments and innovative technology for scientific research and industrial applications since 1985. Our instruments are used by researchers and industry professionals all over the world, including many renowned universities, Fortune 500 companies, and government agencies.
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Written:
Amanda Obodovsky, M.Sc.
Operations Manager: Production
Media Contact:
Email: PR@sciencetech-inc.com
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