SwRI will partner with GE, Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corporation and Thar Energy will develop a high-efficiency supercritical carbon dioxide hot gas turbo-expander for concentrating solar power plants as part of the SunShot initiative.
Speaking of the contract SwRI program director of mechanical engineering division Dr. Klaus Brun said, "Over a three-year period, SwRI and its industry collaborators will design and develop a highly efficient, single or multi-stage sCO2 hot gas turbo-expander that will advance the state-of-the-art from laboratory size (technology readiness level 3) to a full TRL6 mega-watt scale prototype."
Dr. Klaus Brun will serve as the project manager for the initiative, which is also expected to reduce manufacturing costs of the supercritical carbon dioxide.
The second contract will entitle SwRi, in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratories, German Aerospace Center and San Diego State University, to develop a gas turbine combustor for a concentrating solar power hybrid gas turbine system.
Each of the projects will be executed in three phases and commencing in August 2012.
