Jet Propulsion Laboratory (U.S.). Solar Thermal Power Systems Project.

The Industrial Associates program at the California Institute of Technology was organized in 1949. The Program developed industrial interest in research and education in science and engineering. The Program has been successful in achieving these objectives and continues to provide an unequaled opportunity for industrial personnel at both research and management levels to meet and confer with the faculty and research staff at Caltech and The Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Through the success of this program, JPL projects have involved technology application to the commercial, industrial or public service sector and the Energy and Technology Applications projects that also includes thermal solar energy application projects.

In July 1977, JPL began creating Small Power Systems Projects under an interagency agreement between NASA and the Department of Energy. Due to this agreement, JPL was in a unique position in responding to a current DOE requirement for a program that would provide innovative analytical techniques to develop improved energy utilization systems for industrial and solar thermal power plants. JPL's Victor Anselmo and Nicholas R. Moore worked largely on the proposal development efforts.

Dr. Victor Anselmo had a Ph.D. in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering in 1971 from Oklahoma State University. As a Senior Engineer at JPL, he conducted thermodynamic systems analysis of infrared instruments for the study of planetary atmosphere, surfaces and magnetometer instruments for the study of planetary fields.

Dr. Nicholas R. Moore, with a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering 1972 from the University of Arkansas performed synthesis and evaluations of alternative energy conserving systems for industrial plants, analyzed energy usage characteristics of industrial equipment, including evaporators, dryers, heat pumps and heat engines.

To accomplish the goal of the interagency agreement, the Thermal Power Systems Office of the DOE was responsible for developing the technology for low cost, long life and reliable solar thermal electric power systems suitable for a wide range of terrestrial applications. Also, the DOE established program offices within the Thermal Power Systems Branch in two primary areas of solar thermal energy, i.e., large thermal power system applications and small thermal power systems applications.

The Small Thermal Power Systems Section managed the latter. Several projects formed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory supported this section at the Department of Energy.

The Small Power System Applications Project (SPSA) was one of three related activities co-located at JPL that comprised the Thermal Power Systems (TPS) organization. The other two projects were Advanced Solar Thermal Technology (ASTT), and Point Focusing Distributed Receiver Technology (PFDRT).

The ASTT effort covered a broad spectrum of component and subsystem technology development. The PFDRT project was directed specifically to developed point focusing distributed receiver systems. The JPL work was based on a parabolic dish and integral receiver.

In addition, this technology was expected initially to be applied to relatively small power systems up to a few megawatts made up of identical modules, each module capable either of generating electricity, or of supplying heat for industrial purposes, depending on the type of receiver used.

Another co-located JPL erected project was the Small Community Solar Thermal Power Experiment. At the time, it was the first solar thermal plant specifically designed as an alternated source of electric energy for small communities in this country that was made to pursue a parabolic dish system using distributed generation. The Power Plant design and development proceeded under the technical mangement of JPL. Ford Aerospace and Communications Corporation was the system contractor. The United States Department of Energy, the sponsor for this project, had the responsibility for site selection and NASA's Lewis Research Center provided engine and power conversion support.

However, the technology selected for the Small Community Solar Thermal Power Experiment was considered near-term with regard to development and availability. The concentrator was a parabolic dish developed by the General Electric Company under the Low Cost Concentrator activity within the Module Development element of the JPL Solar Thermal Power Systems Project. It was a first generation concentrator using a reflective film bonded to a reinforced plastic substrate. The receiver was designed to heat an intermediary heat transfer fluid, which developed a new approach for Ford. The power conversion subsystem employed a Rankie engine.

In addition, the Phase II effort included design, development and verification testing. This was a two-year activity that provided a system design including the plant control system and other balance of plant considerations. The verification testing was at the JPL Edwards Facility Parabolic Test Site. Testing was conducted at the module level; that included a complete concentrator; receiver and engine assembly test.

As a result of these studies, engine and receiver modules were mounted on the test bed concentrator at the JPL desert test site during the calender year of 1980, and continued through 1983.

From the description of Solar Thermal Power Systems Collection, 1977-1980. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory Library and Archives). WorldCat record id: 733100908