ABOUT US

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of POLYPHEM is to improve the performance of small-scale Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants and their flexibility to generate power on demand. To this end, a new technology is proposed: a solar-driven combined cycle with integrated thermal energy storage. The outcomes of the project will allow in the short term to reinforce the competitiveness of this new low carbon energy technology, to favour its integration in the medium term in the European energy mix and to contribute to the mitigation of climate change.
The power block considered in POLYPHEM is a combined cycle intended to be used for decentralized small-scale power generation in the range 40 kW to 2000 kW in remote areas. The purpose is to meet the variable demand of energy of a mini-grid. The baseline technology consists of an air Brayton cycle as top cycle and an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) as bottom cycle.
POLYPHEM broadens this technology by driving the top cycle with solar energy through the development of an advanced technology of pressurized air solar receiver and by including an innovative thermal energy storage unit between both cycles, as it is illustrated in Fig.1. Besides electricity generation, other applications will be considered for future developments, such as heating/cooling of multi-family buildings or water desalination for small communities.
The POLYPHEM project will implement a prototype system and will validate this innovative configuration for power generation in a relevant environment, will assess its technical, economic and environmental performances and will establish the guidelines for the commercial deployment of this technology in the long term.

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WORKPLAN

polyphem-wp_Plan de travail 1
R&D ON SOLAR RECEIVER


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R&D ON SOLAR-DRIVEN MICRO GAS-TURBINE AND ORGANIC RANKINE CYCLE
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R&D ON THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM

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SYSTEM INTEGRATION AND OVERALL PLANT DESIGN

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MANUFACTURING AND INSTALLATION OF THE PROTOTYPE PLANT
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TESTING AND VALIDATION OF THE TECHNOLOGY

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SYSTEM MODELLING AND PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT

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ASSESSMENT OF THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED IN THE PROJECT
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EXPLOITATION AND DISSEMINATION OF THE PROJECT RESULTS, COMMUNICATION
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PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION

PARTNERS

INTRANET