Rugged, collapsible solar concentration devices to support tactical alternative energy production

For DoD tactical operations, reducing fuel usage and maintenance associated with electric power generation is a key need. Concentrated solar thermal (CST) systems are an attractive renewable energy solution due to their high net average efficiencies of solar-to-electric conversion, and they have the added benefit of being able to supply heat loads such as hot water and/or space heating that can push overall system efficiencies into the 75 to 80% range. Infinia Technology Corporation (ITC) evaluated five innovative concepts of a 3-kWe class Tactical Solar Concentrator (TaSC) in Phase I and down-selected to two top candidates. In Phase II, ITC proposes to determine the best concentrator alternative and develop a robust TaSC prototype demonstrator that is mounted on a Light Tactical Trailer and includes a near-commercial 3.5-kWe free-piston Stirling engine from close collaborator Infinia Corporation. As a result of leveraging the advanced status of ITC/Infinia CST system technology development, this Phase II demonstration system embodies all of the Phase II and most of the Phase III goals identified in the original OSD SBIR topic. The TaSC can be integrated with virtually any solar thermal power conversion device such as Stirling, Brayton, Rankine or concentrating photovoltaic (CPV).