Central receiver test facility Albuquerque, New Mexico

The Central Receiver Test Facility (CRTF) was constructed at Albuquerque, NM for the U.S. Dept of Energy (DOE) and is operated by Sandia Laboratories. A primary goal of the CRTF is to provide experimental engineering data for the design, construction, and operation of receivers and other components for proposed large scale, solar powered, electrical generation or process heat plants. A secondary goal is to provide a solar test facility for evaluating concepts and processes in high-temperature technology. The basic concept philosophy is outlined for the facility and defines the capabilities of the CRTF. A general description of the facility is given with details of all support systems: the tower, the heliostat array, the control building with its computer control and data acquisition systems, and the meteorology station and tower. Maximum energy delivery is 6.5 MW thermal so that 5 MW can be provided under a reasonable range of conditions. Operating tests with a working receiver absorbing over 1 MW of thermal energy are summarized. Present and future tests are outlined with a listing of proposed high-temperature experiments by university and industrial investigators. Tests completed include evaluation of a 1 MW air receiver and a 3 MW steam generating receiver.