In the framework of the SOLPART project, Solar researchers at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) have investigated how solar energy can replace fossil fuels for the cement production process. 

Successful tests verify the suitability of the process

The tests were conducted between December 2018 and January 2019 in the Cologne solar simulator. The rotary reactor can be operated with both natural and artificial light, but the researchers opted for the simulator because of the limited hours of sunshine in winter: “The main purpose of the simulator is to provide unchanging conditions. After characterising and optimising the reactor under these conditions, it is then possible to adapt this to real-life conditions, with very few changes to the parameter settings, such as adjusting the material flow rate, for example,” says Gkiokchan Moumin, who is writing his doctoral thesis on this project at the Institute of Solar Research.

More information in the press release: https://www.dlr.de/dlr/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-10258/368_read-31951/#/gallery/33361