MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026 - Modularization in concentrated solar thermal tower systems

Organisation / Company Universidad Politécnica de Madrid Department Department of Energy Engineering

Keywords : Concentrated Solar Thermal, Renewable energy, Decarbonization, Solar energy

Research Focus

Modularization in concentrated solar thermal tower systems

Concentrated Solar Thermal Tower (CSTT) technologies convert and store direct solar radiation in the form of heat, potentially at high temperatures. At the core of tower CSTT is the use of heliostat fields that concentrate sunlight on high‑temperature receivers, placed at the top of a tower for optical reasons.

The use of steam Rankine power blocks to produce electricity from CSTT heat has traditionally constrained CSTT systems to large, single unit systems. Alternative power block options and the rising need for decarbonized heat for industrial processes are potentially opening the field for a range of disruptive and innovative modularization options that could significantly a...