Solar Test Facility Research Articles

Sandia to build largest solar‐energy test plant

A five‐megawatt thermal solar test facility, said to be the largest solar test plant in the world, will be built at Sandia Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Energy Research and Development Administration's Division of Solar Energy will manage the new plant, and Sandia Laboratories will operate it.

Performance - Endurance Testing of the Cesium Vapor Thermionic Cavity Generator

Completion of the Performance - Endurance solar test series climaxed an eleven month solar experimental program in support of the "Cavity Vapor Generator" (an assembly of 3 cesium vapor thermionic converters), at the G. E. Spacecraft Dept. Solar Test Facility, Phoenix, Arizona. The program included three segments: 1) calibration of the system components, 2) evaluation of the basic performance of the generator, and 3) Performance - Endurance development solar testing of the generator. Empirical results of the final two parts of the program are covered. A total of forty-nine solar test runs were performed, during which 129 hours were spent at temperatures above 1650°K. Data on generator efficiency, generator power, E-I characteristics, stability with life, misorientation effects, cavity performance (black body), energy balance, and cesium temperature optimization are presented.