Paolo Martini

Antofagasta, Chile 6 Oct. 2009
> ASE – shareholders
Archimede Solar Enegy (ASE) produces receiver tubes for thermodynamic solar power plants (CSP).
ASE is the sole worldwide producer of solar receiver tubes (HEMS08) operating with molten salts as heat
transfer fluid.
> ASE: overall market development  for CSP
Due to the market position ASE is an independent partner for all players in this market

Project Developer Owner EPC Operator

Solar Field Power plant block

Engineering Components Construction Engineering Components Construction

Trough Receiver Reflectors

> ASE: market placement
> The Market: potential
> The Market: CSP by country
In 2009, Spain has become 
the epicenter for technology 
promoters and developers, 
with 22 projects
for 1,037 MW under 
construction out of the 
approximate 15 GW planned 
globally through 2014

With the experience gained 
in Spain by 2011, CSP 
developers will be positioned 
to extend their strategies to 
the US and southern Europe, 
and to capitalize on a global 
pipeline that has reached a 
staggering 25 GW. Critical to 
this expansion will be an 
evolution of regulatory 
policies supporting CSP’s 
growth.
> ASE: project evolution 
> ASE: HEMS08 solar receiver tube

> Designed for thermodynamic solar power plants operating high temperature (up to 550°C) with 
molten salts as Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF). 

> Selective coating  stable up to 600 °

> Produced under license from ENEA
> ASE: HEMS08 solar receiver tube

1‐ Optical film coated stainless steel absorber tube;
2‐Coated glass sleeve enclosure;
3‐Bellows;
4‐Glass to metal joint;
5‐Internal shield with NEG Strips;
6‐Barium getters;
7‐Vacuum enclosure.
> ASE: HEMS08 solar receiver tube
> stainless steel tube
Material Electric‐welded AISI 316Ti steel with lapped and electropolished external surface
Material characteristics Corrosion‐resistant with flow of molten salts mixture NaNO3 and KNO3 
Surface finish Average roughness Ra<0.2 µm
Dimensions Length 4060±1 mm, OD 70±0.5mm, thickness 3 mm
Irradiated surface/total surface 0.95

> glass envelope

Material Borosilicate glass (Sio2 80,3%, B2O3 13%, Al2O3 2,4%, Na2O+K2O 4,3%)
Transmittance of solar radiation (%) 91.5%
Transmittance of solar radiation  with AR Coating 96.%
Dimensions Length 3,896±1 mm, OD 125 mm, thickness 3 mm

> cermet coating

Solar radiation absorbance ≥95%
Radiation emissivity in the IR  10% @ 400°C;  14% @580°C

> functional characteristics

Weight of the receiver ≈30 kg
Thermal vector fluid Molten salts mixture (60% NaNo3, 40% KNO3) 
Physical state of the thermal vector fluid Liquid
Max operating pressure of the steel pipe 20 bar
Min/Max O.T.of the molten salt mixture 290°C/550°C
Max operating temperature 580°C (cermet coating stable up to 600°C) 
Vacuum Enclosure pressure < 1.0 x 10‐4 mbar
> Receiver Tube – the coating
CERAMIC  LAYER

CERMET  LAYER

METALLIC  LAYER

The surface coating deposited on the steel

tube is constituted of a thin film
multilayer structure including an inferior
Total thickness < 0.5 µm

layer of metal, reflecting in the infrared,

and a superior layer of antireflective
ceramic material. A graded ceramic-
metallic material (CERMET) having
different volumetric fraction of metal is
interposed between the two films.
CERMET: ceramic‐metal nanocomposite
Fabrication technology : Sputtering

1) absorbance higher than or equal to 95%

2) design emissivity of lower than 10% at 400°C
3) design emissivity of lower than 14% at 580°C
> Receiver Tube – performances

Heat  loss  of  Archimede  Solar  Energy  (ASE)  receiver  tubes  has  been  performed  at  ENEA 
Casaccia laboratory (Rome).
Receiver tubes have been heated by Joule effect at different temperatures (indicated by dots 
in diagrams) until reaching stationary conditions. The thermal energy loss has been deduced 
from the measure of electrical power that it is necessary to keep constant the temperature of 
the system.
> ASE: company strategy (overwiev)
> ASE: technology for solar power plants
Such scheme required an innovative receiving tube design! • Molten salts work as sole fluid
for both heat absorption and
storage allowing a simplified
Challenge: design of the plant
the entire network of pipes is filled with molten salt
• Compared to traditional plants a
smaller thermal storage fully
compensate for solar
discontinuities

• Standard turbines parameters

are matched by a higher
operating temperature

• Unlike oil, molten salts are an

environmentally friendly, non-
flammable, stable fluid, with no
degradation of the receiving tube
The use of molten salt as Heat Transfer Fluid AND as heat storage medium permits the following advantages:

> Higher steam temperature (540 °C instead of 390 °C)

> No oil to salt heat exchanger

> Much lower storage cost (half volume for the same size).
> the molten salts: properties
Nitrate salts mixture: 
Phase Diagram NaNO3-KNO3
‐ Sodium Nitrate (NaNO3): 60% w. 400

‐ Potassium Nitrate (KNO3): 40% w. Melting point

350
Features: Freezing point
‐ Operative temperatures: 260‐550°C;  300

‐ Non flammable and non toxic fluid;

T (°C)
250
‐ Low cost fluid;
‐ Good heat transport properties: 200
> High Coefficient of Heat Transfer
150
> High Heat Capacity
> High Density
100
> Low Operative Pressures 0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1
Salts Physical Properties : Molar Fraction NaNO3
‐ Freezing Temperature: 238°C;
‐ Melting Temperature: 221°C;
‐ Heat of Fusion: 161 kJ/kg;
‐ Volume Change on Fusion: 4,6%.
> ENEA PCS ‐ solar collector assembly test loop

Main Parameters
> Heat transfer fluid: mixture of molten salt (40% KNO3 60% NaNO3)
> Normal operating temperature:   290 – 550°C  
>Heat transfer fluid flow: 3,0 – 7,5 kg/s
> Design pressure: 8,5 bar
> Molten salt volume: 5 m3 ( 9500 kg)
> Maximum thermal power: 500 kW
 HEMS08 efficiency
A unit of 6 solar collectors connected in series (total length 600 m), with parabolic mirrors about 6 m width, can increase 
the temperature of about 5.3 Kg/s of molten salt mixture, from 290 °C up to 550 °C, with a DNI of 900 W/m2. 
The following data show the efficiency on collecting heat at high temperature assuming an effective optical efficiency at 
the absorber tube: 0.7583.

Total thermal power collected: 2.09 MW 
Total heat loss by radiation: 215.797 KW
Pressure drop: 282 KPa (2.78 Bar)
Outlet temperature of the molten salt without solar radiation: 283.6 °C
Heat loss without solar radiation (at R.T.=20 °C): 50.57 KW
> Archimede Power Plant – ENEL ‐ Priolo Gargallo (SR)
> Archimede Power Plant – ENEL ‐ Priolo Gargallo (SR)
> Archimede Power Plant – ENEL ‐ Priolo Gargallo (SR)

Courtesy of ENEL SpA

> Archimede Power Plant – ENEL ‐ Priolo Gargallo (SR)

Collector lines; on the back the Power Station

Courtesy of ENEL SpA
> ASE: development plan
> ASE – new manufacturing plant
New Manufacturing Plan.
Located in Massa Martana (PG)

Main Parameters:

1)Foundation Stone: Oct. 2009
2)Operational: May 2010
3)More than 30.000 m2 (12.000 
covered)
4)Fully Automated
5)Innovative  manufacturing process
6)Full capacity: 100.000 rec./Y (2011)
> ASE: demostration plant
ASE Demo Plant 
(Operational in Feb. 2010):
A complete Stand Alone CSP Demo Plant using molten 
salts with storage system and turbine.

Main Parameters:
1)One Loop: 600mt
2)(DNI): 1527 kWh/m2
3)HTF: (40% KNO3 60% NaNO3)
4)Grid Connected: 2010
5)NOT: 290 – 550°C  
6)Number of collectors:  6 
7)Collecting area [m2]: 3398
8)Storage thermal capacity [MWh]: 4.27
9) Nominal electric gross power [kW] :350 
10)Maximum electric gross power [kW] : 420
11)Steam turbine: Siemens 
12)Turbine efficiency at nominal power [%]: 15.61
13)Integration heater thermal power [kW]: 500
14)Overall FF fraction [%]: 15
15)Yearly Net Electricity Production [MWh]: 275 
16)Power block operating hours [h/y]: 1300
> ASE: demostration plant: energy flow
Daily Production Curve
MWt
MWht
2.5 5
Thermal Power To Power Block

2.0 4

Storage Level

1.5 3
Solar Power
To Storage

1.0 2
FF Power
To Storage

0.5 1

0.0 0
Good Day Bad Day
Solar only operation Solar and FF operation
> ASE – new manufacturing plant
Archimede Solar Energy
Italy ‐ Località Cimacolle, 464 
06056 Massa Martana (PG)
www.archimedesolarenergy.it
www.angelantoni.it 
history teaches us that…

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) 
Started in Italy 2000 years ago 
under a….
Defense Program …