SBIR Phase I: Solar Concentrator Unit for Low-Cost Metal Additive Manufacturing

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是使用最小，低成本的设备为控制高温应用提供太阳能热源。拟议中的太阳能集中装置（SCU）是为个人和服务不足的社区提供自由的低成本替代方案的第一步，以满足他们许多最紧迫的制造和材料加工需求。SCU在产生热量时不产生排放，不需要燃料成本，并且可以在偏远地区用于对高温热过程进行精确控制。通过拟议的创新，市场参与者可以获得许多新的应用，其中最显著的商业成果是能够生产定制金属和玻璃部件的多材料增材制造（即3D打印）系统。SCU的其他应用包括焊接；将废料回收为有用的原料；热解废物流，使其化学和生物惰性；对救灾行动中的医疗设备进行消毒；并由个人和研究机构进行极高温材料科学研究。该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目探索了SCU的设计和性能，该SCU可提供65 ？C到2200 ？C长时间（6小时以上）。该技术依靠集中的太阳能作为主要热源，提出的创新是一个反馈控制系统，用于将接收平面的温度保持在工作值的+/-5%以内。提出的创新解决了现有的太阳能集中方法缺乏温度控制的局限性，其输出热通量的一致性随一天中的时间、太阳位置、云量和大气条件而变化。这个第一阶段项目将包括开发一个SCU原型，以便在不同的太阳条件下对输出太阳通量和通量密度进行特性测试。该项目的预期结果将是证明所提出的设计概念的可行性，并评估其在受控高温应用中的应用。SCU的性能特征将在第一阶段得到充分探索，SCU的设计将允许在第二阶段开发模块化热处理单元，以与SCU产生的集中太阳能光斑相连接。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to provide access to a solar heat source for controlled high temperature applications using minimal, low-cost equipment. The proposed Solar Concentrator Unit (SCU) is the first step to providing individuals and underserved communities with the freedom of a low-cost alternative to many of their most pressing manufacturing and materials processing needs. The SCU produces no emissions in its heat generation, requires no fuel costs, and can be used in remote locations to deliver precision control to high temperature thermal processes. Many new applications become available to market participants through the proposed innovation with the most notable commercial outcome being a multi-material additive manufacturing (i.e. 3D printing) system capable of producing custom metal and glass parts. Additional applications for the SCU include welding; recycling of waste material into useful feedstocks; pyrolysis of waste streams to render them chemically and biologically inert; sanitizing medical equipment in disaster response operations; and very high temperature materials science research by individuals and research institutions.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project explores the design and performance of a SCU for delivering high temperatures in the range of 65 ?C to 2,200 ?C over long durations (6+ hours). The technology relies on concentrated solar energy as the primary heat source with the proposed innovation being a feedback control system for maintaining temperature of a receiver plane to within +/-5% of an operating value. The proposed innovation addresses the limitations of existing methods for concentrating solar energy which lack temperature control and whose consistency of output thermal flux varies with time of day, sun position, cloud cover, and atmospheric conditions. This Phase I project will consist of development of a SCU prototype to conduct characterization tests on output solar flux and flux density under varying solar conditions. The expected outcome of this project will be to prove feasibility of the proposed design concept and evaluate its use for controlled, high temperature applications. The performance characteristics of the SCU will be fully explored in Phase I and the design of the SCU will allow for development of modular Thermal Processing Units in Phase II to interface with the concentrated solar spot produced by the SCU.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.