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The Mont-Louis Solar Furnace is an experimental
History of the Solar Furnace (in French)
Cooperation with Morocco
{{Solar power in France Energy infrastructure completed in 1949 Buildings and structures in Pyrénées-Orientales Energy development Solar power stations in France Tourist attractions in Pyrénées-Orientales Monuments historiques of Pyrénées-Orientales
The Mont-Louis Solar Furnace is an experimental solar furnace
A solar furnace is a structure that uses concentrated solar power to produce high temperatures, usually for industry. Parabolic mirrors or heliostats concentrate light (Insolation) onto a focal point. The temperature at the focal point may rea ...
- a solar thermal energy
Solar thermal energy (STE) is a form of energy and a technology for harnessing solar energy to generate thermal energy for use in industry, and in the residential and commercial sectors.
Solar thermal collectors are classified by the United St ...
facility that was built in 1949. It was the first facility of its kind in the world, and was a precursor of the Odeillo Solar Furnace
The Odeillo solar furnace is the world's largest solar furnace. It is situated in Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via, in the department of Pyrénées-Orientales, in the south of France. It is high and wide, and includes 63 heliostats. It was built between 1 ...
. It provides a thermal power of 50 kW.
History
The French chemistFélix Trombe
Felix Trombe (1906–1985) was a French engineer.Jean-Jacques Amigo, "Trombe (Félix)", in Nouveau Dictionnaire de biographies roussillonnaises, vol. 3 Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre, Perpignan, Publications de l'olivier, 2017, 915 p. ()
...
and his team made an initial demonstration of a mirror of DCA in Meudon
Meudon () is a municipality in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is in the département of Hauts-de-Seine. It is located from the center of Paris. The city is known for many historic monuments and some extraordinary trees. One of t ...
in 1946 to show the possibility of reaching high temperatures very quickly using highly concentrated sunlight. The goal was to melt ore and extract very pure substances to make new and more effective refractory material
In materials science, a refractory material or refractory is a material that is resistant to decomposition by heat, pressure, or chemical attack, and retains strength and form at high temperatures. Refractories are polycrystalline, polyphase, ...
s.
In order to do further experiments, the first solar furnace was built in Mont-Louis
Mont-Louis (; or ''el Vilar d'Ovansa'') is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography
Mont-Louis is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades. Mont-Louis-La Cab ...
in the Pyrénées-Orientales
Pyrénées-Orientales (; ca, Pirineus Orientals ; oc, Pirenèus Orientals ; ), also known as Northern Catalonia, is a department of the region of Occitania, Southern France, adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier and the Mediterranean Sea. ...
in 1949.Development and cooperation
The Mont-Louis Solar Furnace is engaged in a process oftechnology transfer
Technology transfer (TT), also called transfer of technology (TOT), is the process of transferring (disseminating) technology from the person or organization that owns or holds it to another person or organization, in an attempt to transform invent ...
to the countries of the south; the city of Safi in Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
is participating in this process. The aim is to install in villages, solar ovens that will cook pots, plates for eating bread, building materials, and melt any metal to make pots or tools.
Education
The centre gives demonstrations of its work. A guide takes visitors to the heart of the facility to explain the operation and use of thesolar furnace
A solar furnace is a structure that uses concentrated solar power to produce high temperatures, usually for industry. Parabolic mirrors or heliostats concentrate light (Insolation) onto a focal point. The temperature at the focal point may rea ...
. Applications of simple scientific and educational experiments complement the visit, for example: the concentration of the solar rays to produce temperatures between 2000 °C and 3500 °C, the ignition of wood, melting of metal, and ceramic cooking. The visit concludes with an overview of technologies that use solar energy: solar thermal
Solar thermal energy (STE) is a form of energy and a technology for harnessing solar energy to generate thermal energy for use in industry, and in the residential and commercial sectors.
Solar thermal collectors are classified by the United Sta ...
, solar forge, solar cell
A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect, which is a physical and chemical phenomenon.
s, solar cookers
Solar may refer to:
Astronomy
* Of or relating to the Sun
** Solar telescope, a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun
** A device that utilizes solar energy (e.g. " solar panels")
** Solar calendar, a calendar whose dates indica ...
.
See also
*Odeillo solar furnace
The Odeillo solar furnace is the world's largest solar furnace. It is situated in Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via, in the department of Pyrénées-Orientales, in the south of France. It is high and wide, and includes 63 heliostats. It was built between 1 ...
References
External links
History of the Solar Furnace (in French)
Cooperation with Morocco
{{Solar power in France Energy infrastructure completed in 1949 Buildings and structures in Pyrénées-Orientales Energy development Solar power stations in France Tourist attractions in Pyrénées-Orientales Monuments historiques of Pyrénées-Orientales