Thousand kW High-Temperature Solar Furnace in Parkent (Uzbekistan) – Energetical… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.83411

possible to significantly extend its functional capabilities. The new HACS differs fundamentally from the old one: modern microprocessor circuits are used in the element bases, achievements in modern information technologies have been implemented, reliable operation is ensured, and it has high accuracy and flexibility for the required processing modes [19]. The operational efficiency of the new system has successfully been tested on one heliostat, and efforts on transferring the system to other heliostats are planned (2019-2020). As a result, the LSF will have some new possibilities for practical use.

It should be noted that the third modernization of the control system of the heliostats of the French furnace has also been completed recently [22].

Furthermore, any complex processing device without a system for monitoring and measuring its operating parameters and characteristics cannot function efficiently and reliably. In this respect, the LSF is equipped with modern devices to measure the density of concentrated solar energy and the temperature of the studied materials and devices to control the behavior of the high-temperature processes. They include a high-temperature pyrometer for remote measurement of the temperature of materials (IMPAC IGA 12,Tmax = 3500°C), a thermal imager (FLIR A655), various radiometers, photometers, digital thermometers, a computer vision system (developments of the Institute of Materials Science - IMS) and etc.

Thus, the LSF, in addition to an environmentally friendly melting furnace, is a unique research tool for high-temperature studies, which has some important advantages compared to other high-temperature solar furnaces:

