Prime Movers

Table 23 Parameters of several solar dish machines and a Stirling engine

System	MDAC	SES/Boeing	SunDish	ADDS Mod2	DISTALII + II	EuroDish
Performance period	1984–1988	1998	1994	1999	1990–2000	2001
Peak output power	25 kWe	25 kWe	22 kWe	9 kWe	9 kWe	10 kWe
Peak efficiency	29–30%	27%	18–23%	22%	18–21%	22%
Cumulative elapsed time	12,000 h	8350 h	900 h	5000 h	40,000 h	50 h
Stirling engine
Manufacturer	USAB	USAB/SES	STM	SOLO	SOLO	SOLO
Model number	4-95MKII	4–95	STM4–120	SOLO161	V-161	SOLO161
Power	25 kW	25 kW	20–25 kW	10 kW	9 kW	10 kW
Working medium	Hydrogen	Hydrogen	Hydrogen	Helium	Helium	Helium
Working fluid pressure	20 MPa	20 MPa	12 MPa	15 MPa	15 MPa	15 MPa
Cumulative elapsed time	80,000 h	17,900 h	/	80,000 h	/	80,000 h
Solar dish
Diameter	10.57 m	10.57 m	12.25 m	8.8 m	7.5–8.5 m	8.5 m
Form	Multi glass mirror	Multi glass mirror	Stretched film mirror	Multi glass mirror	Single mirror design of metal stretch film	Glass fiber thin shell structure
Character of surface	Glass/silver plating	Glass/silver plating	Low iron glass mirror	Glass/silver plating	Glass/silver plating	Glass/silver plating
Number of mirrors	82	82	16	24	/	12
Single mirror size	0.91 × 1.22 m	0.91 × 1.22 m	3.0 m	/	7.5–8.5 m	8.5 m
Reflectance rate	91%	>90%	>90%	>90%	94%	94%