Because of their high heat capacity and thermal conductivity molten salts are used today for the transfer of heat in large scale chemical plants in a temperature range between 180°C and 450°C (special applications also up to 650°C). The pumping of molten salts as a heat carrier for chemical reactors is a central application for The Rheinhütte Pumps Division of Friatec AG and new pumps for pumping molten salts in solar thermal power stations are being developed from this.
In sunny regions of the earth these solar thermal power stations are an important technological option for environmental and climate-friendly electricity supplies.
With the possibility of molten salt reservoirs the drawback of solar power stations which can only recover energy when the sun shines can now be compensated for.
This thermal storage technology has succeeded in heating up these reservoirs throughout the day in parallel to the operation of the power station, thus distinctly extending the power station running time.
Because of the high requirements the company was brought into the project design of the plants at the very early stage. This not only allowed the pumps to be designed from suction nozzle to discharge nozzle but also the specific know-how can be incorporated into the whole pump system.
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FRIATEC AG Rheinhütte Pumps Division - is based in Wiesbaden, Germany. www.rheinhuette.de
