LafueSol – Laser Joining of Glass Tubes for Solar - “Sunglasses” – laser made!

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Abstract:

A new laser based joining technology for the production of solar receivers is being developed which will substitute the conventional flame technology and increase the energy efficiency of the process. Due to the reduction of the energetic losses typical for the burner production, the energy demand can be decreased and faster heating can be achieved. This results in an increase in productivity. In order to transfer the process technology it is necessary to automate the process. For this purpose, the temperature field during the joining process needs to be captured and processed in a control loop for the process. In order to be able to produce storable and cost-effective components, it is further necessary to carry out a residual stress analysis during the cooling processes and also to analyze their influence. A prototype will demonstrate the fully automated process. These measures aim at achieving an optimized production of large quantities of solar receivers with regard to energy use and productivity. Further sub-goals of the project are the development of a fast residual stress capturing method as well as a glass-specific cost-effective infrared camera.