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Processes, Materials and Solar Energy laboratory - PROMES
A laboratory of CNRS, France (National Centre for Scientific Research)

PROMES is the French national R&D laboratory on solar concentrating systems, It is a CNRS laboratory closely associated with the University of Perpignan.

The research objectives of the laboratory are:
iconTo study solar energy conversion into heat, coldness, electricIty and hydrogen (energy carriers) uslng partlcularly thermal and thermochemical processes.
iconTo qualify and improve high temperature materials, and elaborate new materials using concentrated solar energy
iconTo develop low environmental impact processes and long lifetime materials.
The 1 MW solar fumace and the dish/Stirling in operation
The 1 MW solar fumace and
the dish/Stirling in operation
The scientific and technical permanent staff of PROMES is 75 persons and a total of about 100 persons are currently working in the laboratory at Odeillo and Perpignan.
PROMES operates high flux solar facilities at Odeillo Centre: 10 small size (1-2 kW) solar furnaces that reach maximum concentration of 18000, a 6 kW solar furnace (concentration 4500) and a 1000 kW solar fumace (concentration 10000). In addition a 50 kW parabola (concentration 10000) equipped with a 10 kWe Stirling engine is tested daily.
High priority scientific topics are related to solar thermal power generation using gas thermodynamic cycles, hydrogen production, medium and high temperature heat storage, high temperature materials testing and evaluation, materials synthesis, and solar heating and cooling of buildings.

Vertical axis solar furnaces. South of the building
Vertical axis solar furnaces.
South of the building

Thermolysis of water for hydrogen production
Thermolysis of water for
hydrogen production

Metrology at the focus of a solar furnace
Metrology at the focus of a
solar furnace
(see SOLLAB highlight)
SOLLAB Highlight

A 2 m in diameter horizontal axis solar furnace (concentration up to 18000) is devoted to SOLLAB actions in metrology.
Equipements include solar blind pyrometres, bidirectional reflectometre and test chambers.
Applications in progress deal with temperature measurement, emissivity and reflectivity measurement at high temperature (800°C - 3200°C), material ageing.

NEWS and EVENTS

June 15 – 17, 2017
13th SOLLAB Doctoral Colloquium on Solar Concentrating Technologies will be organised in Berlin by the DLR, Germany


June 6 – 8, 2016
12th SOLLAB Doctoral Colloquium on Solar Concentrating Technologies will be organised by the Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA), Spain


June 23 – 25, 2014
10th SOLLAB Doctoral Colloquium on Solar Concentrating Technologies at PROMES Odeillo, France


March 2014
New position for a research engineer, experienced in energy systems at CNRS/PROMES


May 13 – 14, 2013
9th SOLLAB Doctoral Colloquium on Solar Concentrating Technologies at Hornberg Castle in the Black Forest, Germany


June 25-26, 2012
8th SOLLAB Doctoral Colloquium on Solar Concentrating Technologies at Almería, Spain


December 19, 2011
New Position for a PhD student opened at the Paul Scherrer Institute


March 24-25, 2011
2nd SFERA Winter School at ETH Zürich, Switzerland


March 21-23, 2011
7th SOLLAB Doctoral Colloquium in Grindelwald, Switzerland

June7-9, 2010
6th SOLLAB Doctoral Colloquium, PROMES Odeillo, France

September 2009
New Post-doctoral position opened at PROMES, 2009-2010

June 22-24, 2009
5th SOLLAB Doctoral Colloquium, DLR Cologne, Germany

September 10-12, 2008
4th SOLLAB Doctoral Colloquium, PSA, Spain

September 11-12-13, 2007
3rd SOLLAB Doctoral Colloquium, PROMES-Odeillo, France

14-15 Apr. 2006
1st Workshop SOLLAB Flux and Temperature Measurement Group - Odeillo