Malvern Spraytec plays key role in revolutionary ‘Energy Towers’ technology

Accurate spray measurement crucial to major energy project

A Malvern Instruments Spraytec system is to be used in an ambitious alternative energy project - ‘Energy Towers’ - currently under development by the Israeli and Indian Governments. Energy Towers is the name of a technology developed at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology to use the hot, dry air that is abundant in arid countries for cost-effective electricity production.

The technology harnesses the power generated by the downdraft phenomenon caused by sprayed water droplets: consistent droplet size is crucial and will be monitored by the Malvern Spraytec.

Energy Towers is an impressive concept. The tower itself comprises a hollow shaft, over 400m tall and 100m wide, into which water (usually brackish or sea water) is sprayed at the top opening. The water partially evaporates and cools the surrounding air which then sinks and produces a downdraught capable of moving a system of turbines and electricity generators placed at the bottom of the shaft. The tower would generate energy 24 hours a day, with minimal environmental impact. Unlike wind energy, hydropower and biomass, Energy Towers requires no collection device to capture solar radiation.

Tests have shown that a variation in sprayed droplet size can dramatically affect output: consistency is vital in order to achieve optimal performance, and as a result a Malvern Spraytec has been specified to play a key role in the spray system.

The Spraytec delivers real time, high-speed measurements of high-concentration sprayed liquid droplets. It combines laser diffraction particle characterization with patented high concentration data inversion routines, ideal for the analysis of sprays with high or rapidly changing concentrations.

Spraytec’s robust and efficiently sealed construction makes it ideal for highly demanding applications, such as the Energy Tower, where accuracy is essential. A large clearance between transmitter and receiver modules is designed to accommodate sprays with large cone angles with minimal contamination of the optical system. Both modules can be easily mounted on a custom rig. Real-time spray measurement can be taken at speeds of up to 2500Hz giving a time resolution of one measurement every 400 microseconds, a measurement speed which is software configurable. Spraytec software provides a variety of statistical displays, accessed through a user-friendly interface, to enable quick data analysis and comprehension without the need to export data to additional analysis programs.

A prototype Energy Tower is currently under construction in the Israeli desert.

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