An Introduction to the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Solar Energy Research Amplified Flux Facility - SERAFF

This paper describes the progress made towards establishing South Africa’s first dedicated solar furnace research facility. The Solar Energy Research Amplified Flux Facility (SERAFF) is the flagship project of University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Group for Solar Energy Thermodynamics (GSET). SERAFF will assume an on-axis optical configuration comprising a flat 9 m heliostat reflector and a 3 m diameter paraboloidal primary concentrator. At design-point conditions, a thermal power output of approximately 5 kW is expected with a peak flux in the region of 3 MW/m. The facility will provide the University of KwaZulu-Natal with a platform to undertake wide-ranging research in disciplines including concentrating solar power, materials testing and processing, and solar thermochemistry, amongst others.