1210.4972 (Domingos Barbosa et al.)

Power Challenges of Large Scale Research Infrastructures: the Square Kilometer Array and Solar Energy Integration; Towards a zero-carbon footprint next generation telescope    [PDF]

Domingos Barbosa, Gonzalo Lobo Márquez, Valeriano Ruiz, Manuel Silva, Lourdes Verdes-Montenegro, Juande Santander-Vela, Dalmiro Maia, Sonia Antón, Arnold van Ardenne, Matthias Vetter, Michael Kramer, Reinhard Keller, Nuno Pereira, Vitor Silva, The BIOSTIRLING Consortium

The Square Kilometer Array (SKA) will be the largest Global science project of the next two decades. It will encompass a sensor network dedicated to radioastronomy, covering two continents. It will be constructed in remote areas of South Africa and Australia, spreading over 3000Km, in high solar irradiance latitudes. Solar Power supply is therefore an option to power supply the SKA and contribute to a zero carbon footprint next generation telescope. Here we outline the major characteristics of the SKA and some innovation approaches on thermal solar energy Integration with SKA prototypes.

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1210.4972