The objective of the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI): High Operating Temperature Fluids (“HOT Fluids”) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to support research into fluid materials development that will enable Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) systems to integrate with energy conversion devices capable of thermal to electric conversion efficiencies greater than 50%. DOE anticipates providing up to $10M in funding for up to 2 awardees to accomplish the goals of this funding opportunity. This FOA directly supports the goals of the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Solar Energy Technologies Program and the SunShot Initiative.
This FOA will take a MURI approach that ensures awardees bring together researchers from various technical backgrounds in order to achieve the discovery and a development of a liquid that is stable as a liquid from 0°C to 1300°C. This target must be achieved while also ensuring that the fluid has the necessary properties to be used in current CSP plant designs. Development of such a fluid will directly enable the achievement of the SunShot target of providing electricity generated by solar power at a cost of 6 cents per kilowatt hour (¢/kWh).