The World’s Largest Solar Furnace
Fuel for field-based learning
The Site
The world’s largest solar furnace, located in Odeillo, was opened in 1970. It operates by reflecting the sun’s energy on a series of mirrors and concentrated on one very small point, about the size of a cooking pot, where incoming radiation creates temperatures as higher as 3,500 °C.
The facility is used by space agencies (NASA and ESA), scientists, and technology companies to research the effects of extremely high temperatures on certain materials for nuclear reactors and space vehicle re-entry, and to produce hydrogen and nanoparticles.
Pedagogy
The site offers a basis for hugely impactful and dynamic learning opportunities that can be designed around the themes of renewable energy, the physics of solar radiation, and many more.
Pedagogical process can make use of regular tours, the opportunity to see and experience the installation in operation, as well as bespoke learner research tasks and follow up discussions.
