In the Photon-NRW project, the important intermediate and target products carbon monoxide and methane are to be produced with the help of an innovative photoreactor.
Photo Credit: Jan van der Wolf
Helping Shape the Future of Solar Fuel Production
As the world moves toward cleaner and more sustainable energy sources, researchers are developing new ways to convert renewable energy into fuels and energy carriers that can power industries, transportation, and future energy systems. The PHOTON-NRW project is focused on advancing solar-driven reactor technologies that use concentrated sunlight to drive high-temperature chemical processes for renewable fuel production.
Luna Innovations is proud to support this effort by providing the measurement intelligence needed to better understand what’s happening inside these next-generation reactors. By delivering detailed thermal data from within the reactor itself, Luna is helping project partners optimize performance, improve efficiency, and accelerate innovation.
Turning Data Into Better Reactor Designs
One of the biggest challenges in solar thermochemical reactors is understanding how heat is distributed throughout the system. Temperature variations can significantly impact efficiency, reaction performance, and overall reactor design.
That’s where Luna comes in.
Using the Luna Sensing Group’s Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing (DFOS) technology, researchers can capture continuous temperature measurements directly inside the reactor. Unlike traditional sensors that only measure at a few points, DFOS provides a complete temperature profile across the reactor structure, delivering the insights needed to make smarter design decisions.
This level of visibility helps project partners:
- Understand how heat moves through the reactor
- Evaluate solar flux distribution and intensity
- Identify thermal gradients and hotspots
- Optimize reactor geometry and performance
- Validate models and accelerate design improvements
The result is a faster path toward more efficient and scalable renewable fuel production technologies.
The High-Flux Solar Simulator in Cologne-Porz
The innovative photoreactor currently under development is to be tested under real-world conditions – such as in the High-Flux Solar Simulator in Cologne-Porz.
Photo Credit: DLR (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
Luna’s Role in PHOTON-NRW
Luna is responsible for designing and delivering the distributed temperature measurement system used within the volumetric solar reactor.
The system combines Luna’s DFOS platform with high-temperature fiber optic sensors. These sensors are installed in direct contact with a metallic mesh coated with reactive material inside the reactor. This unique configuration allows temperature measurements to be captured exactly where the thermochemical reactions occur, providing valuable insight into reactor behavior during operation.
Beyond supplying the sensing technology, Luna is actively involved in the reactor development process. Working closely with project partners, Luna contributes to the design of the measurement strategy and helps inform reactor geometry decisions using real-world temperature data.
By combining sensing expertise with reactor design collaboration, Luna helps ensure that critical thermal information can be translated into meaningful performance improvements.
Why It Matters
Advanced reactor technologies have enormous potential to support the production of sustainable fuels and renewable energy carriers. But unlocking that potential requires accurate, high-resolution data that enables researchers to understand and optimize complex thermal processes.
Luna’s DFOS technology provides that visibility.
By transforming the reactor into a continuously monitored system, Luna helps researchers move beyond assumptions and simulations, enabling data-driven decisions that improve performance and accelerate development.
Driving Innovation Together
PHOTON-NRW highlights the value of combining world-class research with advanced sensing technology. Through its collaboration with the DLR Institute of Future Fuels and project partners, Luna is helping bring greater intelligence, visibility, and confidence to the development of solar-driven fuel production systems.
As renewable energy technologies continue to evolve, Luna remains committed to providing the measurement solutions that help innovators turn ambitious ideas into practical, scalable solutions for a more sustainable future.
