BGU, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 84990, Israel

Born: 1946, Former USSR

Ph.D: Ph.D.: 1986, Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy (KIAE).

Research Interests:

Influence of environment on efficiency of solar energy conversion. Use of physics-based phenomena to reduce the losses caused to solar power stations by dust on collectors. Experiments on surface protection from airborne dust and their dry cleaning by means of electric field. Basic disciplines involved: physics of aerosols. computerized microscopy. electro- and hydrodynamics. Optics. b) Development of approaches to creation of knowledge-based expert system for regulating solar power stations in the presence of clouds. Basic disciplines involved: cloud physics, meteorology, image sequence analysis, knowledge based expert systems. New devices for solar energy conversion. Study of properties of new perspective parabolic concentrator of solar energy with aperture 400 sq. meters. Study of opportunities for applications of this concentrator for researches in fundamental physics as a complement to solar energy research.

Research Projects for M.Sc.

• Investigation of phenomena, related to loess particle behavior in electric fields
• Improvement of dust removal efficiency from surfaces after wet deposition
• Investigation of optical properties of a 400-square meters aperture, two-axes tracking parabolic solar concentrator 

Research Projects:

1997-2000, Very Energetic Gamma Ray astronomy in the Negev: Principal Investigators: T.Weekes (U.S.), S.Biryukov and D.Eichler (ISRAEL). Funding: United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF).

1999-2000 , A Computerized, Knowledge-based Expert System for Regulating Solar Power Stations in the Presence of Clouds, Principal Investigator: S.Biryukov,

Grantor: Israel Ministry of National Infrastructures

1999-2000, Investigation of Methods for Dry-cleaning Solar Collectors from Dust under Conditions of Wet Deposition, Principal Investigators: S.Biryukov, Grantor: Israel Ministry of National Infrastructures

2002-2003, A Computerized System for Regulating Solar Power Stations in the

Presence of Clouds, Principal Investigator: S.Biryukov, Grantor: Israel Ministry of National Infrastructures

2003-2004 , Preparation of the PETAL Solar-Concentrating Dish Facility at Sede Boqer, for Testing Solar-Thermal Power Units, Principal Investigators: D.Faiman and S.Biryukov, Grantor: Israel Ministry of National Infrastructures

2004-2006 , High Concentration PV Power System (HiConPV), Principal Investigators: D.Faiman and S.Biryukov, Grantor: European Commission, 6th Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration: Energy, Environment and SustainableDevelopmentProgram 

Abstracts of Current Research:

Investigation into possibility of regulating solar power stations in the presence of clouds: A solar power plant operating under conditions of intermittent cloudiness represents by itself a system with randomly fluctuating output. Existing systems for regulation of output parameters, some of which even being called predictive controllers, are not efficient because they provide a feedback signal only after shading of the sun by passing clouds has occurred. We have suggested an automated system for prediction of the moment of shading in two different time scales and development, on this basis of a knowledge-based expert system for operation of solar power plants under conditions of intermittent cloudiness.

We have solved successfully the problem of simultaneous viewing the sun and moving cloud in its vicinity, by means of application of special kind of electronics. We analysed also a variety of algorithms for image sequence analysis, suitable for creation of final system. The basic hardware and software for this system has been created and are now under development and further investigation.

Surface protection against dust accumulation: As a result of our previous work a new method of surface dry cleaning has been developed, which is based on interaction of dielectric particles with alternating electric field in the vicinity of a dielectric surface (Biryukov S., Method and apparatus for dust removal from surfaces. Positive solution by August 1998 on Israeli patent application N 116489). High efficiency of removal of particles deposited from dry air on dry surfaces by this method was approached. Now our research is concentrated on investigating the process of dust removal from surfaces after wet deposition. This investigation has led to progress in the following directions: Influence of surface coating on physical conditions in presurface interface has been studied. In particular, a possibility of much stronger dielectrophoretic effects was demonstrated and their importance both for dust accumulation and removal has been confirmed. Influence of surface material on adhesion has been demonstrated and quantitatively characterized in terms of dust removal efficiency; Experiments with hydrophobic coatings have been performed. A variety of experimental conditions was included in the investigation. At least one possible mechanism of considerable improvement of dust removal efficiency for wet deposition was demonstrated and understood.

Atmospheric Cherenkov Technique for Very High Energy Gamma-Rays studies: One of the most familiar types of two-axes tracking solar concentrators is a parabolic reflector, frequently called the parabolic dish. It uses the unique property of parabola to focus a beam of rays, parallel to its symmetry axis, to a single point. The same property of the parabola is used in optical astronomy: constructions of many optical telescopes are also based on it. A unique 400 sq. meter aperture solar concentrator (Big Dish) is now under construction in Sede Boqer, at the Ben Gurion National Solar Energy Center. Its prototype was recently designed and built at the Australian National University. Optical quality of this reflector is characterized by a mean surface error deviation of 6 milliradian. Improvement of this parameter by a factor 1.5 2, that could be achieved in Sede Boqer, together with its large aperture and high reflectivity makes this solar concentrator a world class telescope for registration of air-showers of charged particles by their Cherenkov radiation - Atmospheric Cherenkov Technique (ACT).The possibility of ACT-based observations is principally limited by night time. Hence, this research can be complementary to the daily solar energy program. Our program of focal region studies, flux mapping and further adjustments and improvement of angular resolution of the Big Dish is targeted also on the opportunity of its application for Very High Energetic Gamma-ray Astronomy.

Recent Publications:

BIRYUKOV, S. Determining the optical properties of PETAL, the 400 m2 parabolic dish at Sede Boqer. Journal of Solar Engineering. 126 : 827-832, 2004

Biryukov, S., Faiman, D. & Goldfeld, A. An optical system for the quantitative study of particulate contamination on solar collector surfaces Solar Energy 66: 371-378, 1999

Biryukov, S. An experimental study of the dry deposition mechanism for airborne dust Journal of Aerosol Science 29: 129-140, 1998

Biryukov, S. Coulombic splitting of loess aggregates on surface Journal of Aerosol Science 28, suppl.1: 515-516, 1997

Biryukov, S. Degradation of optical properties of solar collectors due to the ambient dust deposition as a function of particle size Journal of Aerosol Science 27 suppl.1: 37-38, 1996