We completed 6 months of controlled conditions solar-heated NIFTE field trials at Wilo premises in Pune, Maharashtra and Kolhapur, Karnataka, India, late in 2016. Despite delivering daily pumped volumes substantially greater than our targets at low head, it was not possible to achieve the high (10m+) heads due to combinations of the effects of altitude combined with high pumped water temperatures. This fact combined with continued reductions in the cost of PhotoVoltaic cells drove a decision to suspend work on the NIFTE and prioritise company resources on the Impact Pump.
The NIFTE remains the highest power-density low temperature difference heat engine without moving parts, anywhere in the world, but currently lacks a commercially viable application in the new era of cheap PhotoVoltaics. If you have an application you believe might benefit from its unique characteristics, please contact us.