System and method for the thermal processing of bulk material by intense concentrated solar power

A treatment system for solid bulk material, which treatment system comprises:

• a mechanical conveyor, configured for receiving the solid bulk material upon a transportation surface thereof and for displacing said material from a charging region to a discharging region;
• a heating chamber having internal surfaces or walls, configured to receive a solar radiation conveyed by an external optical arrangement,
• wherein a length portion of said transportation surface passes within or below said heating chamber so that thermal energy associated with said solar radiation is transferred to the solid bulk material by direct impingement or by reflection or re-irradiation by internal surfaces or walls of said heating chamber,
• wherein said internal surfaces or walls of said heating chamber comprise a reflecting and/or re-radiating surface configured to reflect the solar radiation entering said heating chamber directly upon said length portion of said mechanical conveyor, thereby directly onto the solid bulk material, or upon another reflecting and/or re-radiating surface of said heating chamber, thereby causing the solar radiation to impinge directly onto the solid bulk material.