Editing Pyrenees (section)

===Odeillo solar furnace===
[[File:Four_solaire_001.jpg|thumb|[[Odeillo solar furnace]].]]
The [[Odeillo solar furnace]] is the world's largest solar furnace. It is situated in Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via, in the department of [[Pyrénées-Orientales]], in south of France. Built between 1962 and 1968, it is {{Convert|54|m|ft}} and {{Convert|48|m|ft}} wide, and includes 63 heliostats. The site was chosen because of the length and the quality of sunshine with direct light (more than 2,500 h/year) and the purity of its atmosphere (high elevation and low average humidity).

This furnace serves as a science research site studying materials at very high temperatures. Temperatures above {{convert|3500|C|F}} can be obtained in a few seconds; in addition, it provides rapid temperature changes and therefore allows studying the effect of thermal shocks.

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