Thermal and mechanical stresses in bayonet tubes of solar central receivers working with molten salt and liquid sodium

One of the most promising technologies for solar thermal power are solar power towers (SPTs), in which direct solar radiation is redirected by heliostats to a receiver located on top of a tower. The technology used by SPT allows obtaining high thermal efficiencies as well as a high number of hours of operation thanks to thermal storage. However, the high thermal gradients to which the receiver is subjected, in addition to the corrosion of the molten solar salt, can cause the rupture of the receiver and this limits the maximum irradiation the receiver can withstand. To overcome this problem there are different strategies, such as the use of working fluids that are less corrosive than molten salts or the development of new designs of the receiver to avoid overheating of the pipes [...].

bayonet tube; liquid sodium; molten salt; non-uniform heat flux; solar power tower; solar receiver; thermal stresses

Thermal and mechanical stresses in bayonet tubes of solar central receivers working with molten salt and liquid sodium Articles