Novel high temperature (≥700°C) Heat Transfer Medias (HTMs, *e.g.*, molten salts) and corrosion-resistant Containment Materials (CMs, *e.g.*, metal alloys or ceramics) are necessary for concentrated solar power (CSP) given the emphasis on higher temperatures and high cycle efficiency in the 3^rd^ generation CSP (Gen3 CSP) technologies.  Many of the critical thermophysical properties (*e.g.*, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and specific heat) for these technologies have not been measured at high temperatures with varying compositions and degrees of contaminants and corrosion.  We performed a thorough literature review and found that there exist large gaps in available thermophysical properties.  This indicates that there is a clear need for more thermophysical property measurements, and for developing engineering models from these measurements, to enable engineering designs for realizing the Gen3 CSP systems.  In early 2019, we created and sent out an online survey to the Gen3 CSP community to fully assess the communal needs for thermophysical properties measurements of which HTMs and CMs, and what temperature range and other testing environments would be ideal for those materials.  Based on the recorded responses, seven unique HTMs and twenty-six unique CMs were identified.  Since then the list has been constantly updated, following our interactions and inputs from all Gen3 CSP community, with some new materials substituting their older counterparts.  At the time of writing this abstract, there are total of ten unique HTMs and twenty-nine unique CMs that are under consideration by the Gen3 CSP community.  We expect that this list will not stop growing in the near future.  This paper will first give a recent literature review on the limited thermophysical properties of molten salts and containment materials above 700°C.  Next, we will discuss the survey responses for the Gen3 CSP prioritized HTMs and prioritized CMs.  This is followed by brief discussion on our work aimed at measuring the thermophysical properties of these HTMs and CMs at those high temperatures (≥700°C) across a range of conditions with novel immersion electrothermal probe technique and modified photothermal technique, thereby providing research and support analysis for the Gen3 CSP integrated thermal system.  Overall, by analyzing the available body of research to date and combining it with our survey data from within the Gen3 CSP community, we hope to leave the reader with trends of what people in the CSP world are thinking regarding materials worth investigating and suggests which thermophysical property measurements are critical to advance high-temperature CSP systems.


Gen3 Csp Materials: Critical Review of Limited Existing and New Survey Data

Division / Sponsor:
Advanced Energy Systems Division (AESD) & Solar Energy Division (SED)

Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/ES/ES2020/volume/83631

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