Results of molten salt panel and component experiments for solar central receivers : cold fill, freeze/thaw, thermal cycling and shock, and instrumentation tests

by Albuquerque Sandia National Laboratories, NM

Technical Report, 1995

Barcode

CSP Unique ID 190708541

Status

Electronic Resource

Call number

**Click on MARC view for more information on this report.**

Publication

SAND Report: SAND94-2525, January 1995.

Language

Library's review

ABSTRACT:
Experiments have been conducted with a molten salt loop at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM to resolve issues associated with the operation of the 1 O W , Solar Two Central Receiver Power Plant located near Barstow, CA. The salt loop contained two receiver panels, components
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such as flanges and a check valve, vortex shedding and ultrasonic flow meters, and an impedance pressure transducer. Tests were conducted on procedures for filling and thawing a panel, and assessing components and instrumentation in a molten salt environment. Four categories of experiments were conducted: 1) cold filling procedures, 2) fieeze/thaw procedures, 3) component tests, and 4) instrumentation tests. Cold-panel and -piping fill experiments are described, in which the panels and piping were preheated to temperatures below the salt freezing point prior to initiating flow, to determine the feasibility of cold filling the receiver and piping. The transient thermal response was measured, and heat transfer coefficients and transient stresses were calculated from the data. Analysis is presented which quantifies the thermal stresses in a pipe undergoing thermal shock. In addition, penetration depths were calculated to determine the distances salt could flow in cold pipes prior to freezing shut and validated with panel tests. Freezehaw experiments were conducted with the panels, in which the salt was intentionally allowed to freeze in the receiver tubes, then thawed with heliostat beams to assess permanent deformation in the tubes, and to develop procedures to thaw a panel so minimal damage occurs. Slow thermal cycling tests were conducted to measure both how well various designs of flanges (e.g., tapered flanges or clamp type flanges) hold a seal under thermal conditions typical of nightly shut down, and the practicality of using these flanges on high maintenance components. In addition, the flanges were thermally shocked to simulate cold starting the system. Instrumentation such as vortex shedding and ultrasonic flow meters were tested alongside each other, and compared with flow measurements from calibration tanks in the flow loop.
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