Air-stable, earth-abundant molten chlorides and corrosion-resistant containment for chemically-robust, high-temperature thermal energy storage for concentrated solar power

A dramatic reduction in man-made CO2 emissions could be achieved if the cost of electricity generated from concentrated solar power (CSP) plants could become competitive with fossil-fuel-derived electricity. The solar heat-to-electricity conversion efficiency of CSP plants may be significantly incre...

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Published inMaterials today (Kidlington, England) Vol. 46
Main Authors Caldwell, Adam S., Itskos, Grigorios, Sandhage, Kenneth H.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Elsevier 24.03.2021
Subjects
air stable
concentrated solar power
ENERGY STORAGE
high-temperature corrosion resistance
MATERIALS SCIENCE
molten chlorides
SOLAR ENERGY
thermal energy storage
thermodynamic calculations
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Summary:A dramatic reduction in man-made CO2 emissions could be achieved if the cost of electricity generated from concentrated solar power (CSP) plants could become competitive with fossil-fuel-derived electricity. The solar heat-to-electricity conversion efficiency of CSP plants may be significantly increased (and the associated electricity cost decreased) by operating CSP turbines with inlet temperatures ≥750 °C instead of ≤550 °C, and by using thermal energy storage (TES) at ≥750 °C to allow for rapidly dispatchable and/or continuous electricity production. Unfortunately, earth-abundant MgCl2-KCl-based liquids currently being considered as low-cost media for large-scale, high-temperature TES are susceptible to oxidation in ambient air, with associated undesired changes in liquid composition and enhanced corrosion of metal alloys in pipes and tanks containing such liquids. In this paper, alternative high-temperature, earth-abundant molten chlorides that are resistant to oxidation in ambient air are identified via thermodynamic calculations. Here, the oxidation resistance, and corrosion-resistant containment, of such molten chlorides at 750 °C are then demonstrated. Such an air-tolerant strategy, involving chemically-robust, low-cost TES media paired with effective containment materials, provides a critical advance towards the higher-temperature operation of, and lower-cost electricity generation from, CSP plants.
Bibliography:EE0008532
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
ISSN:1369-7021
1873-4103