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Advanced Materials Solutions and Architectures for a New Generation of High-Efficiency CSP Plants

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Advanced Composites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2023) | Viewed by 15432

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Inmaculada Cañadas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CIEMAT-Plataforma Solar de Almeria, Ctra. Senes, Km 4.5, E-04200 Tabernas (Almería), Spain
Interests: solar treatment and processing of materials; high temperature solar process heat; CSP for materials; solar furnaces
Prof. Dr. Luca Turchetti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
ENEA—Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy
Interests: CSP; thermal storage; solar process heat; solar thermochemical hydrogen production

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of advanced materials solutions and innovative architectures are two of the main research priorities for the advancement of the concentrating solar power (CSP) technology. This Special Issue will focus on these topics, which are key to improving the performance of the current systems and fostering the development of a new generation of high-efficiency CSP plants.

Novel functional materials; material combinations; advanced architectures; their development, processing, simulation and analysis; and synergies with other advanced technologies can enhance the performance and reliability of key components of CSP plants such as mirrors, receivers, thermal energy storage systems, etc., thus boosting conversion efficiencies beyond the state-of-the-art, taking into account the preservation of the lifetime and the materials resource efficiencies. In this way, it will be possible to increase the efficiency and durability of the CSP facilities and make this renewable energy technology cost-competitive under suitable electricity market conditions.

It is our pleasure to invite you to submit a manuscript for this Special Issue. Full papers, communications, and reviews are all welcome.

Dr. Inmaculada Cañadas
Prof. Dr. Luca Turchetti
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • CSP materials
  • CSP architectures
  • advanced materials solutions for CSP
  • high-efficiency CSP plants
  • solar materials ageing
  • CSP material lifetime

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 15593 KiB  
Article
Enhanced and Selective Absorption of Molybdenum Nanostructured Surfaces for Concentrated Solar Energy Applications
by Antonio Santagata, Maria Lucia Pace, Alessandro Bellucci, Matteo Mastellone, Eleonora Bolli, Veronica Valentini, Stefano Orlando, Elisa Sani, Simone Failla, Diletta Sciti and Daniele Maria Trucchi
Materials 2022, 15(23), 8333; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15238333 - 23 Nov 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3338
Abstract
Surfaces of commercial molybdenum (Mo) plates have been textured by fs-laser treatments with the aim to form low-cost and efficient solar absorbers and substrates for thermionic cathodes in Concentrated Solar Power conversion devices. Morphological (SEM and AFM), optical (spectrophotometry), and structural (Raman spectroscopy) [...] Read more.
Surfaces of commercial molybdenum (Mo) plates have been textured by fs-laser treatments with the aim to form low-cost and efficient solar absorbers and substrates for thermionic cathodes in Concentrated Solar Power conversion devices. Morphological (SEM and AFM), optical (spectrophotometry), and structural (Raman spectroscopy) properties of the samples treated at different laser fluences (from 1.8 to 14 J/cm2) have been characterized after the laser treatments and also following long thermal annealing for simulating the operating conditions of thermionic converters. A significant improvement of the solar absorptance and selectivity, with a maximum value of about four times higher than the pristine sample at a temperature of 800 K, has been detected for sample surfaces treated at intermediate fluences. The effects observed have been related to the light trapping capability of the laser-induced nanotexturing, whereas a low selectivity, together with a high absorptance, could be revealed when the highest laser fluence was employed due to a significant presence of oxide species. The ageing process confirms the performance improvement shown when treated samples are used as solar absorbers, even though, due to chemical modification occurring at the surface, a decrease of the solar absorptance takes place. Interestingly, the sample showing the highest quantity of oxides preserves more efficiently the laser texturing. The observation of this behaviour allows to extend the applicability of the laser treatments since, by further nanostructuring of the Mo oxides, it could be beneficial also for sensing applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials Solutions and Architectures for a New Generation of High-Efficiency CSP Plants)
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18 pages, 2034 KiB  
Article
Performance of an Indirect Packed Bed Reactor for Chemical Energy Storage
by Tiziano Delise, Salvatore Sau, Anna Chiara Tizzoni, Annarita Spadoni, Natale Corsaro, Raffaele Liberatore, Tania Morabito and Emiliana Mansi
Materials 2021, 14(18), 5149; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14185149 - 8 Sep 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1992
Abstract
Chemical systems for thermal energy storage are promising routes to overcome the issue of solar irradiation discontinuity, helping to improve the cost-effectiveness and dispatchability of this technology. The present work is concerned with the simulation of a configuration based on an indirect-packed bed [...] Read more.
Chemical systems for thermal energy storage are promising routes to overcome the issue of solar irradiation discontinuity, helping to improve the cost-effectiveness and dispatchability of this technology. The present work is concerned with the simulation of a configuration based on an indirect-packed bed heat exchanger, for which few experimental and modelling data are available about practical applications. Since air shows advantages both as a reactant and heat transfer fluid, the modelling was performed considering a redox oxide based system, and, for this purpose, it was considered a pelletized aluminum/manganese spinel. A symmetrical configuration was selected and the calculation was carried out considering a heat duty of 125 MWth and a storage period of 8 h. Firstly, the heat exchanger was sized considering the mass and energy balances for the discharging step, and, subsequently, air inlet temperature and mass flow were determined for the charging step. The system performances were then modelled as a function of the heat exchanger length and the charging and discharging time, by solving the relative 1D Navier-Stokes equations. Despite limitations in the global heat exchange efficiency, resulting in an oversize of the storage system, the results showed a good storage efficiency of about 0.7. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials Solutions and Architectures for a New Generation of High-Efficiency CSP Plants)
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18 pages, 6069 KiB  
Article
High-Performance SiC–Based Solar Receivers for CSP: Component Manufacturing and Joining
by Valentina Casalegno, Luca Ferrari, Maria Jimenez Fuentes, Alessandro De Zanet, Sandro Gianella, Monica Ferraris and Victor M. Candelario
Materials 2021, 14(16), 4687; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14164687 - 19 Aug 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3299
Abstract
Concentrated solar power (CSP) is an important option as a competitive, secure, and sustainable energy system. At the moment, cost-effective solutions are required for a wider-scale deployment of the CSP technology: in particular, the industrial exploitation of CSP has been so far hindered [...] Read more.
Concentrated solar power (CSP) is an important option as a competitive, secure, and sustainable energy system. At the moment, cost-effective solutions are required for a wider-scale deployment of the CSP technology: in particular, the industrial exploitation of CSP has been so far hindered by limitations in the materials used for the central receiver—a key component in the system. In this context, the H2020 NEXTOWER project is focused on next-generation CSP technologies, particularly on advanced materials for high temperatures (e.g., >900 °C) and extreme applications environments (e.g., corrosive). The research activity described in this paper is focused on two industrial solutions for new SiC ceramic receivers for high thermal gradient continued operations: porous SiC and silicon-infiltrated silicon carbide ceramics (SiSiC). The new receivers should be mechanically tough and highly thermally conductive. This paper presents the activity related to the manufacturing of these components, their joining, and characterization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials Solutions and Architectures for a New Generation of High-Efficiency CSP Plants)
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20 pages, 4516 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Solar-Aged Porous Silicon Carbide for Concentrated Solar Power Receivers
by Inmaculada Cañadas, Victor M. Candelario, Giulia De Aloysio, Jesús Fernández, Luca Laghi, Santiago Cuesta-López, Yang Chen, T. James Marrow, Antonio Rinaldi, Ana Mariblanca Sanchez, Angelo Tatì and Claudio Testani
Materials 2021, 14(16), 4627; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14164627 - 17 Aug 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2790
Abstract
Porous silicon carbide is a promising material for ceramic receivers in next-generation concentrated solar power receivers. To investigate its tolerance to thermal shock, accelerated ageing of large coupons (50 × 50 × 5 mm) was conducted in a solar furnace to investigate the [...] Read more.
Porous silicon carbide is a promising material for ceramic receivers in next-generation concentrated solar power receivers. To investigate its tolerance to thermal shock, accelerated ageing of large coupons (50 × 50 × 5 mm) was conducted in a solar furnace to investigate the effects of thermal cycling up to 1000 °C, with gradients of up to 22 °C/mm. Non-destructive characterization by computed X-ray tomography and ultrasonic inspection could detect cracking from thermal stresses, and this informed the preparation of valid specimens for thermophysical characterization. The effect of thermal ageing on transient thermal properties, as a function of temperature, was investigated by using the light-flash method. The thermophysical properties were affected by increasing the severity of the ageing conditions; thermal diffusivity decreased by up to 10% and specific heat by up to 5%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials Solutions and Architectures for a New Generation of High-Efficiency CSP Plants)
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11 pages, 3342 KiB  
Communication
Materials for High Temperature Liquid Lead Storage for Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Air Tower Systems
by Antonio Rinaldi, Giuseppe Barbieri, Eduard Kosykh, Peter Szakalos and Claudio Testani
Materials 2021, 14(12), 3261; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14123261 - 12 Jun 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2565
Abstract
Today the technical limit for solar towers is represented by the temperature that can be reached with current accumulation and exchange fluids (molten salts are generally adopted and the max temperatures are generally below 600 °C), even if other solutions have been suggested [...] Read more.
Today the technical limit for solar towers is represented by the temperature that can be reached with current accumulation and exchange fluids (molten salts are generally adopted and the max temperatures are generally below 600 °C), even if other solutions have been suggested that reach 800 °C. An innovative solution based on liquid lead has been proposed in an ongoing experimental project named Nextower. The Nextower project aims to improve current technologies of the solar sector by transferring experience, originally consolidated in the field of nuclear plants, to accumulate heat at higher temperatures (T = 850–900 °C) through the use of liquid lead heat exchangers. The adoption of molten lead as a heat exchange fluid poses important criticalities of both corrosion and creep resistance, due to the temperatures and structural stresses reached during service. Liquid lead corrosion issues and solutions in addition to creep-resistant material selection are discussed. The experimental activities focused on technical solutions adopted to overcome these problems in terms of the selected materials and technologies. Corrosion laboratory tests have been designed in order to verify if structural 800H steel coated with 6 mm of FeCrAl alloy layers are able to resist the liquid lead attack up to 900 °C and for 1000 h or more. The metallographic results were obtained by mean of scanning electron microscopy with an energy dispersive microprobe confirm that the 800H steel shows no sign of corrosion after the completion of the tests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials Solutions and Architectures for a New Generation of High-Efficiency CSP Plants)
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