Life Estimation of Pressurized-Air Solar-Thermal Receiver Tubes
Venue
ASME Journal of Solar Energy Engineering (2012) (to appear)
Publication Year
2012
Authors
David Fork, John Fitch, Shawn Ziaei, Robert I. Jetter
BibTeX
Abstract
The operational conditions of the solar thermal receiver for a Brayton-cycle engine
are challenging, and lack a large body of operational data unlike steam plants. We
explore the receiver’s fundamental element, a pressurized tube in time varying
solar flux for a series of 30 year service missions based on hypothetical power
plant designs. We developed and compared two estimation methods to predict the
receiver tube lifetime based on available creep life and fatigue data for alloy
617. We show that the choice of inelastic strain model and the level of
conservatism applied through design rules will vary the lifetime predictions by
orders of magnitude. Based on current data and methods, a turbine inlet temperature
of 850 C is a necessary 30-year-life-design condition for our receiver. We also
showed that even though the time at operating temperature is about three times
longer for fossil fuel powered (steady) operation, the damage is always lower than
cyclic operation using solar power .
