Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells ( IF 6.3 ) Pub Date : 2021-03-21 , DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2021.111065
Xin He , Rick Wang , Dino Sulejmanovic , Kevin R. Robb , James R. Keiser , Keith Oldinski , Jun Qu
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Molten salts are considered as candidate heat transfer fluids and thermal energy storage media for next generation concentrating solar power (CSP). A molten salt circulates inside the piping and heat exchanger and also functions as a lubricant for the sleeve bearings of the CSP pump. Wear- and corrosion-resistant high-temperature bearing materials are critical for the pump efficiency and durability. This study evaluated the tribological performance of candidate bearing materials in lubrication of a molten chloride salt mixture (20% NaCl + 40% MgCl2 + 40% KCl) at 750 °C in an inert argon gas (a simulative CSP pump environment). Six ceramic-alloy pairs were tested, zirconia and silicon nitride against Haynes 244, Hastelloy C276, and Tribaloy T900 alloy, and ranked by the friction coefficient and wear loss. Characterization of worn surfaces suggested the wear mechanism as a combination of abrasion, adhesion, and tribocorrosion. Results from this study provide fundamental insight for the development and selection of bearing materials for molten salt powered CSP pumps.
中文翻译:
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陶瓷盐合金熔体润滑中聚光太阳能轴承的摩擦学行为
熔融盐被认为是下一代聚光太阳能(CSP)的候选传热流体和热能存储介质。熔融盐在管道和热交换器内部循环,并且还用作CSP泵的套筒轴承的润滑剂。耐磨损和耐高温轴承材料对于泵的效率和耐用性至关重要。这项研究评估了候选轴承材料在熔融氯盐混合物(20%NaCl + 40%MgCl 2 在惰性氩气中(模拟CSP泵环境)在750°C时+ 40%KCl)。测试了六对陶瓷合金,分别针对海恩斯244,哈氏合金C276和Tribaloy T900合金测试了氧化锆和氮化硅,并根据摩擦系数和磨损损失对其进行了排名。磨损表面的特征表明,磨损机制是磨损,粘附和摩擦腐蚀的组合。这项研究的结果为熔融盐动力CSP泵的轴承材料的开发和选择提供了基本的见识。