Gen3 CSP Materials: Critical Review of Limited Existing and New Survey Data

Abstract

Novel high temperature (≥ 700°C) Heat Transfer Medias (HTMs, e.g., molten salts) and corrosion-resistant Containment Materials (CMs, e.g., metal alloys or ceramics) are necessary for concentrated solar power (CSP) given the emphasis on higher temperatures and high cycle efficiency in the 3rd generation CSP (Gen3 CSP) technologies. In early 2019, we sent out an online survey to the Gen3 CSP community to fully assess the communal needs for thermophysical properties measurements of which HTMs and CMs, and what temperature range and other testing environments would be ideal for those materials. Based on the recorded responses, seven unique HTMs and twenty-six unique CMs were identified. Since then the list has been constantly updated, following our interactions and inputs from the Gen3 CSP community, with some new materials substituting their older counterparts. Currently, there are total of ten unique HTMs and twenty-nine unique CMs that are under consideration by the Gen3 CSP community. By analyzing the available body of research to date and combining it with our survey data from within the Gen3 CSP community, this paper presents trends of what people in the CSP world are thinking regarding materials worth investigating and suggests which thermophysical property measurements are critical to advance high-temperature CSP systems.