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 yr 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 1120 K is a necessary 30-yr-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.
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November 2012
Research-Article
Life Estimation of Pressurized-Air Solar-Thermal Receiver Tubes
David K. Fork,
David K. Fork
1
e-mail: fork@google.com
1Corresponding author.
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Shawn Ziaei,
Shawn Ziaei
Independent Consultant
e-mail: shawn.ziaei@gmail.com
e-mail: shawn.ziaei@gmail.com
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Robert I. Jetter
Robert I. Jetter
Independent Consultant
e-mail: bjetter@sbcglobal.net
e-mail: bjetter@sbcglobal.net
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David K. Fork
e-mail: fork@google.com
John Fitch
Shawn Ziaei
Independent Consultant
e-mail: shawn.ziaei@gmail.com
e-mail: shawn.ziaei@gmail.com
Robert I. Jetter
Independent Consultant
e-mail: bjetter@sbcglobal.net
e-mail: bjetter@sbcglobal.net
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Solar Energy Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF SOLAR ENERGY ENGINEERING. Manuscript received February 27, 2012; final manuscript received September 19, 2012; published online October 19, 2012. Assoc. Editor: Wojciech Lipinski.
J. Sol. Energy Eng. Nov 2012, 134(4): 041016 (11 pages)
Published Online: October 19, 2012
Article history
Received:
February 27, 2012
Revision Received:
September 19, 2012
Citation
Fork, D. K., Fitch, J., Ziaei, S., and Jetter, R. I. (October 19, 2012). "Life Estimation of Pressurized-Air Solar-Thermal Receiver Tubes." ASME. J. Sol. Energy Eng. November 2012; 134(4): 041016. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4007686
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