System and method for improved thermo-mechanical monitoring of a solar receiver
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermal monitoring systems for solar receivers in CSP plants are limited in their ability to accurately monitor thermo-mechanical stress, corrosion, fatigue, salt freezing, and temperature unbalance, and do not account for hardware failures or varying site conditions, which can compromise the integrity of the receiver.
Innovation Solution
A comprehensive monitoring system that integrates infrared cameras, backside thermocouples, flowmeters, and weather data to recalibrate temperature measurements, monitor strain, corrosion, fatigue, and salt freezing, and adjust operation modes to ensure receiver integrity, using empirical equations and multiple alarm levels to manage potential hazards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If infrared cameras are used to monitor thermal image of receiver surface, then thermal monitoring capability is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to hardware failures and false measurements
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by using multiple independent measurement methods (IR cameras, thermocouples, pyrometers) that continuously monitor and cross-validate each other. When one sensor type shows anomalies or failures, the system detects this through feedback loops and switches to alternative measurement methods, ensuring continuous reliable temperature monitoring without single points of failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes measurement parameters by employing different sensor types with different operating principles (infrared detection, electrical contact thermocouples, optical pyrometers) to measure the same physical quantity (temperature). This diversity in measurement parameters allows the system to adapt when one parameter or sensor type becomes unreliable, maintaining measurement precision through parameter substitution.
2Reliability
If multiple sensors and monitoring devices are integrated, then monitoring comprehensiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies universality by designing an integrated monitoring platform that performs multiple functions through a single complex system. The central control unit processes data from diverse sensor types (IR cameras, thermocouples, pyrometers, flow meters), performs thermal image analysis, calculates thermo-mechanical stresses, and generates alerts - all through one multi-functional system that reduces overall complexity despite handling multiple measurement tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges multiple independent monitoring functions into a unified system. Rather than having separate monitoring systems for thermal imaging, temperature sensing, flow measurement, and stress calculation, all these functions are combined into one integrated platform that shares common data processing, control logic, and user interface, thereby managing complexity through consolidation.
3Measurement precision
If adaptive calibration considering atmospheric transmittance and tube coating degradation is implemented, then measurement precision is improved, but calculation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing calibration parameters for atmospheric transmittance and tube coating emissivity before actual operation. These calibration data are obtained in advance through separate measurement campaigns or using established models, and are then integrated into the monitoring system to automatically correct temperature measurements without adding real-time calculation complexity during operational monitoring.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides reliable, real-time monitoring and adaptive control to prevent damage to the solar receiver, ensuring its integrity by accurately tracking thermal and mechanical stresses and adjusting operations to maintain safe conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of infrared cameras located on ground for measuring infrared radiation emitted by the external surface of the receiver
Implementation Method 2
thermocouples arranged respectively at the inlet and the outlet of the exchanger tubes
Implementation Method 3
one or more flowmeters for measuring the flow rate of heat-transfer fluid in the heat exchanger tubes
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A concentrated solar power plant comprising a plurality of heliostats or heliostat field, a substantially cylindrical solar energy receiver (2), consisting of a molten salt solar receiver, located atop a central tower (1) and having an external surface covered with receiver panels (8), the heliostats reflecting solar energy to said external surface of the receiver (2), each receiver panel (8) comprising a plurality of heat exchanger tubes (9) for transporting a heat transfer fluid being a molten salt, which are partly exposed on the external surface of the receiver and comprising a thermo-mechanical monitoring system to ensure the integrity of the solar receiver panel tubes in different operation phases ; wherein, using the tube emittance ε obtained from the measurements of the external surface of the receiver obtained from the infrared cameras and the salt temperature in the tubes obtained from the thermocouples during circulation mode, and the atmospheric transmittance τ obtained from the measurements of the weather data, the monitoring system is configured to calibrate the raw temperature measurements Traw acquired by the infrared cameras (4), so as to obtain calibrated temperatures Tcam.