Erosion wear analysis of heat exchange surfaces in a falling particle-based concentrating solar power system
Abstract:
Next generation concentrating solar power (CSP) plants that use solid particles as the heat transfer and storage medium provide opportunities for higher temperature operation, higher efficiency, and lower levelized cost. However, falling particles over component material surfaces can cause significant erosion, severely limiting the performance and operational service life of the components. An understanding of the particle erosion wear of heat transfer surfaces is imperative for designing components and operating conditions to minimize wear. Considering a shell-and-tube heat exchanger configuration, this study presents a computational analysis coupling falling particle flow around heat exchanger tubes and particle-scale erosion of the tube surfaces governed by the Finnie model. Several tube arrangements, particle flow and geometric parameters, and tube material parameters are systematically investigated for their effects on the erosion rate spatially and with time. Parameters that influence the erosion depth, the cumulative mass loss rate and the maximum erosion rate are elucidated. The results of the study may be used to help identify locations that experience the most erosion and devise ways for targeted erosion mitigation.
Kant, K., & Pitchumani, R. (2024). Erosion wear analysis of heat exchange surfaces in a falling particle-based concentrating solar power system. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 266, 112629. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2023.112629
