@misc{15c3a280e18947608dc734ad39d13659,
title = "Addressing Failures in Molten Salt Thermal Energy Storage Tank for Central Receiver Concentrating Solar Power Plants",
abstract = "The thermal energy storage (TES) system is a critical component in concentrated solar power (CSP) plants that increases the plant's capacity factor and economic competitiveness by reducing the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) while simultaneously increasing the value of the delivered energy. Failures including molten-salt leaks and diverse localized cracking after several months to a few years of operation have been reported in hot tanks for CSP plants operating around the world. A model of a molten salt thermal energy storage tank was developed and validated to analyze the impact of different tank design features on the temperature and stress distributions as a function of typical plant operation conditions. Design features included the floor plate thicknesses, friction coefficients between the tank floor and the foundation, and the sparger ring location. Maximum stresses in the tank floor frequently surpassed the yield point of the material during operation, leading to a detriment of the tank's lifetime. Recommendations on design features to improve the reliability of new molten salt tanks for CSP plants are provided.",
keywords = "concentrating solar power, failure analysis, stresses, tank design, tank reliability, thermal energy storage",
author = "Julian Osorio and M. Mehos and W. Hamilton and J. Martinek and L. Imponenti and B. Kelly and H. Price and A. Rivera-Alvarez and C. Nieto and J. Torres and Z. Yu and C. Ni",
year = "2024",
language = "American English",
series = "Presented at the 6th Thermal-Mechanical-Chemical Energy Storage (TMCES) Workshop, 31 July - 1 August 2024, Charlotte, North Carolina",
type = "Other",
}