Vacuum thermal cycle life testing of high temperature thermal energy storage

Conference · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States)

OSTI ID:5702126

Ponnappan, R ^[1]; Beam, J E ^[2]

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1. Universal Energy Systems, Inc., 4401 Dayton-Xenia Road, Dayton, Ohio 45432-1894 (USA)
2. Aero Propulsion and Power Laboratory, Wright Research and Development Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 45433-6563 (USA)

An experimental program to investigate the corrosion compatibility of the high temperature thermal energy storage (TES) salts with Inconel-617 container was initiated at the Thermal Laboratory of the Wright Research and Development Center (WRDC) in 1985. Three fluoride eutectic mixtures: LiF-MgF{sub 2}-KF, LiF-MgF{sub 2}-NaF, and LiF-MgF{sub 2} having melting points in the neighborhood of 1000 K and heats of fusion above 750 kJ/kg were chosen. High purity analytical grade component salts were processed in oxygen and moisture-free inert atmosphere, and melted {ital in} {ital situ} in the Inconel-617 containers. The containers were sealed by electron beam-welding of the end caps thereby evacuating the void volume. The TES capsules thus formed were placed in a tubular vacuum furnace for continuous thermal cycle life testing by cycling them {plus minus}100 K from the eutectic temperature every 2 hours. The capsules have successfully undergone 40,000 hours and 10,000 cycles of testing as of April 1990 and continuing on the test. This is believed to be the longest record available on the TES corrosion compatibility data. The present results clearly indicate that careful processing and proper welding are key factors in obtaining a longlife TES salt-containment system.

• OSTI ID: 5702126
• Report Number(s): CONF-910116-; CODEN: APCPC
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States), Vol. 217:1; Conference: 8. symposium on space nuclear power systems, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 6-10 Jan 1991; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
MOLTEN SALTS
THERMAL CYCLING
THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE EQUIPMENT
CORROSION
EUTECTICS
LATENT HEAT STORAGE
LITHIUM FLUORIDES
MAGNESIUM FLUORIDES
POTASSIUM FLUORIDES
SODIUM FLUORIDES
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ENERGY STORAGE
EQUIPMENT
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HEAT STORAGE
LITHIUM COMPOUNDS
LITHIUM HALIDES
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
SALTS
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
STORAGE
250902* - Energy Storage- Batteries- Performance & Testing