Nonlinear thermal and structural analysis of a brazed solar-central-receiver panel

Technical Report · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6335244· OSTI ID:6335244

Napolitano, Jr., L. M.; Kanouff, M. P.

One part of the evaluation program for a molten sodium central receiver was to be a test of a reduced-scale panel at Sandia's Central Receiver Test Facility in Albuquerque. The panel incorporates a new way of joining tubes - brazing to intermediate filler strips - which can affect the panel's lifetime. To calculate the stresses and strains for the worst-case section of the experimental panel, we have done a nonlinear elastic-plastic analysis with the MARC finite element computer code, which takes the temperature dependence of the material properties into account. From the results, tube design lifetimes are predicted. The analysis shows that concerns for cracking and reduction in lifetime are warranted, but a more detailed fracture analysis is necessary to determine whether there is a stable-crack-growth problem.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6335244
• Report Number(s): SAND-81-8017; ON: DE81025458
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140702* -- Solar Thermal Power Systems-- Central Receiver
BRAZED JOINTS
CENTRAL RECEIVER TEST FACILITY
CENTRAL RECEIVERS
CRACKS
CSP
Concentrating Solar Power
FATIGUE
FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
JOINTS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
SERVICE LIFE
SOLAR RECEIVERS
STRESS ANALYSIS
TEST FACILITIES
TUBES
WELDED JOINTS