Solar-energy treatment of ceramic tile. Final report

Technical Report · Tue Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:7034952

Harris, J N; Clayton, M E

The 400 kW Advanced Components Test Facility was used to provide a concentrated source of solar energy for firing ceramic wall tile. A domed top cylindrical cavity with a white refractory fiber lining provided diffuse reflection of the concentrated solar beam directly onto the upper surface of the unfired wall tile. The tile were placed directly on the cavity floor in a circular pattern, centered at 45/sup 0/ intervals so that eight tile could be fired at one time. The tile and cavity walls were instrumented with thermocouples, and pyrometric cones were used to determine temperature distribution within the cavity. The glazed and unglazed solar fired tiles were subjected to standard ceramic testing procedures to determine: flatness, modulus of rupture, water absorption, porosity, bulk density, apparent specific gravity, percent linear thermal expansion and crystalline phases present in the fired bodies. These data were compared with the same data for commercial fired tiles from the same batch of raw materials. The glazed tile surfaces were compared with commercially fired tile for reflectance and color match. The major problems encountered were: cracking by thermal shock, and uneven shrinkage and glaze maturity across individual tile. The cavity also failed to provide even heating at all eight tile positions. An alternate air heat exchanger system is recommended to fire the tile by convection rather than direct radiation.

• Research Organization: Georgia Inst. of Tech., Atlanta (USA). Engineering Experiment Station
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-81SF11492
• OSTI ID: 7034952
• Report Number(s): DOE/SF/11492-T7; ON: DE83000147
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140702* -- Solar Thermal Power Systems-- Central Receiver
140905
ADVANCED COMPONENTS TEST FACILITY
BUILDING MATERIALS
CERAMICS
CERAMICS INDUSTRY
COATINGS
ENERGY
EQUIPMENT
FURNACES
GLAZES
HEAT
HEATING
INDUSTRY
KILNS
MATERIALS
PROCESS HEAT
PRODUCTION
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR FURNACES
SOLAR HEATING
SOLAR PROCESS HEAT
TEST FACILITIES