10 MW/sub e/ solar thermal central receiver pilot plant mirror module corrosion survey
Mirror module corrosion was first noticed in the heliostat field of the 10 MWe Solar Thermal Central Receiver Pilot Plant near Barstow, California, in February 1982--approximately one year after the first heliostats were installed. The corrosion occurs when water enters the normally sealed mirror modules and penetrates through several protective layers to the reflective silver layer of the mirrors. In August 1983, a survey of all 1818 heliostats was completed which documented the extent of this corrosion. This report is a full summary of that survey. The major findings of the survey are: (1) 0.015% of the total reflective surface of the heliostat field is corroded; (2) 15% of all the modules have some amount of corrosion; (3) 65% of all the corrosion occurs in the northeast quadrant of the field; (4) 85% of all the corrosion is located on the left-hand side (odd-numbered) modules; and (5) mirror modules manufactured before July 1, 1981, are ten times more likely to develop corrosion than those manufactured after this date. The great reduction in mirror module corrosion for those manufactured after July 1, 1981, was due to a change in the clamping procedure used for the edge seal adhesive curing step. Plans are currently under way to retrofit about half of the mirror modules in the field with drying vents.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Southern California Edison Co., Rosemead (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC03-77SF10501; AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 7146524
- Report Number(s):
- SAND84-8214; ON: DE84009311
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
10 MW/sub e/ Solar Thermal Central Receiver Pilot Plant mirror module corrosion torque tube damage and vent tube assessment survey, July 1985 and July 1986
10-MWe solar-thermal central-receiver pilot-plant-heliostat experiences, November 1981-February 1983. Monograph series, No. 1
Related Subjects
BARSTOW SOLAR PILOT PLANT
MIRRORS
CORROSION
HELIOSTATS
POWER RANGE 1-10 MW
SILVER
SOLAR REFLECTORS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
METALS
PILOT PLANTS
POWER PLANTS
SOLAR CONCENTRATORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TOWER FOCUS POWER PLANTS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
CSP
Concentrating Solar Power
140702* - Solar Thermal Power Systems- Central Receiver