Title: Effect of weathering conditions on the durability of solar energy mirrors that heat the HTF oil in El-Kureimat solar energy power plant

Authors: Mshiera A.A. Badr; Ahmed Asaad I. Khalil; Mostafa M.H. Khalil; Ashraf I. Hafez; Eman M. Mostafa

Addresses: Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, 11566, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt; El-Kureimat Solar Station, New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA), Cairo, Egypt ' Laser Sciences and Interactions Department, National Institute of Laser Enhanced Sciences (NILES), Cairo University, Giza, Egypt ' Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, 11566, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt ' Egyptian Electricity Holding Company, Cairo, Egypt ' PVT Lab., Production Department, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute (EPRI), 1 Ahmed El-Zomor St., Nasr City, Cairo, 11727, Egypt; Faculty of Postgraduate Studies for Nanotechnology, Cairo University, El-Sheikh Zayed 12588, Egypt

Abstract: All solar thermal power systems have solar energy collectors with two main mechanisms: mirrors (reflectors) (collect and focus solar irradiation) and receivers which have heat-transfer oil or fluid (HTF) that are heated, circulated, and used to heat water to produce the steam. In this study, factors that decrease the efficiency of solar mirrors that heat HTF oil at the El-Kureimat solar power station were studied. Solar mirrors were exposed for one year to weather conditions in their sit location and the wind speed, temperature, humidity, pressure, and radiation were determined during this time. The protective layer and metal frame corrosion of the mirrors were investigated before and after exposure to weather conditions using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses on the frame of the mirror as a metal part. The conclusion of this work covered the method of preventive maintenance of solar mirrors.

Keywords: concentrated solar power; CSP; parabolic trough collectors; PTCs; weather conditions; solar mirrors; corrosion; painting layer; heat-transfer oil or fluid; HTF.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPEC.2024.138010

International Journal of Power and Energy Conversion, 2024 Vol.15 No.2, pp.99 - 121

Received: 13 Jul 2023
Accepted: 27 Sep 2023
Published online: 16 Apr 2024 *

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