Solar Salt above 600 °C: Impact of Experimental Design on Thermodynamic Stability Results

Abstract

Thermal energy storage (TES) based on molten salts has been identified as a key player in the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Solar Salt, a mixture of NaNO3 (60 wt%) and KNO3 (40 wt%), is currently the most advanced heat transfer and storage material used in concentrating solar power (CSP) plants. Here, it is utilized to produce electricity via a Rankine cycle, with steam temperatures reaching 550 °C. The goal of this study is to increase the operating temperature of solar salt to over 600 °C, allowing it to be adapted for use in high-temperature Rankine cycles with steam temperatures greater than 600 °C. Yet, this goal is impaired by the lack of available thermodynamic data given the salt’s complex high-temperature decomposition and corrosion chemistry. The study explores the thermodynamics of the decomposition reactions in solar salt, with a focus on suppressing decomposition into corrosive oxide ions up to a temperature of 620 °C. The results provide a new understanding of the stabilization of solar salt at previously unexplored temperatures with effective utilization of gas management techniques.