Structure and Thermophysical Properties of Molten Calcium-Containing Multi-Component Chlorides by Using Specific BMH Potential Parameters

Abstract

Chloride molten salts have become a potential heat storage material for the design of a new generation of concentrating solar power (CSP) (>700 °C) due to its abundant reserves and low cost. The difficulty of measuring the high-temperature thermal properties of chlorides can be effectively solved by using molecular dynamics simulation. However, it is challenging to get the thermophysical properties of multi-component molten salts containing CaCl2 due to the lack of Born–Mayer–Huggins (BMH) potential parameters of CaCl2. Through comparative analysis of the structure and thermal properties of CaCl2, including density and thermal conductivity, a set of Born–Mayer–Huggins (BMH) potential parameters of CaCl2 named SP2 is determined in this study. The density, specific heat capacity, and thermal conductivity of nine eutectic molten salts are simulated, including NaCl-CaCl2, KCl-CaCl2, NaCl-CaCl2-MgCl2, and NaCl-CaCl2-KCl, and the simulation results are found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. It is also found that the SP2 parameters are able to predict the thermal properties and structure of molten multicomponent chlorides including calcium.