Hydrogen generation in CSP plants and maintenance of DPO/BP heat transfer fluids – A simulation approach

Kurzfassung

The ageing of diphenyl oxide/ biphenyl (DPO/BP) Heat Transfer Fluids (HTFs) implies challenging tasks for operators of parabolic trough power plants in order to find the economic optimum between plant performance and O&M costs. Focusing on the generation of hydrogen, which is effecting from the HTF ageing process, the balance of hydrogen pressure in the HTF is simulated for different operation scenarios. Accelerated build-up of hydrogen pressure in the HTF is causing increased permeation into the annular vacuum space of the installed receivers and must be avoided in order to maintain the performance of these components. Therefore, the effective hydrogen partial pressure in the HTF has to be controlled and limited according to the specified values so that the vacuum lifetime of the receivers and the overall plant performance can be ensured. In order to simulate and visualize the hydrogen balance of a typical parabolic trough plant, initially a simple model is used to calculate the balance of hydrogen in the system and this is described. As input data for the simulation, extrapolated hydrogen generation rates have been used, which were calculated from results of lab tests performed by DLR in Cologne, Germany. Hourly weather data, surface temperatures of the tubing system calculated by using the simulation tool from NREL, and hydrogen permeation rates for stainless steel and carbon steel grades taken from literature have been added to the model. In a first step the effect of HTF ageing, build-up of hydrogen pressure in the HTF and hydrogen loss rates through piping and receiver components have been modeled. In a second step a selective hydrogen removal process has been added to the model. The simulation results are confirming the need of active monitoring and controlling the effective hydrogen partial pressure in parabolic trough solar thermal power plants with DPO/BP HTF. Following the results of the simulation, the expected plant performance can only be achieved over lifetime, if the hydrogen partial pressure is actively controlled and limited.