Oxygen fix for high-temperature molten-salt degradation (and corrosion) at 620°C

Kurzfassung

The molten salt mixture deployed in today’s commercial CSP plants for thermal energy storage is liquid at 565°C and degrades at higher temperatures. Yet higher temperatures would increase thermal efficiency. So how can we develop a molten salt mix that can reach temperatures up to 620°C without degradation? And at the same time, how can we prevent such a high-temperature molten salt liquid from corroding tanks and piping. An interesting approach is being pursued by a team of 15 researchers at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) led by Thomas Bauer, with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) under the VeNiTe and Limelisa projects.