An investigation on the effects of phase change material on material components used for high temperature thermal energy storage system
The latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) systems for concentrated solar power (CSP) plants with advanced power cycle require high temperature phase change materials (PCMs) Graphite foams with high thermal conductivity to enhance the poor thermal conductivity of PCMs. Brazing of the graphite foams to the structural metals of the LHTES system could be a method to assemble the system and a method to protect the structural metals from the molten salts. In the present study, the LHTES prototype capsules using MgCl2 graphite foam composites were assembled by brazing and welding, and tested to investigate the corrosion attack of the PCM salt on the BNi 4 braze. The microstructural analysis showed that the BNi 4 braze alloy can be used not only for the joining of structure alloy to graphite foams but also for the protecting of structure alloy from the corrosion by PCM.