Synthesis and Characterization of Mechanical Behavior and Thermal Shock Resistance of Macro-Porous SiC Solar Absorber

The concentrated solar power (CSP) is one of the renewable energy sources in which solar irradiation heat energy will be used in a steam turbine to generate electrical grid. Solar radiation is absorbed by a solar receiver reactor on the surface of a porous solar absorber. In this survey, synthesis and mechanical/thermal characterization of micro-porous silicon carbide (SiC) absorber to be used in solar reactor is carried out. SiC foams were synthesized and categorized based on three different pore sizes i.e. 5, 12 and 75 ppi. Mechanical behavior and thermal shock resistance of porous foams in the working temperature range for absorber (25-1200 °C) were evaluated. Results revealed that the specific compressive strength (σc/ρ) of foams increase exponentially by a decrement in the porosity percentage and the average pore size. Moreover, for foams with smaller pore size, a considerable decrease in mechanical strength due to thermal shock was observed. This could be due to increase in the number of struts per unit volume i.e. more weak struts to withstand the mechanical loading. So, porous foams with coarser pore sizes were distinguished to be more capable of tolerating thermal shock while serving as solar absorbers.