Effect of weathering conditions on the durability of solar energy mirrors that heat the HTF oil in El-Kureimat solar energy power plant

Abstract

All solar thermal power systems have solar energy collectors with two main mechanisms: mirrors (reflectors) (collect and focus solar irradiation) and receivers which have heat-transfer oil or fluid (HTF) that are heated, circulated, and used to heat water to produce the steam. In this study, factors that decrease the efficiency of solar mirrors that heat HTF oil at the El-Kureimat solar power station were studied. Solar mirrors were exposed for one year to weather conditions in their sit location and the wind speed, temperature, humidity, pressure, and radiation were determined during this time. The protective layer and metal frame corrosion of the mirrors were investigated before and after exposure to weather conditions using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses on the frame of the mirror as a metal part. The conclusion of this work covered the method of preventive maintenance of solar mirrors.