Search

The reflector durability is essential to maintain suitable photo-to-thermal conversion in concentrated solar power plants. The present study evaluates the impact of environmental exposure and accelerated aging of the reflector material. The study is conducted to assess the reflector material's durability to withstand environmental exposure and accelerated aging test. The evaluation is conducted using four different reflector materials commonly used in concentrated solar power: stainless steel and silvered-glass mirror (solid-state reflector), aluminum and silvered-polymer film (sheet-based reflector). The environmental exposure and accelerated aging test are conducted for 1,080 hours according to the standard reference of ISO 8565:2011 and ASTM B117–11. The mass loss after exposure is used as a reference to determine the corrosion rate for each reflector. Further observation is conducted by using microscope light to observe the effect of exposure on the surface of the reflector. Each reflector indicates a different corrosion rate which implies different weather resistance for each reflector type. The highest corrosion rate is found on aluminum film, with a value of 295.8 g/m2.year. The accelerated aging test through neutral salt spray demonstrates that a metallic reflector has a higher corrosion rate compared to a silvered-glass mirror which uses silicon dioxide as the top coating. Microscope observation demonstrates that suitable protection from soiling elements for the silvered-glass mirror is mainly caused by the presence of silicon dioxide on the top surface of this reflector. The assessment suggests that a suitable coating can be developed to be used for reflector protection. Furthermore, the corrosion mechanism is observed clearly, which can be referred to the synthesis of new reflective material that withstands environment and salt exposure.

The application of pyrolysis for the thermal decomposition of tire waste can be taken as the ideal concept to reduce and recycle tire waste. The product of the process can produce condensate oil, a typical oil that is close to crude oil properties. The critical aspect of the pyrolysis process is the design of the reactor, particularly for the condenser where the rate of heat transfer contributes to the overall quality and quantity of the produced condensate oil. This study focused on the effect of water flow direction on the condensation process of pyrolysis gas. The quantity and quality of the produced oil are examined to observe the effect of the condensation process. Two different water flow directions are tested in the process, namely, counter flow and parallel flow direction. The effect of water flow direction in the condenser clearly affects the pyrolysis process to produce the condensate oil. Based on the production quantity, the counter flow condenser is able to produce 355 ml of condensate oil while the parallel flow one merely 290 ml. Based on the quality of the produced condensate oil, the counter flow condenser is generally better than the parallel flow one where the density, flash point and viscosity are close to crude oil properties. The rate of heat transfer from the condenser to the pyrolysis gas is the main factor that contributes to the quality and quantity of the condensate oil. The average heat transfer for the counter and parallel flow is 2,728 W and 1,865 W, respectively. It can be said that using the counter flow condenser for the pyrolysis reactor can improve the quality and quantity of the condensate oil