Thermophysical Characterization of Ceramic Materials for Next-Generation Solar Receivers

This paper presents the results of the lab-scale thermophysical characterization of materials for the next generation of solar receivers employed in CSP plants. The receiver material plays a crucial role in absorbing sunlight, minimising heat losses and transferring heat to the working fluid. Therefore, new receivers should be mechanically tough and highly thermally conductive. Porous SiC and SiSiC were the two industrial grade solutions investigated for this purpose. The Laser Flash Method was employed to analyse the transient thermal behaviour of the materials. The results of the measurements in terms of thermal diffusivity, specific heat and thermal conductivity are provided and compared with the literature data available.