Towards a Design Framework for Non-metallic Concentrating Solar Power Components

This paper describes a framework for the design of non-metallic concentrating solar power components. The next generation of solar receivers may be required to withstand material temperatures in excess of 800 degrees C in order to increase energy conversion and storage efficiency. At these temperatures, even high temperature Ni-based alloys may not provide practical, economic designs. Ceramics and other non-metallic materials have the required strength at these temperatures, but component design approaches for these materials must consider a different set of failure modes and mechanisms, when compared to metals. This paper outlines existing, applicable design methods and provides a draft set of discriminatory categorization tests aimed at placing non-metallic materials in categories with well-established existing design methods. However, the paper notes the existence of a category of high temperature materials - brittle or quasi-brittle materials with time-dependent strength - where there are no well-established design rules. A statistical design process for these types of materials is outlined here, though developing this outline into a practical design method will require substantial additional work.