Article
Energy & Fuels
Heng Li, Xiaowei Wang, Xiucheng Feng, Xinyu Yang, Jianqun Tang, Jianming Gong, Sean B. Leen
Summary: In this study, the mechanical behaviors of 304 and 316L steels in solar salt with different contents of chloride impurity were investigated. The results show that the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the steels are negligibly affected by molten salt corrosion, but the ductility decreases with increasing chloride contents. Corrosion cracks primarily initiate and propagate along the grain boundary.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Mahander Pratap Singh, Bikramjit Basu, Kamanio Chattopadhyay
Summary: The high-temperature electrochemical behavior of passive film on 316SS in solar salt was evaluated, showing an increase in corrosion rate with temperature and severe oxidation at 550 degrees C. However, the corrosion potential did not change significantly. The impedance bode phase diagram analysis revealed the role of the passive layer at 400 degrees C and processes controlled by mass transfer limitations at 500 degrees C.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS ENGINEERING AND PERFORMANCE
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Qi Gao, Yuanwei Lu, Yanchun Yang, Yuting Wu, Cancan Zhang, Zhansheng Fan
Summary: This study investigated the corrosion behavior of molten salt with different chlorine ion (Cl) content on metal materials. The results showed that the quaternary mixed molten salt with a low Clcontent of 0.03 wt% had the lowest corrosion rate on stainless steel, and the addition of calcium ions (Ca2+) to solar salt with the same Clcontent of 0.03 wt% reduced the corrosion rate of stainless steel. Morphological analysis of the corrosion products revealed the formation of calcium rich oxide layers containing CaFeO4, which inhibited further corrosion of stainless steel in molten salt.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Xiaoli Li, Litao Chang, Chengpeng Liu, Bin Leng, Xiangxi Ye, Fenfen Han, Xinmei Yang
Summary: The study found that long-time thermal aging affects the corrosion behavior of type 316H stainless steel in molten chloride salt, resulting in reduced weight loss and thinner Cr depleted region in the thermally-aged specimens. The mechanisms behind the different corrosion behaviors were discussed based on experimental observations.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Xiaodong Wang, Xinmei Yang, Miaomiao Hu, Huajian Liu, Xingtai Zhou
Summary: The effect of 316 stainless steel on the corrosion of pressureless-sintered SiC in the vapor of molten NaCl-KCl-MgCl2 salt at 700 degrees C was studied. It was found that MgCl2•xH2O (x = 4, 6) hydrolyzed into HCl, which caused corrosion of the stainless steel. Some corrosion products dissolved and increased the concentration of elements Cr, Fe, and Ni in the salt, while others reacted with SiC to form Cr7C3, Fe3Si, and SiCl4. Reactions among SiC, stainless steel, and their corrosion products (FeCl2, CrCl2, and SiCl4) led to a corrosion depth of approximately 250 μm for 1000 hours.
Article
Nuclear Science & Technology
N. Dianne Bull Ezell, Stephen S. Raiman, J. Matt Kurley, Joel McDuffee
Summary: This study demonstrates a method for conducting in-reactor irradiation-corrosion experiments in static molten salts, showing that neutron irradiation may decelerate corrosion of alloys in molten chloride salts. Stainless steel samples irradiated during exposure had less corrosive attack than samples exposed to the same conditions without irradiation, while alloy N samples showed no significant effect of irradiation.
NUCLEAR ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Peiying Shi, Bin Leng, Xiangxi Ye, Shubin Wang, Litao Chang, Xiaoke Li, Xiaoli Li, Hefei Huang
Summary: The high-temperature tribocorrosion performance of 316H stainless steel in a molten solar salt was comparatively studied. It was found that under dry sliding conditions, the wear rate increases at 500 degrees C while the friction coefficient decreases. In contrast, the wear resistance of 316H at 500 degrees C in molten nitrate salt is remarkably improved due to the lubrication effect of the molten salt and the enhanced oxidation tendency on the worn surface.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Na Li, Huaiyou Wang, Huiqin Yin, Qi Liu, Zhongfeng Tang
Summary: The corrosion resistance of 316 stainless steel (316SS) in molten KCl-MgCl2 salts at high temperatures was investigated. The corrosion rate of 316SS increased slowly with temperature below 600 degrees C, but increased dramatically at 700 degrees C. The corrosion of 316SS was mainly due to the selective dissolution of Cr and Fe at high temperatures. Impurities in the salts accelerated the dissolution process, while purification treatment reduced the corrosivity of the salts. The diffusion rate of Cr/Fe in 316SS changed more with temperature than the reaction rate of salt impurities with Cr/Fe under the experimental conditions.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Sen Ren, Yanjun Chen, Xiang-Xi Ye, Li Jiang, Shuai Yan, Jianping Liang, Xinmei Yang, Bin Leng, Zhijun Li, Zezhong Chen, Zhimin Dai
Summary: In a high-temperature chloride salt environment, carburized 316 stainless steel with added Mg metal exhibits more severe intergranular corrosion compared to regular 316 stainless steel, mainly due to the influence of metallic ions in the salt on the dissolution of Fe and Cr on the alloy surface.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Qi Gao, Yuanwei Lu, Qiang Yu, Yuting Wu, Cancan Zhang, Ruiping Zhi
Summary: Molten salt nanofluids have excellent thermal properties and heat transfer performance, making them a hot research topic. However, there is limited research on the effect of nanofluids on the corrosion of metal materials. This study analyzed the corrosion behavior of stainless steel in molten salt nanofluids using a low melting point quaternary nitrate as the base salt. The addition of SiO2 nanoparticles reduced the corrosion rate of stainless steel, indicating that molten salt nanofluids have good compatibility with metal materials.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Kunjal Patel, Maryam Sadeghilaridjani, Mayur Pole, Sundeep Mukherjee
Summary: The recently developed refractory high entropy alloys were studied for their corrosion behavior at high temperatures in molten salt environments. It was found that they exhibited good corrosion resistance and low corrosion rates compared to benchmark alloys, making them potentially suitable for applications in extreme conditions.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Heng Li, Xiaowei Wang, Xuzhong Yin, Xinyu Yang, Jianqun Tang, Jianming Gong
Summary: The presence of chloride impurity in molten Solar Salt at 565 degrees C significantly increases the corrosion rates of stainless steels, enhancing the aggressiveness of the environment by producing oxidants and causing the oxide scale to spall, accelerating the corrosion process through a synergy effect of active oxidation and spallation.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jie Qiu, Digby D. Macdonald, Ryan Schoell, Junsoo Han, Sara Mastromarino, John R. Scully, Djamel Kaoumi, Peter Hosemann
Summary: The study found that the oxide film formed on Type 316L stainless steel in molten FLiNaK salt is unstable and can only provide temporary corrosion protection. After the dissolution of the oxide film, selective dealloying of Cr and Fe from the steel leads to intergranular corrosion of Type 316L SS in molten fluoride salt.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Minsung Hong, Ho Lun Chan, Yujun Xie, Elena Romanovskaia, John R. Scully, Peter Hosemann
Summary: The study investigated the effect of Te concentration in molten FLiNaK salt on the corrosion and mechanical properties of 304 stainless steel. The corrosion depth of samples decreased with increasing Te concentration after 48 h immersion at 600 degrees Celsius. Additionally, the 1.0 wt% Te sample showed less reduction in mechanical properties compared to the 0.1 wt% Te sample. It is hypothesized that a protective Cr-oxide layer is formed beneath the Ni-Fe rich layer formed by selective leaching of Cr.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
N. Abu-warda, S. Garcia-Rodriguez, B. Torres, M. Utrilla, J. Rams
Summary: The corrosion rate of 316L stainless steel is affected by the presence of the NaCl-KCl-ZnCl2 salt, and the wrought samples have a higher corrosion rate compared to SLM samples, especially at high temperatures. The presence of defects in the microstructure of SLM samples facilitates the formation of a protective layer and reduces intergranular attack.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY-JMR&T
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Weilong Wang, Bang Guan, Xiaolan Wei, Jianfeng Lu, Jing Ding
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2019)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Zhihao Xu, Bang Guan, Xiaolan Wei, Jianfeng Lu, Jing Ding, Weilong Wang
Summary: This study investigated the corrosion behavior of Inconel 625 alloy in a ternary molten salt of NaCl-CaCl2-MgCl2 under different atmospheres. The results showed that chromium dissolution is the main corrosion process in the molten salt. Additionally, it was found that O-2, H2O, and MgOH+ significantly affect the corrosion behavior of In625 under different atmospheric conditions.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Shahriyar Safat Dipta, Md Habibur Rahaman, Walia Binte Tarique, Ashraful Hossain Howlader, Ayush Pratik, John A. Stride, Ashraf Uddin
Summary: Implementing a double-sided passivation approach can enhance the performance of n-i-p structured PSCs and improve the stability and photovoltaic properties of the cells.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Daniel Ourinson, Andreas Brand, Andreas Lorenz, Marwan Dhamrin, Sebastian Tepner, Michael Linse, Nathalie Goettlicher, Kosuke Tsuji, Jonas D. Huyeng, Florian Clement
Summary: This work presents two approaches to reduce the amount of silver on the rear side of M2-sized industrial iTOPCon solar cells. The Cu-based approach shows promise with similar power conversion efficiency compared to the conventional approach, while the Al-based approach exhibits some limitations but demonstrates the potential of such type of contact for iTOPCon solar cells.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Abasifreke Ebong, Donald Intal, Sandra Huneycutt, Thad Druffel, Ruvini Dharmadasa, Kevin Elmer, Apolo Nambo
Summary: This study demonstrates the successful metallization of a PERC silicon solar cell using screen-printable copper (Cu) paste. The Cu paste contains antioxidant additives and diffusion inhibitors to prevent oxidation and diffusion of Cu. The Cu-printed cells achieved an efficiency of 19% and showed no Cu diffusion after characterization tests. The long-term stability and effectiveness of the Cu diffusion barrier were also confirmed.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Senami Zogbo, Wilfried Favre, Olivier Bonino, Marie-Estelle Gueunier-Farret
Summary: Measuring specific contact resistivity (pc) is crucial for interface engineering in high efficiency solar cells. The Transfer Length Method (TLM) is commonly used for evaluating layer sheet resistance (Rsheet) and pc, but it is not suitable for metal/Transparent Conductive Oxide (TCO) interface evaluation in silicon heterojunction (SHJ) cells. This study investigates the parameters that restrict current confinement within the TCO, including mid-gap trap density (Dit) at the a-Si:H/c-Si interface and the activation energy (Ea = Ec - EF) variation of a-Si:H contact layers.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jean-Baptiste Charpentier, Philippe Voarino, Julien Gaume
Summary: The phenomenon of ribbon lengthening in PV modules exposed to thermal cycling is not well explained in the literature. In this study, a three layers model is proposed to explain this effect, and the predictions of the model are validated through finite element method simulations and experiments. The results show that the model predictions are consistent with the indirect measurements, but not with the direct measurements. Additionally, it is inferred that the encapsulant plays a role after the solder failure.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jean-Baptiste Charpentier, Philippe Voarino, Julien Gaume
Summary: This study investigates the problematic ribbon lengthening observed in PV modules exposed to high amplitude thermal cycling. A simplified system model is proposed and accurate predictions are obtained using the Finite Element Method. The results show that the thickness of the encapsulant has a substantial impact on the lengthening of the ribbons.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
S. Catalan-Gomez, E. Martinez Castellano, M. Schwarz, M. Montes Bajo, L. Dorado Vargas, A. Gonzalo, A. Redondo-Cubero, A. Gallego Carro, A. Hierro, J. M. Ulloa
Summary: This study investigates the use of core-shell gallium nanoparticles as functional light scatterers on solar cells. By optimizing the nanoparticle size, the short-circuit current of the solar cells is significantly improved. The underlying physical mechanism is studied through optical measurements and simulations, and a method to reduce the plasmonic effect of the nanoparticles is demonstrated.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
M. Gamel, G. Lopez, A. M. Medrano, A. Jimenez, A. Datas, M. Garin, I. Martin
Summary: In this study, a highly reflective ohmic contact to p-type c-Ge material is demonstrated, which can improve the efficiency of thermophotovoltaic devices. The experimental results show that this contact can simultaneously meet the requirements of good back surface passivation, low electrical resistivity, and high reflectivity. Moreover, simulations suggest that implementing these back contacts has the potential to achieve conversion efficiencies comparable to high-efficiency c-Ge TPV cells.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hongyang Wei, Qing Xu, Dongchu Chen, Min Chen, Menglei Chang, Xiufang Ye
Summary: This study prepared solar selective absorption films based on anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) photonic crystals using a unique electrodeposition method. The Co-Ag electrodeposited film exhibited superior solar selective absorption properties and thermal stability.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ankit Kumar, Ankit Chauhan, Jordi Llobet, Helder Fonseca, Patricia C. Sousa, Carlos Calaza, Gil Shalev
Summary: This study found that decorating subwavelength arrays with SiO2 quasi-nanolenses (qNL arrays) can enhance the absorption of the solar spectrum. Optical absorption mechanisms in qNL arrays were investigated using near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM), revealing that the enhancement is a result of the combination of effective antireflection coating, increased optical interactions between adjacent dielectrics for elevated light trapping, and strong light concentration due to the presence of qNLs.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
S. Pingel, T. Wenzel, N. Goettlicher, M. Linse, L. Folcarelli, J. Schube, S. Hoffmann, S. Tepner, Y. C. Lau, J. Huyeng, A. Lorenz, F. Clement
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential to reduce silver consumption in highly efficient SHJ cells through fine-line screen printing using low temperature paste with various screens. The results show that using finer mesh allows for narrower grid fingers and lower resistance, leading to improved cell efficiency. Simulation results indicate that module wire configuration is crucial for reducing silver consumption.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Xibo He, Jun Qiu, Wei Wang, Yicheng Hou, Yong Shuai
Summary: This paper proposes a novel phase change material with high thermal conductivity and stability for fast photo-thermal conversion and storage. The experimental results demonstrate excellent durability and stability of the phase change material, with good performance in thermal conductivity and thermal storage efficiency.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Qingyuan Liu, Lin Wang, Zheng Liu, Guohua Liu
Summary: A new evaporating structure consisting of liquid marble with tunable nanowire array is proposed to enhance solar evaporation. The experiments show that the liquid marble with nanowire array exhibits outstanding evaporation performance, which has significant implications for seawater desalination or wastewater treatment.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hao Liu, Qiming Liu, Jinpei Liu, Yonggang Zhao, Yingjie Yu, Yue An, Ganghui Wei, Yanzheng Li, Yujun Fu, Junshuai Li, Deyan He
Summary: Moisture in the air is identified as the main cause of performance degradation in organic-inorganic hybrid solar cells. Exposure to air leads to the growth of thin oxide layer on the interface and the formation of silver sulfide, increasing the series resistance and decreasing the fill factor, thus degrading the cell performance.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
E. Blanco, P. Martin, M. Dominguez, P. Fernandez-Palacios, I. Lombardero, C. Sanchez-Perez, I. Garcia, C. Algora, M. Gabas
Summary: This study addresses the lack of optical parameters for p-type Ge wafers by determining the complex refractive indices of commercial Ge wafers with varying doping levels. The obtained data successfully reproduces the critical points associated with interband transitions and absorption features below the bandgap. The refractive indices were validated through experimental measurements and solar cell simulations.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)