A Maintenance Policy for Central Tower Receiver Subjected to Creep-Fatigue Damage

Abstract

This study focuses on the central receiver of solar tower plants, which is subjected to extreme heat fluxes, high temperatures, and thermal gradients leading to degradation mechanisms such as creep, fatigue, and corrosion. Although studies in literature have developed thermal models for receiver tubes to understand the damage process and estimate their lifetime, they have not addressed the uncertainty associated with receiver damage, which arises from random operating conditions and errors in creep damage predictive models. Considering the random and varying nature of damage, this paper suggests effective maintenance strategies that optimize the receiver's lifetime and minimize maintenance costs. The strategies utilize a simulation-optimization approach and incorporate uncertain operating conditions and creep-fatigue models. The illustration case study shows that the proposed maintenance strategy can reduce the maintenance cost up to 37% versus the interval replacement of all panels.