Correlating outdoor exposure with accelerated aging tests for aluminum solar reflectors

Abstract

Guaranteeing the durability of concentrated solar power (CSP) components is crucial for the success of the technology. The reflectors of the solar field are a key component of CSP plants, requiring reliable methods for service lifetime prediction. So far, no proven correlations exist to relate accelerated aging test results in climate chambers with relevant CSP exposure sites. In this work, correlations have been derived for selected testing conditions that excite the same degradation mechanisms as for outdoor exposure. Those testing conditions have been identified by performing an extensive microscopic comparison of the appearing degradation mechanisms on reference samples that have been weathered outdoors with samples that underwent a high variety of accelerated aging experiments. The herein developed methodology is derived for aluminum reflectors and future work will study its applicability to silvered-glass mirrors.