Optical property characterization of molten salt mixtures for thermal modeling of volumetrically absorbing solar receiver applications

Abstract

A method for experimentally determining the attenuation coefficient of high temperature semi-transparent liquids for volumetrically absorbing solar receiver applications was developed. The method was used to measure the attenuation coefficient over a broad spectral range in a 40 wt. % KNO3:60 wt. % NaNO3 binary nitrate molten salt mixture (solar salt). The measured absorption bands extend over 98% of the re-emission spectrum of the salt, indicating that thermal redistribution within the salt itself via radiative participating media effects is negligible. In addition, the effects of the salt’s purity and thermal decomposition on the optical properties were also investigated and the light penetration depth is shown to vary significantly in the presence of impurities. The implications of these results for solar receiver design and modeling are discussed.