Extreme Operating Temperatures Research Articles

Design of an ultrahigh temperature liquid metal centrifugal pump for thermal energy storage

Liquid metals serve as efficient heat transfer fluids due to their exceptional thermal conductivity and broad temperature range, rendering them well-suited for demanding applications such as nuclear reactors and thermal energy storage. Nevertheless, designing liquid metal pumps poses significant challenges, including chemical compatibility with the containment vessel and various thermomechanical issues. This study focuses on elucidating these challenges and proposing potential solutions through the example of a centrifugal pump designed for handling liquid tin at an extreme operating temperature of 2400°C. To address chemical compatibility concerns, graphite is adopted as both the containment and pump material, presenting novel mechanical hurdles. Key obstacles include accommodating thermal expansion and navigating the intricacies of working with features approaching the grain size of graphite.

Ultrafast universal fabrication of configurable porous silicone-based elastomers by Joule heating chemistry

Silicone-based elastomers (SEs) have been extensively applied in numerous cutting-edge areas, including flexible electronics, biomedicine, 5G smart devices, mechanics, optics, soft robotics, etc. However, traditional strategies for the synthesis of polymer elastomers, such as bulk polymerization, suspension polymerization, solution polymerization, and emulsion polymerization, are inevitably restricted by long-time usage, organic solvent additives, high energy consumption, and environmental pollution. Here, we propose a Joule heating chemistry method for ultrafast universal fabrication of SEs with configurable porous structures and tunable components (e.g., graphene, Ag, graphene oxide, TiO2, ZnO, Fe3O4, V2O5, MoS2, BN, g-C3N4, BaCO3, CuI, BaTiO3, polyvinylidene fluoride, cellulose, styrene-butadiene rubber, montmorillonite, and EuDySrAlSiOx) within seconds by only employing H2O as the solvent. The intrinsic dynamics of the in situ polymerization and porosity creation of these SEs have been widely investigated. Notably, a flexible capacitive sensor made from as-fabricated silicone-based elastomers exhibits a wide pressure range, fast responses, long-term durability, extreme operating temperatures, and outstanding applicability in various media, and a wireless human-machine interaction system used for rescue activities in extreme conditions is established, which paves the way for more polymer-based material synthesis and wider applications.

Bulk bismuth anodes for wide-temperature sodium-ion batteries enabled by electrolyte chemistry modulation

Sodium ion batteries (SIBs) are considered reliable supplies for next-generation energy devices. However, there is a limited understanding of strategies to prevent the performance deterioration of SIBs under extreme temperature conditions. This study aimed to address this challenge by developing modified electrolyte chemistry to achieve stable wide-temperature SIBs. Weakly Na+-solvating solvent 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (MeTHF) was used to promote the kinetics of Na+ de-solvation. Moreover, 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME) was introduced as a co-solvent because of the high solubility for Na salts and the coupling reaction mechanism with the Bi electrode. The formulated electrolyte not only endows an anion-dominated NaF-rich solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer, but also reduces the energy required for the Na+ across the SEI layer (from 291.2 to 89.6 meV). Consequently, Na||Bi half batteries achieve stable cycles at 400 mA g−1 at −20, 20 and 60 °C, respectively. Meanwhile, the extreme operating temperature of the batteries can be extended to −40 and 80 °C, which exceeds those of most current lithium/sodium-based batteries. Furthermore, full batteries employing Na3V2(PO4)3 as the cathode material exhibit stable operation over a wide temperature range of −20 to 60 °C. This electrolyte design strategy presented in this study shows significant promise for enabling wide-temperature SIBs with improved performance.

Corrosion and microstructural characterization of molybdenum cermets following hydrogen exposure up to 2630K

Ceramic-metallic (cermet) fuels are a promising fuel type for space nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP). A key feasibility issue of NTP fuels is the hydrogen chemical compatibility of candidate fuels in the proposed extreme operating temperatures for NTP systems (≥2500 K). In this study, molybdenum matrix cermets containing 40–70 vol% yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) particles (as a surrogate for ceramic fuel particles) were produced via spark plasma sintering (SPS) and exposed to flowing hydrogen at high temperature (2000–2630 K). Both steady state and thermally cycled (4 cycles with intermediate cooling to room temperature) conditions were examined for a constant total high temperature exposure duration of 80 min. Following testing, the Mo matrix appears robust in a Mo-YSZ cermet and exhibits acceptable mass loss (<1 wt%) with a sublinear dependence on exposure time (⅓ - ¼ power) based on hydrogen testing at 2500–2630 K with thermal cycling. Moderately higher mass losses were observed for thermally cycled (4 times) vs. isothermal specimens. The subsurface Mo-YSZ interface also remains intact despite indications of debonding at the surface. Significant hydrogen attack occurs on the YSZ particle grain boundaries in the interior of the samples at 2500–2630 K.

Slippery Graphene-Bridging Liquid Metal Layered Heterostructure Nanocomposite for Stable High-Performance Electromagnetic Interference Shielding.

Gallium-based liquid metal (LM) with intriguing high electrical conductivity and room-temperature fluidity has attracted substantial attention for its potential application in flexible electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. However, the EMI shielding performance of the existing LM-based composites is unsatisfying due to the irreconcilable contradiction between high EMI shielding efficiency (SE) and low thickness. In addition, the research on environmentally stable EMI shielding material has become an urgent need due to the increasingly sophisticated application scenarios. Herein, we prepared a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) bridging LM layered heterostructure nanocomposite with the liquid-infused slippery surface (S-rGO/LM), which exhibits an ultrahigh X-band EMI SE of 80 dB at a mere internal thickness of 33 μm, and an extremely high value of 100 dB at an internal thickness of 67 μm. More significantly, protected by the ultrathin (2 μm) yet effective slippery surface, the S-rGO/LM film exhibits exceptional EMI shielding stability (EMI SE stays above 70 dB) after enduring various harsh conditions (harsh chemical environments, extreme operating temperatures, and severe mechanical wearing). Moreover, the S-rGO/LM film also demonstrates satisfying photothermal behavior and excellent Joule heating performance (surface temperature of 179 °C at 1.75 V, thermal response <10 s), which endows it with the capability of anti-icing/de-icing. This work proposes a way to construct an LM-based nanocomposite with reliable high-performance EMI shielding capability, which shows great potential for applications in wearable devices, defense, and aeronautics and astronautics.

Revealing the size effect of FeS2 on solid-state battery performances at different operating temperatures

FeS2 shows significant potential as cathode material for all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs) due to its high theoretical specific capacity, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, the poor ion/electron conductivity and large volume variation effect of FeS2 inhibit its practical applications. Here, the influence of particle size of FeS2 on the corresponding sulfide-based solid-state batteries is carefully investigated by tuning FeS2 size. Moreover, low operating temperature is chosen to mitigate the large volume changes during cycling in the battery. S-FeS2 with smaller particle sizes delivers superior electrochemical performances than that of the larger L-FeS2 in Li5.5PS4.5Cl1.5-based ASSLBs under different operating temperatures. S-FeS2 shows stable discharge capacities during 50 cycles with a current density of 0.1 mA/cm2 under -20 °C. When the current density rises to 1.0 mA/cm2, it delivers an initial discharge capacity of 146.9 mAh/g and maintains 63% of the capacity after 100 cycles. This work contributes to constructing ASSLBs enables excellent electrochemical performances under extreme operating temperatures.

Experimental investigation on Compression-After-Impact (CAI) response of aerospace grade thermoset composites under low-temperature conditions assisted with acoustic emission monitoring

Low-velocity impact (LVI) can provoke catastrophic failure depending on the impact energy, lay-up configuration, and the operating temperature in fiber-reinforced composite structures via damage accumulation during the service. Additionally, extreme operating temperature is an important factor affecting the damage initiation and growth mechanism and understanding the compression-after-impact (CAI) response is a promising way to predict the damage-growth dynamics. For this purpose, this study investigates the LVI response and CAI strength of composite laminates under the −55 °C temperature considering the low-temperature (LT) service conditions of aerospace applications. The experiments are performed on cross-ply ([0/90°]4s) and angle-ply ([±45°]4s) lay-up composites for impact energy levels of 1.4 J and 10 J. After LVI tests, the occurred damages are examined by infrared thermography (IRT). Furthermore, the effect of the impact damage on the failure mechanism under compression loading is elaborated using acoustic emission (AE) inspection. The CAI test results reveal that the LT increases the compressive residual strength. However, this change is directly related to the load and lay-up configuration. The alternation in the damage growth mechanism of angle-ply laminates under LT operating temperature is more significant compared to the cross-ply laminates.

Failure analysis of lead‐acid batteries at extreme operating temperatures

AbstractThe lead‐acid battery system is designed to perform optimally at ambient temperature (25°C) in terms of capacity and cyclability. However, varying climate zones enforce harsher conditions on automotive lead‐acid batteries. Hence, they aged faster and showed lower performance when operated at extremity of the optimum ambient conditions. In this work, a systematic study was conducted to analyze the effect of varying temperatures (−10°C, 0°C, 25°C, and 40°C) on the sealed lead acid. Enersys® Cyclon (2 V, 5 Ah) cells were cycled at C/10 rate using a battery testing system. Environmental aging results in shorter cycle life due to the degradation of electrode and grid materials at higher temperatures (25°C and 40°C), while at lower temperatures (−10°C and 0°C), negligible degradation was observed due to slower kinetics and reduced available capacity. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy analysis were used to evaluate the degradation mechanism and chemical and morphological changes.

Surface plasmon-mediated enhanced field electron emission based on metasurfaces with a nano-gap driven by LEDs

Vacuum electronic devices have the advantages of no scattering, anti-irradiation, and extreme operating temperatures. With their superiorities, light-assisted field emission can be utilized to drive ultrafast micro-/nano-vacuum electronic devices. However, traditional multiphoton or optical field emission is limited by the access of the lasers with high power and energy. In this Letter, an asymmetric non-semiconductor nanostructure may be applied to reduce cost with a nano-level gas or vacuum channel. We find that the basic LED may be a candidate to enhance the electron emission current by utilizing the multi-stage field enhancement consisting of tip effects and plasmon-based enhancement. By designing a field electron emission device with LEDs in standard atmospheric environment, we realize a 25% increase in field electron emission current at the resonance frequency with the light intensity under W cm−2 and the voltage less than 5 V. By comparing with lasers, simple LEDs are beneficial to increase the scope of applications with low-energy requirements. Meanwhile, the structure paves the way to the application of microelectronic and nano-electronic components in the on-chip electronic devices, such as switches and modulators.

Oxidation-Limited Lifetime of ODS-FeCrAl Alloys: Observations on Influence of Surface Shape

Oxide dispersion-strengthened (ODS) FeCrAl ferritic steels constitute a class of alloys with a combination of mechanical strength capabilities and environmental resistance that permits operation at temperatures significantly higher than available classes of wrought alloy. A significant issue for these ODS alloys is that, because of the extreme operating temperatures, unexpected failure of the protective scale in service could lead to catastrophic degradation of high-temperature, high-pressure components. In the absence of handbook data for quantification of their high-temperature environmental degradation, significant efforts have been made to develop approaches for predictive oxidation lifetime modeling. The main basis for such models is an aspect of oxidation behavior peculiar to these alloys at very high temperatures, specifically, their ability to maintain a protective alumina scale until practically all available Al in the alloy has been consumed. At the high temperatures involved the concentration profile for Al throughout the component remains flat while the alumina scale is intact, so that knowledge of the oxidation kinetics provides a basis for calculating the time to exhaustion of the alloy’s Al reservoir, hence service life. Difficulties arise when unanticipated gradients in the Al concentration profile are introduced following, for instance, premature local mechanical failure of the protective scale. The intent of this work was to consider if and how scale failures change with differences in surface shape, and how related mechanistic understanding of the actual oxidation behavior may be used to extend the utility of the modeling approaches. Experimental results for coupons of different shapes were very largely in agreement with the basic tenets of the lifetime modeling approaches, but a notable finding was that cylindrical shapes reproducibly exhibited a reduction in unexpected early scale failures, leading to more consistent oxidation-limited lifetimes.

State of Charge Estimation of Lithium-Ion Battery for Electric Vehicles under Extreme Operating Temperatures Based on an Adaptive Temporal Convolutional Network

The accurate estimation of state of charge (SOC) under various conditions is critical to the research and application of batteries, especially at extreme temperatures. However, few studies have examined the SOC estimation performance of estimation algorithms for several types of batteries under such conditions. In this study, a new method was derived for SOC estimation and a series of experiments were conducted covering five types of lithium-ion batteries with three kinds of cathode materials (i.e., LiFePO4, Li(Ni0.5Co0.2Mn0.3)O2, and LiCoO2), three test temperatures, and four real driving cycles to verify the proposed method. The test temperatures for battery operation ranges from −20 to 60 °C. Then, an adaptive machine learning (ML) framework based on the deep temporal convolutional network (TCN) and Coulomb counting method was proposed, and the structure of the estimation model was designed through the Taguchi method. The accuracy and generalizability of the proposed method were evaluated by calculating the estimation errors and their standard deviations (SDs), its average errors showed a decline of at least 49.66%, and its SDs showed a decline of at least 45.88% when compared to four popular ML methods. These traditional ML methods performed poor accuracy and stability at extreme temperatures (−20 and 60 °C) when compared to 25 °C, while the proposed adaptive method exhibited stable and high performances at different temperatures.

Vacancy formation energies and migration barriers in multi-principal element alloys

Multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) continue to garner interest as structural and plasma-facing materials due to their structural (phase) stability and increased resistance to radiation damage. Despite sensitivity of mechanical behavior to irradiation and point-defect formation, there has been scant attention on understanding vacancy stability and diffusion in refractory-based MPEAs. Using density-functional theory, we examine vacancy stability and diffusion barriers in body-centered cubic (Mo0.95W0.05)0.85Ta0.10(TiZr)0.05. The results in this MPEA show strong dependence on environment, originating from local lattice distortion associated with charge-transfer between neighboring atoms that vary with different chemical environments. We find a correlation between degree of lattice distortion and migration barrier: (Ti, Zr) with less distortion have lower barriers, while (Mo, W) with larger distortion have higher barriers, depending up local environments. Under irradiation, our findings suggest that (Ti, Zr) are significantly more likely to diffuse than (Mo, W) while Ta shows intermediate effect. As such, material degradation caused by vacancy diffusion can be controlled by tuning composition of alloying elements to enhance creep strength at extreme operating temperatures and harsh conditions.

Ultrafast Li/Fluorinated Graphene Primary Batteries with High Energy Density and Power Density.

Lithium/fluorinated carbon (Li/CFx) primary batteries have essential applications in consumer electronics and medical and high-power military devices. However, their application is limited due to the difficulty in achieving simultaneous high power density and high energy density in the CFx cathode. The tradeoff between conductivity and fluorine content is the decisive factor. Herein, by rational design, 3D porous fluorinated graphene microspheres (FGS-x) with both high conductivity and a high F/C ratio are successfully synthesized for the first time. FGS-x possesses an F/C ratio as high as 1.03, a nanosheet structure with hierarchical pores, abundant C═C bonds, few inactive C-F2 bonds, and electrochemically active C-F bonds. The beneficial features that can increase discharge capacity, shorten the diffusion length for both ions and electrons, enhance the Li+ intercalation kinetics, and accommodate the volume change are demonstrated. The Li/FGS-1.03 coin cell delivers an unprecedented power density of 71,180.9 W/kg at an ultrahigh rate of 50 C (43.25 A/g), coupled with a high energy density of 830.7 Wh/kg. Remarkably, the Li/FGS-1.03 pouch cell exhibits a record cell-level power density of 12,451.2 W/kg at 20 C. The in-depth investigation by the ex situ method on structural evolution at different discharge depths reveals that the excellent performance benefits from the structural stability and the uniform formation of LiF. The FGS-1.03 cathode also has excellent performance in extreme operating temperatures (0 to 100 °C) and high active material mass loading (4.3 mg/cm2). These results indicate that the engineered fluorinated graphene developed here has great potential in applications requiring both high power density and high energy density.

Vacancy Formation Energies and Migration Barriers in Multi-Principal Element Alloys

Multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) continue to garner interest as structural and plasma-facing materials due to their structure stability and increased resistance to radiation damage. Despite sensitivity of mechanical behavior to irradiation and point-defect formation, there has been scant attention on understanding vacancy stability and diffusion in refractory-based MPEAs. Using density-functional theory, we examine vacancy stability and diffusion barriers in body-centered cubic (Mo0.95W0.05)0.85Ta0.10(TiZr)0.05. The results in this MPEA show strong dependence on environment, originating from local lattice distortion associated with charge-transfer between neighboring atoms that vary with different chemical environments. We find a correlation between degree of lattice distortion and migration barrier: (Ti, Zr) with less distortion have lower barriers, while (Mo, W) with larger distortion have higher barriers, depending up local environments. Under irradiation, our findings suggest that (Ti, Zr) are significantly more likely to diffuse than (Mo, W) while Ta shows intermediate effect. As such, material degradation caused by vacancy diffusion can be controlled by tuning composition of alloying elements to enhance creep strength at extreme operating temperatures and harsh conditions.

A review on dry reforming of methane over perovskite derived catalysts

Dry reforming of methane (DRM) is widely studied as one of the potential routes for syngas production from two greenhouse gases (CH4 & CO2) and can reduce the net emission of these gases if the energy used for it is derived from non-hydrocarbon source. Many conventional metal/support catalyst systems, though are highly active, deactivate within few hours due to surface coke deposition or sintering of the active metal clusters. In order to overcome these challenges and withstand the extreme operating temperatures of DRM, active metals can be incorporated into crystalline oxides like perovskites, pyrochlores, hydrotalcites and hexaaluminates. These metal-containing oxides, once the active metal is reduced, produce a highly dispersed active catalyst.This review emphasizes the application of perovskite-derived catalysts in dry reforming of methane. Perovskites are crystalline oxides with general formula of ABO3, where A is generally a rare earth, alkaline earth or alkali metal cation while B is a transition metal cation. The exsolution process involved in the reduction of perovskite catalysts produces smaller size metal particles which in turn dictate the superior catalytic performance of these materials. Preparation methods, “A” and/or “B” site partial substitutions and additional use of high surface area supports (like mesoporous silicates and basic oxides) for dispersing perovskite catalysts, greatly influence the physicochemical and catalytic behavior of these perovskite derived catalysts. “A” site substitutions generally enhance the oxygen mobility in the perovskite structure by generating oxygen vacancies which suppress the carbon deposition, while bimetallic synergistic effects are produced by addition of a second metal at the “B” site which tend to increase the activity and stability of these catalysts. This review also includes a detailed discussion on the mechanism of DRM in perovskite derived catalysts.

Assessment of thermally aged XLPE insulation material under extreme operating temperatures

The degradation of cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation material is critical for the safe operation of cables. While there are extensive studies on the thermo-oxidative ageing of XLPE at or below 130 °C, the maximum overload conductor operating temperature, the short circuit temperature can rise above 150 °C, and the ageing patterns at these situations have not been fully understood. Here, chemical, crystalline structure, cross-linking density as well as the mechanical properties were characterized. The results demonstrate the importance of antioxidants in the high temperature situation. Before antioxidants are completely consumed, most of the mechanical and physicochemical properties remain stable. While antioxidant is depleted, the thermo-oxidative degradation is detrimental to the structure and properties of the insulation. The activation energy is around 160 kJ/mol for the thermo-oxidative ageing, from which the lifetime allowed before serious destruction of the insulation at different shortage or overload temperatures can be calculated.

Synthesis and characterization of non-equiatomic Ti0.3AlMoSi0.3W0.1 high-entropy alloy fabricated via spark plasma sintering

Failure of aerospace components from extreme operating temperatures due to oxidation in components such as turbine blades and compressor blades results in catastrophic consequences, which mostly lead to loss of lives and economic decline. Hence, a need for new novel materials with good corrosion, oxidation, and wear-resistant properties remains a necessity. Near-equiatomic Ti0.3AlMoSi0.3W0.1 high-entropy alloy (HEA) with enhanced mechanical properties and good corrosion-resistant properties was synthesized by means of spark plasma sintering technology. The influence of spark plasma sintering temperature of developed Ti0.3AlMoSi0.3W0.1 HEA was investigated at 800 °C, 900 °C, and 1000 °C. The microstructural evolution was studied by means of scanning electron microscope (SEM). The Vickers microhardness and wear-resistant properties were evaluated using diamond base microhardness tester (EMCO) and tribometer (Rtec), respectively. The corrosion resistance properties and oxidation resistance of the synthesized HEA were also evaluated in 0.5 M H2SO4 using 101 Autolab potentiostat/galvanostat devices and thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA), respectively. Heat treatment effect on the synthesized HEA was also studied; the samples were exposed to high temperature of 900 °C in isothermal furnace with holding time of 8 h. From the results, it was found that fabricated HEA showed outstanding microhardness properties and good anticorrosion resistance properties in 0.5-M sulfuric acid medium.

Implementation of phosphor sedimentation to reduce thermal instability issue affecting white LED luminescence

Purpose In general, lighting application, white light emitting diode (LED) usually exposed to an extreme operating temperature of above 90°C. It is well-known that luminous efficacy and spectral characteristic of white LED are dependent on the temperature, causing thermal effects on luminous efficacy and color shift of white LED become a critical application checkpoint to be addressed by white LED manufactures. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to minimize the thermal stability issue affecting white LED luminescence during operation by introducing phosphor sedimentation process. Design/methodology/approach The LED samples were assembled and sent for centrifugation with 0, 5 and 10 revolutions per second (rps), respectively, during phosphor sedimentation process. Luminescence properties of these LED samples were then characterized at a varying temperature to investigate the effect of phosphor sedimentation on the luminescence stability of LED samples. The LED samples were also cross-sectioned and analyzed to understand the phosphor sedimentation mechanism. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was applied to study the temperature distribution of the non-phosphor sediment (NPS) and phosphor sediment (PS) LED during operation to validate the hypotheses based on experimental data. Findings Experimental results show that the luminous intensity of PS LED samples degrades less significant at high temperature. The experimental results also show that the color coordinate for PS LED samples is more stable and is less blue-shifted than NPS LED samples as the temperature increased. These are because the heat generated by phosphor particles during operation can be dissipated effectively throughout a high thermal conductivity substrate after phosphor sedimentation. Thus, the phosphor temperature of PS LED is lower than NPS LED during operation as validated with the thermal simulation. Practical implications The study of this paper is applicable as a reference for industries who intend to resolve the thermal stability of white LED during operation. The luminescence properties changes as a function of the temperature study in this paper can be used to predict the application performances of white LED accurately. Apart from that, the analysis method of temperature distribution using CFD simulations can be extended by other CFD users in the future. Originality/value Implementation of phosphor sedimentation to reduce thermal instability issue of white LED has yet to be reported on previous studies. Most literature just studied the thermal instability issue of either assembled LED or raw material, without suggesting any solution to tackle the issue.

Performance assessment of solar photovoltaic technologies under different climatic conditions in Brazil

Utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) generation is being ramped-up in Brazil in recent years, as a result of intense price reductions. Extreme operating temperatures, high humidity levels, and a blue-biased distribution of irradiance in comparison with the standard ASTM G-173 spectrum, lead to contrasting operational outputs of the various commercially-available PV technologies. The performance assessment of six different PV technologies installed at eight different climatic regions in Brazil is presented. This R&D project evaluates eight identical, 54 kWp Evaluation Sites (ESs), all with the following PV technologies: amorphous-silicon (a-Si), microcrystalline-silicon (μc-Si), cadmium-telluride (CdTe), copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS), mono- and multi-crystalline silicon (c-Si and m-Si). All installations operate at a fixed-tilt equal to the corresponding local latitude. Electrical and environmental parameters at all sites are measured continuously at 1-s intervals. Results show a detailed energy loss analysis for all technologies. Thin-film PV modules with a low temperature-coefficient of power presented superior performance. Crystalline silicon modules revealed intense degradation in areas with high relative humidity and temperature. Cloud-edge and cloud-enhancement effects of solar irradiance resulted in irradiance peaks of 1823 W/m2, with long overirradiance events which lasted many minutes over 1600 W/m2, resulting in frequent blowing of string fuses when manufacturers maximum fuse ratings were observed.

Extreme solar overirradiance events: Occurrence and impacts on utility-scale photovoltaic power plants in Brazil

In contrast to the decades-long accumulated experience of photovoltaic (PV) installations in more temperate climates, the effects of some extreme operating temperatures and extreme solar irradiance levels start to become more noticeable with the uptake of large-scale PV in the sunbelt regions of the world. One such effect is caused by extreme solar overirradiance events, which up to now have been reported in the literature much more for their scientific interest than as a potential problem affecting the operational performance of PV power plants. Solar overirradiance events with a time span of tens of seconds or minutes are associated with the high operating temperatures prevailing in the field at many sites where utility-scale PV power plants start to become widespread, deleterious effects can be observed, which will negatively impact the performance of these generators. Using irradiance data from seven solar measuring stations deployed over distinct regions in Brazil, many of which are hosting megawatt-scale PV power plants, this paper reports on several extreme solar overirradiance events, with measured values above 1367 W/m2 up to 1845 W/m2, lasting from many seconds to a few minutes. Analysis of impacts and consequences from these events on the operational performance of PV generators are addressed, mainly focused on combiner box fuses, inverter overload losses, and inverter maximum power point tracker.