Fatigue analysis of a solar central receiver design using measured weather data

Solar central receivers using tubes to contain the cooling fluid are designed to withstand a specified number of thermal fatigue cycles of a specified magnitude, usually determined by design point conditions. However, actual cycle magnitudes will vary, depending on weather conditions over the lifetime of the receiver. Actual weather data were used to determine the fraction of fatigue life used in an existing solar central receiver design. From that information, the number of design point fatigue cycles for which any future receivers should be designed was determined. The weather data and receiver design examined in this study were used to justify a fatigue life of only 10,000 design point cycles. However, uncertainties in the study encourage the use of a safety factor of 2 in the design. Therefore, it is suggested that future solar central receivers be designed for a fatigue life of 20,000 design point cycles.