Ceramics for concentrated solar power (CSP): From thermophysical properties to solar absorbers

Materials for solar receivers in concentrated solar power plants are subjected to harsh working conditions including high temperatures, thermal shocks, and cycling, which cause high thermal and mechanical stresses in the materials. Ceramics are, therefore, excellent candidates as solar receiver materials for their high thermal, chemical, and mechanical stability. Ceramics can be used in high-temperature absorber coatings for metallic solar receivers or directly as bulk ceramic solar receivers. In Section 2, the use of a thin SiC-based film as a selective coating is presented. Section 3 deals with solar experimental device designed to predict the effect of high stresses in operation on receiver materials. The last section is dedicated to the numerical and experimental study of a pilot-scale bulk ceramic solar receiver for solar tower.