Simulation of ultrasonic guided wave propagation characteristics in multilayer heterogeneous absorber tubes with non-homogeneous salt films

doi:10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2025.0136

Abstract

Abstract:

In tower-type solar thermal energy storage and power generation systems, absorber tubes operate under extreme conditions, including high temperatures, intense radiation, and molten salt fluid erosion. Over time, these conditions result in the formation of complex heterogeneous salt films on the inner tube walls. The salt film, combined with the coating and the tube substrate, creates a multi-layered heterogeneous structure that significantly affects the propagation characteristics and echo signals of ultrasonic guided waves. Consequently, defect detection and analysis are rendered complicated. Thus, this study systematically investigates the formation mechanisms and influencing factors of heterogeneous salt films, characterizing their distribution and scale properties. Further, a novel simulation method for salt film surfaces, based on stochastic processes and time series models, is proposed. Employing the finite element software COMSOL, a multi-layered heterogeneous model incorporating the tube substrate, coating, and salt film is developed to simulate the effects of salt films under varying roughness levels on ultrasonic guided wave signal characteristics and propagation behavior. The presence of salt films is found to significantly attenuate echo signal amplitude, reduce wave propagation velocity, and induce mode conversion in ultrasonic guided waves. Moreover, with increase in the salt film roughness, the echo energy exhibits a non-linear growth trend, and the complexity of mode-converted waveforms intensifies. Thus, the results highlight the importance of this study in terms of bridging a critical gap in the simulation of acoustic fields in multi-layered heterogeneous pipelines, thereby providing a theoretical foundation for ultrasonic guided wave-based defect detection in absorber tubes. Furthermore, this study offers robust technical support for the safety assessment and maintenance of tower-type solar thermal systems.

Key words: tower-type solar absorber tube, ultrasonic guided waves, multilayer heterogeneous structures, absorber tubes, numerical simulation

CLC Number:

TB 559

Xinyi NI, Xiaomeng XU, Luowei CAO, Le LI, Xuejia YAO, Guodong JIA. Simulation of ultrasonic guided wave propagation characteristics in multilayer heterogeneous absorber tubes with non-homogeneous salt films[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2025, 14(3): 1168-1176.

Figures/Tables 11

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材料名称	密度/(kg/m³)	弹性模量/GPa	泊松比
黑钴(涂层)	8900	167.7	0.32
Inconel 625(基底)	8440	205	0.308
熔盐(盐膜)	1899	25	0.25

特征参数	Δ=0.7	Δ=0.9	Δ=1.1
平均厚度/mm	0.15	0.15	0.15
最大厚度/mm	1.61	1.72	1.75
轴向长度/mm	500	500	500

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