Simulation of molten salt flow in solar thermal system using process tomography

Molten salt is one of the best heat transfer and thermal storage fluid for solar thermal power system. Therefore, the flow of molten salt in pipes and on heat exchangers is crucial for the efficiency of system safe running. However, molten salt in solar thermal system is frequently in wicked situations, such as, the high temperature, the vibration of machine, or the interference of electromagnetic, etc. In this case, process tomography (PT) may be a wise selection. PT is a recent technique that is used to visualize the internal behaviours of industrial processes. This non-intrusive measurement method allows us to image fluid flow, such as the flow of molten salt, in pipes without disturbing the real condition. To implement this technique, it is particularly essential to measure the capacitance and calculate the sensitivity correctly. Results of simulation and measurement presented in this paper prove that it is feasible to use PT system real time monitoring the molten salt flow.