Heated piping system for fusible salt heat exchange fluid in a solar power plant

Abstract

The method of heating the piping system for a HITEC or PARTHERM 290 (trademarks) heat exchange flow system in which this fusible salt is used as the heat exchange fluid throughout a solar electric power plant field. To prevent the fusible salt from freezing in the stainless steel pipes and to heat up the pipes prior to introduction of the molten salt the entire piping system in the field is heated up above the melting temperature of the salt. That is, they are heated to a temperature somewhere above 150.degree. C. and below 500.degree. C. For this purpose, a high current at a very low voltage flows through the piping system and uses the stainless steel pipes themselves as the resistive heating element and dissipates energy within the stainless steel pipes bringing them up to an appropriate temperature.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.