【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】Central hot and cold molten salt storage tanks for the 50MW solar thermal power project at Yumen Xinneng from 2015 to 2021

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Witnessing the decade-long rapid development of chemical engineering equipment; praising the prosperity and strength of modern China. Replies will be rewarded – discussions are welcome. ------------------------------------------- In December 2021, the central cold and hot molten salt storage tanks of the Yumen Xinneng 50MW solar thermal power project, which was overseen by China Chengda Engineering Co., Ltd. (referred to as Chengda Company), were connected to the main pipelines for heat collection and energy storage, enabling normal and stable operation. To this end, Yumen Xinneng Solar Thermal First Power Co., Ltd., the project owner, has sent this letter of praise to express its high appreciation and recognition for the project team of Chengda Company’s strong sense of responsibility, advanced management skills, pragmatic work style, and excellent professional capabilities. Large-scale molten salt storage tanks are core equipment in concentrated solar power generation projects. The new double-layer molten salt storage tank developed by Chengda Company represents the world’s first successful commercial application in this field, and it also signifies that Chengda Company has fully mastered the technology for designing and constructing large-scale storage tanks operating within a temperature range of -196°C to 590°C. The central molten salt storage tank of this project is designed to operate at a temperature of up to 590°C; it runs at high temperatures during the day and undergoes insulation cycles at night. It is subjected to temperature fluctuations of up to 280°C at least once a day, as well as liquid level changes of 9 meters. These severe operating conditions pose significant challenges to the design. The design team at Chengda Company employed methods such as theoretical calculations and numerical simulations, and through repeated evaluation of over 20 different designs, they made full use of the company’s engineering expertise to develop a unique double-jacket structure. This structure allows the inner and outer tanks of the storage tank to share the strength requirements and insulation requirements in a clever manner, resulting in significantly improved safety and service life compared to conventional structures. For this unique new double-wall jacket structure, Chengda Company employed its proprietary double-wall tank construction methods and advanced preheating techniques during the construction phase, successfully completing the lifting of the inner and outer tanks and ensuring uniform preheating of the entire storage tank. The successful commissioning of this molten salt storage tank also lays a solid foundation for the project to begin generating electricity on a full scale.