Evaluation of Erosion Equations for Low Velocity and High Temperature

This is a joint faculty project supporting the Department of Energy’s GEN3 Sunshot project. The Sunshot project is researching the viability of using particles as a heat source medium in solar power production. However, this necessarily incurs erosion in air at low velocity and high temperature. Increasing temperatures are linked to increased erosion rates as shown by Levy (1995) as the substrate material yield strength decreases. Even Levy’s work was completed at only higher velocities however. This project is expected to help quantify low velocity erosion for various materials and particle types at both low and high temperatures. This project will contribute to the E/CRC’s erosion measurement capabilities in higher temperatures as well as erosion data for low velocity erosion data on stainless steel that has not been previously measured.