Flexible pipe connections (Rotation and Expansion Performing Assemblies, REPA) are required in parabolic trough solar fields to connect the absorbers in the tracking collectors with the fixed pipework.
The pipe connections must withstand the loads caused by the flowing heat transfer fluid as a result of pressure, temperature, mechanical stress and environmental influences. Reliable, low-maintenance and durable REPAs are required for the trouble-free operation of every solar field.
At the Plataforma Solar de Almería, the test rig is used to test the service life and failure mechanisms of flexible pipe connections. Temperature, pressure, fluid mass flow and the cyclical mechanical movement of parabolic trough collectors are adjusted to suit the application. In the test, the movements of the parabolic trough collector - rotation and longitudinal elongation - are simulated with high temporal acceleration. The kinematics unit makes it possible to test two REPAs simultaneously in the movement cycle.
