Effects of ambient high temperature exposure on alumina-titania high emittance surfaces for solar dynamic systems

Solar dynamic (SD) space power systems require durable, high emittance surfaces on a number of critical components, such as heat receiver interior surfaces and parasitic load radiator (PLR) elements. To enhance surface characteristics, an alumina-titania coating has been applied to 500 heat receiver thermal energy containment canisters and the PLR of NASA Lewis Research Center’s (LeRC) 2 kW SD ground test demonstrator (GTD). The alumina-titania coating was chosen because it had been found to maintain its high emittance under vacuum (⩽10−6 torr) at high temperatures (1457 °F (827 °C)) for an extended period (≈2,700 hours). However, preflight verification of SD systems components, such as the PLR, require operation at ambient pressure and high temperatures. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to evaluate the durability of the alumina-titania coating at high temperature in air. Fifteen of sixteen alumina-titania coated Incoloy samples were exposed to high temperatures (600 °F (316 °C) to 1500 °F (816...