Fabrication and Testing of Smart Refractory for Energy System Monitoring in Harsh-Environments

To achieve better process control and efficiency for high-temperature energy systems, it is essential to monitor the conditions (temperature, pressure) and structural health (mechanical integrity) of refractory materials used in the reactors, such as within coal slagging gasifiers. Therefore, there is a need for advanced sensors capable of operating under harsh environments reliably for extended time without degrading at high temperatures. The objective of this work was to investigate embedded temperature and spallation sensors within refractory ceramic brick to operate at temperatures >1200 °C. The key aspect of the proposed technology is that the solid-state sensors used for these applications are incorporated and interconnected within the volume of the refractory and would not result in extrinsic defects through the refractory. The current paper describes the testing of the electrical performance and chemical stability of the electroceramic composite composition at the application temperatures. The paper also discusses the performance of the embedded ceramic thermistor within the “smart bricks” at temperatures up to 1400 °C, with and without the presence of molten slag.