Operational Performance of a 5-kW Solar Chemical Reactor for the Co-Production of Zinc and Syngas

2003 ◽  
Vol 125 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Kra¨upl ◽  
Aldo Steinfeld
Keyword(s):  
Vortex Flow ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Chemical Conversion ◽  
Chemical Reactor ◽  
Energy Conversion Efficiency ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Residence Times ◽  
Direct Irradiation ◽  
Mean Residence Times ◽  
Ch4 Reforming

We report on the improved operational performance and energy conversion efficiency of a 5-kW solar chemical reactor for the combined ZnO-reduction and CH4-reforming SynMet process. The reactor features a pulsed vortex flow of CH4 laden with ZnO particles, which is confined to a cavity-receiver and directly exposed to solar power fluxes exceeding 2000kW/m2. Reactants were continuously fed at ambient temperature, heated by direct irradiation to above 1350°K, and converted to Zn and syngas during mean residence times of 10 seconds. Typical chemical conversion attained was 100% for ZnO and up to 96% for CH4. The thermal efficiency was in the 15–22% range; the exergy efficiency reached up to 7.7% and may be increased by recovering the sensible and latent heat of the products. The SynMet process avoids emissions of greenhouse-gases and other pollutant derived from the traditional fossil-fuel-based production of zinc and syngas, and further converts solar energy into storable and transportable chemical fuels.

Operational Performance of a 5 kW Solar Chemical Reactor for the Co-Production of Zinc and Syngas

Solar Energy ◽  
2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Kra¨upl ◽  
Aldo Steinfeld
Keyword(s):  
Vortex Flow ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Chemical Conversion ◽  
Chemical Reactor ◽  
Energy Conversion Efficiency ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Residence Times ◽  
Direct Irradiation ◽  
Mean Residence Times ◽  
Ch4 Reforming

We report on the improved operational performance and energy conversion efficiency of a 5 kW solar chemical reactor for the combined ZnO-reduction and CH4-reforming “SynMet” process. The reactor features a pulsed vortex flow of CH4 laden with ZnO particles, which is confined to a cavity-receiver and directly exposed to solar power fluxes exceeding 2000 kW/m2. Reactants were continuously fed at ambient temperature, heated by direct irradiation to above 1350 K, and converted to Zn(g) and syngas during mean residence times of 10 seconds. Typical chemical conversion attained was 100% to Zn and up to 96% to syngas. The thermal efficiency was in the 15–22% range; the exergy efficiency reached up to 7.7% and may be increased by recovering the sensible and latent heat of the products. The Synmet process avoids emissions of greenhouse-gases and other pollutant derived from the traditional fossil-fuel-based production of zinc and syngas, and further converts solar energy into storable and transportable chemical fuels.

Experimental Investigation of a Vortex-Flow Solar Chemical Reactor for the Combined ZnO-Reduction and CH4-Reforming*

2001 ◽  
Vol 123 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Kra¨upl ◽  
Aldo Steinfeld
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Vortex Flow ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Radiation Heat Transfer ◽  
Chemical Conversion ◽  
Chemical Reactor ◽  
Solar Furnace ◽  
Reaction Products ◽  
Ch4 Reforming ◽  
Reactor Operating

The co-production of Zn and synthesis gas by the combined reduction of ZnO and reforming of CH4 has been performed using a vortex-flow chemical reactor in a high-flux solar furnace. The reactor operating temperature ranged between 1221 and 1481 K for an input solar power of 2.3 to 4.6 kW and mean solar flux intensities of 810 to 1609 kW/m2. The performance of the reactor was determined by conducting a complete mass and energy balance for the chemical process. The chemical conversion ranged between 83–100 percent. The thermal efficiency, defined as the portion of input solar power absorbed as sensible and process heat, was in the range 11–28 percent. The exergy efficiency for the closed cycle, defined as the ratio of the maximum amount of work that the products leaving the reactor could produce if were re-combined to the input solar power, was in the range 0.3–3.1 percent. Major sources of energy loss are re-radiation heat transfer through the reactor aperture, conduction heat transfer through the reactor walls, and the quenching of the reaction products.

Experimental Investigation of a Vortex-Flow Solar Chemical Reactor for the Combined ZnO-Reduction and CH4-Reforming

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Kräupl ◽  
Aldo Steinfeld
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Vortex Flow ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Radiation Heat Transfer ◽  
Chemical Conversion ◽  
Chemical Reactor ◽  
Solar Furnace ◽  
Reaction Products ◽  
Ch4 Reforming ◽  
Reactor Operating

Abstract The co-production of Zn and synthesis gas by the combined reduction of ZnO and reforming of CH4 has been performed using a vortex-flow chemical reactor in a high-flux solar furnace. The reactor operating temperature ranged between 1032 and 1481 K for an input solar power of 2.3 to 4.6 kW and mean solar flux intensities of 810 to 1609 kW/m2. The performance of the reactor was determined by conducting a complete mass and energy balance for the chemical process. The chemical conversion ranged between 83–100%. The thermal efficiency, defined as the portion of input solar power absorbed as sensible and process heat, was in the range 11–28%. The exergy efficiency for the closed cycle, defined as the ratio of the maximum amount of work that the products leaving the reactor could produce if were re-combined to the input solar power, was in the range 0.3–3.1%. Major sources of energy loss are re-radiation heat transfer through the reactor aperture, conduction heat transfer through the reactor walls, and the quenching of the reaction products.

scholarly journals Pulsed Gas Feeding for Stoichiometric Operation of a Gas-Solid Vortex Flow Solar Chemical Reactor

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Kräupl ◽  
Aldo Steinfeld
Keyword(s):  
Vortex Flow ◽  
Chemical Reactor ◽  
Thermal Conversion ◽  
Solar Furnace ◽  
Molar Ratio ◽  
Technical Solution ◽  
Molar Amount ◽  
Flux Concentration ◽  
Ch4 Reforming ◽  
Opening Up

Abstract The thermodynamic implications of conducting the solar combined ZnO-reduction and CH4-reforming under stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric conditions are examined. For a solar flux concentration ratio of 5000 and for a solar cavity-receiver operating at 1300 K, the solar thermal conversion efficiency is 55% for a stoichiometric molar ratio of ZnO and CH4, and decreases by 50% when using excess methane by a factor 10 over the stoichiometric molar amount. A technical solution for operating a gas-solid vortex-flow solar reactor under stoichiometric conditions was established by using a pulsed-feed of methane to carry out the particles of ZnO. Using this technique, nearly stoichiometric operation was demonstrated with a prototype reactor in a high-flux solar furnace, thereby opening up a means for efficient conversion of sunlight into chemical fuels.

Hydrogen Production by Steam-Gasification of Petroleum Coke Using Concentrated Solar Power: Reactor Experimentation With Slurry Feeding

Solar Energy ◽  
2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Z’Graggen ◽  
Philipp Haueter ◽  
Gilles Maag ◽  
Alfonso Vidal ◽  
Manuel Romero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Conversion ◽  
Conversion Efficiency ◽  
Chemical Conversion ◽  
Chemical Reactor ◽  
Energy Conversion Efficiency ◽  
Steam Gasification ◽  
Solar Furnace ◽  
Molar Ratio ◽  
Particle Size Range ◽  
Reactor Temperature

We report on the experimental evaluation of a 5 kW solar chemical reactor for the steam-gasification of petcoke, carried out at PSI’s solar furnace. A petcoke-water slurry was continuously injected into a solar cavity-receiver to create a vortex flow directly exposed to concentrated solar radiation. For a nominal reactor temperature of 1500 K, a residence time of 2.4 s, and a water-petcoke molar ratio of 4.8, the maximum degree of petcoke conversion was 87%. Typical syngas composition produced was 62% H2, 25% CO, 12% CO2, and 1% CH4. The energy conversion efficiency — defined as the portion of solar energy absorbed as chemical energy and sensible heat — attained 17%. The effect of varying the particle size (range 8.5–200 μm) and slurry stoichiometry (range 2.1–6.3) on the degree of chemical conversion and energy conversion efficiency was examined.

Pulsed Gas Feeding for Stoichiometric Operation of a Gas-Solid Vortex Flow Solar Chemical Reactor

2000 ◽  
Vol 123 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Kra¨upl ◽  
Aldo Steinfeld
Keyword(s):  
Vortex Flow ◽  
Chemical Reactor ◽  
Thermal Conversion ◽  
Solar Furnace ◽  
Molar Ratio ◽  
Technical Solution ◽  
Molar Amount ◽  
Flux Concentration ◽  
Ch4 Reforming ◽  
Opening Up

The thermodynamic implications of conducting the solar combined ZnO-reduction and CH4-reforming under stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric conditions are examined. For a solar flux concentration ratio of 5000 and for a solar cavity-receiver operating at 1300 K, the solar thermal conversion efficiency is 55 percent for a stoichiometric molar ratio of ZnO and CH4, and decreases by 50 percent when using excess methane by a factor 10 over the stoichiometric molar amount. A technical solution for operating a gas-solid vortex-flow solar reactor under stoichiometric conditions was established by using a pulsed-feed of methane to carry out the particles of ZnO. Using this technique, nearly stoichiometric operation was demonstrated with a prototype reactor in a high-flux solar furnace, thereby opening up a means for efficient conversion of sunlight into chemical fuels.

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