A Solar Reactor Design for Research on Calcium Oxide-Based Carbon Dioxide Capture

An engineering design for a novel 1-kW solar-driven reactor to capture carbon dioxide via the calcium oxide-based two-step carbonation–calcination cycle has been completed. The reactor consists of a downward-facing cylindrical dual cavity. The inner cavity serves as the radiation receiver, while the outer cavity is the reaction chamber that contains a packed- or fluidized-bed of reacting particles. Several aspects have been incorporated in this reactor design, including high flexibility, mechanical rigidity and simplicity, high-temperature and thermal shock resistance, accommodation of thermal expansion, low convective heat losses, uniform gas distribution inside the reaction chamber, and simple reactor assembly. The final reactor design is presented, and the reactor assembly is illustrated.