# US 11,077,418 B2 · Solar thermochemical processing system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,077,418 B2 - Document ID: US11077418B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/950,068 - Filed: 2018-04-10 - Published: 2018-11-29 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2011-07-26 - Assignees: Battelle Memorial Institute - Applicants: Battelle Memorial Institute - Inventors: Robert S. Wegeng; Paul H. Humble; Shankar Krishnan; Steven D. Leith; Daniel R. Palo; Robert A. Dagle - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11077418B2 ## CPC - B01J 19/127: {Sunlight; Visible light} - C01B 3/384: with external heating of the catalyst - C01B 3/48: followed by reaction of water vapour with carbon monoxide - C10G 2/30: {from carbon monoxide with hydrogen} - C10K 3/04: reducing the carbon monoxide content {, e.g. water-gas shift [WGS]} - F01K 3/188: {using heat from a specified chemical reaction} - F22B 1/006: {using solar heat} - F24S 20/20: Solar heat collectors for receiving concentrated solar energy, e.g. receivers for solar power plants - H01M 8/0612: from carbon-containing material - B01J 2219/00006: Large-scale industrial plants - B01J 2219/00159: controlling multiple zones along the direction of flow, e.g. pre-heating and after-cooling - B01J 2219/0883: Gas-gas - B01J 2219/089: Liquid-solid - C01B 2203/0233: the reforming step being a steam reforming step - C01B 2203/0283: containing a CO-shift step, i.e. a water gas shift step - C01B 2203/0445: Selective methanation - C01B 2203/061: Methanol production - C01B 2203/0855: by electromagnetic heating - C01B 2203/1288: Evaporation of one or more of the different feed components - Y02E 10/40: Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - Y02P 20/129: Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines - Y02P 20/133: Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y10T 29/49826: Assembling or joining - Y10T 137/8593: Systems - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} - C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES - C10K: PURIFYING OR MODIFYING THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF COMBUSTIBLE GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE - F01K: STEAM ENGINE PLANTS; STEAM ACCUMULATORS; ENGINE PLANTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ENGINES USING SPECIAL WORKING FLUIDS OR CYCLES (gas-turbine or jet-propulsion plants F02; nuclear power plants, engine arrangements therein G21D) - F22B: METHODS OF STEAM GENERATION; STEAM BOILERS - F24S: SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS (for producing mechanical power from solar energy F03G6/00) - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A solar thermochemical processing system is disclosed. The system includes a first unit operation for receiving concentrated solar energy. Heat from the solar energy is used to drive the first unit operation. The first unit operation also receives a first set of reactants and produces a first set of products. A second unit operation receives the first set of products from the first unit operation and produces a second set of products. A third unit operation receives heat from the second unit operation to produce a portion of the first set of reactants. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of storing solar energy, the method comprising: providing reactants to a first endothermic reactor to produce a first set of products, wherein the first endothermic reactor receives at least some concentrated solar energy as a heat source; further reacting the first set of products in a first exothermic reactor to produce a second set of products, wherein the heat of the reaction from the first exothermic reactor is provided to the first endothermic reactor to supplement the concentrated solar energy; wherein the first endothermic reactor comprises a methane steam reforming catalyst and wherein the reactants comprise methane and steam, wherein the first set of products comprises syngas; wherein the first exothermic reactor comprises a methanol synthesis reactor; wherein the step in which the heat of reaction from the first exothermic reactor is provided to the first endothermic reaction comprises preheating the reactants using heat from the methanol synthesis reactor to vaporize water to form steam and then providing the steam to the first endothermic reactor; and separating the second set of products to store fuel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the separating comprises recovering methanol with unreacted syngas. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 further comprising providing at least a portion of the second set of products as fuel for combustion; and wherein the fuel provides heat for a heat engine. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 further comprising providing at least a portion of the second set of products to a fuel cell. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 further comprising cooling the first set of products and then providing the first set of products to the first exothermic reactor. ### Claim 6 A method of storing solar energy, the method comprising: providing reactants to a first endothermic reactor to produce a first set of products, wherein the first endothermic reactor receives at least some concentrated solar energy as a heat source; further reacting the first set of products in a first exothermic reactor to produce a second set of products, wherein the heat of the reaction from the first exothermic reactor is provided to the first set of reactants; and further wherein the endothermic reactor is a radial reactor comprising outward flowing channels comprising an inlet at the center of the reactor and flow in a radial direction toward outlets at the periphery of the reactor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 further comprising a vaporizer for receiving heat from the first exothermic reactor to produce a portion of the first set of reactants. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 wherein the first exothermic reactor provides heat to the vaporizer and produces syngas and a liquid hydrocarbon product. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein the syngas and liquid hydrocarbon product are passed to a separator where a liquid hydrocarbon product is recovered. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 further comprising the counterflow microchannel recuperative heat exchanger with a minimum exergetic efficiency of 85% and a heat transfer power density of about 10 watts/cm2. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the reactants comprise water and methane. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the first exothermic reactor comprises a methanol synthesis reactor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the fuel comprises methanol. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein, prior to the step of further reacting, the first set of reactants are cooled in a heat exchanger. ### Claim 15 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 comprising inward flowing channels adjacent the outward flowing channels which enter at the periphery and exit toward the center of the reactor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising a passive structure adapted to provide passive flow control within the reactor; wherein the passive structure comprises an orifice cover blocking an outlet orifice of the outward flowing channels; wherein the orifice cover comprises a material having a higher or lower thermal expansion as compared with the outward flowing channels. ### Claim 17 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 wherein methanol or hydrogen is synthesized in the first exothermic reactor in a methanol synthesis reaction or in a reverse water gas shift reaction that provides heat to vaporize water in a vaporizer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein half of the reactants enter at the center of the reactor and flow through catalyst to the periphery of the reactor and the other half of the reactants enter at the periphery and flow toward the center of the reactor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein the method further comprises a step of vapor compression, sorption, or thermoelectric heat pumping that provides additional heat to the vaporizer.