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US 2006/0188433 A1Published application
Metal-oxide based process for the generation of hydrogen from water splitting utilizing a high temperature solar aerosol flow reactor
OwnerAlan Weimer, Christopher Perkins +2inventors
InventorsAlan Weimer, Christopher Perkins, Allan Lewandowski, Carl Bingham
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Abstract
The invention provides methods for reduction of metal oxide particles using a high temperature solar aerosol reactor. The invention also provides metal-oxide based processes for the generation of hydrogen from water splitting using a high temperature solar aerosol reactor. In addition, the invention provides solar thermal reactor systems suitable for use with these processes.
Claims27
A method for reducing metal oxide particles comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a solar-thermal fluid-wall aerosol transport reactor comprising an at least partially transparent outer protection shell and an inner reaction shell having an inlet and an outlet, the reaction shell being partially porous and having a porous section located at the outlet end of the shell;
- b) flowing a first gas stream comprising entrained metal oxide particles from the inlet to the outlet of the reaction shell;
- c) flowing a second gas stream radially inward through the porous section of the reaction shell, thereby generating a fluid wall along the inside of the reaction shell;
- and
- d) heating the metal oxide particles in the reactor at least in part with a source of concentrated sunlight through indirect solar thermal heating to a temperature at which the metal oxide particles undergo a reduction reaction, thereby producing a reduced metal oxide product which is a metal, a metal oxide of a lower valence state, or a combination thereof.
2 more elements
A method for reducing metal oxide particles comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a solar reactor system comprising a solar-thermal aerosol transport reactor and a cooling device, the solar-thermal reactor comprising an at least partially transparent outer protection shell and a reaction shell having an inlet and an outlet and the cooling device comprising a cooling chamber having an inlet and an outlet and comprising an inner wall comprising a porous section, the inlet of the cooling chamber being connected to the outlet of the solar-thermal reactor reaction shell;
- b) flowing a first gas stream comprising entrained metal oxide particles from the inlet to the outlet of the reaction shell;
- c) flowing a second gas stream radially inward through the porous section of the inner cooling chamber wall, thereby generating a fluid wall along the inside of the inner cooling chamber wall;
- and
- d) heating the metal oxide particles in the reactor at least in part with a source of concentrated sunlight through indirect solar thermal heating to a temperature at which the metal oxide particles undergo a reduction reaction thereby producing a reduced metal oxide product which is a metal, a metal oxide of a lower valence state, or a combination thereof;
- and
- e) cooling the reduced metal oxide product by discharging reduced metal oxide product into the cooling device.
4 more elements
A solar-thermal reactor system comprising
- a) a solar-thermal aerosol transport reactor comprising a partially porous first inner shell having an inlet and an outlet and a porous section located at the outlet end of the first inner shell, a second inner shell substantially enclosing the first inner shell, an at least partially transparent outer shell substantially enclosing the second inner shell, a first gas plenum located substantially between the first and second inner shell, the first gas plenum having an inlet and an outlet, and a second gas plenum located substantially between the second inner shell and the outer shell, the second gas plenum having an inlet and an outlet;
- and
- b) a cooling device comprising a cooling chamber having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet of the cooling chamber being connected to the outlet of the solar thermal reactor first inner shell and the inner diameter of the cooling chamber being greater than the inner diameter of the first inner shell.
A solar-thermal reactor system comprising:
- a) a solar-thermal aerosol transport reactor comprising a nonporous first inner shell having an inlet and an outlet, a second inner shell substantially enclosing the first inner shell, an at least partially transparent outer shell substantially enclosing the second inner shell, a first gas plenum located substantially between the first and second inner shell, the first gas plenum having an inlet and an outlet, and a second gas plenum located substantially between the second inner shell and the outer shell, the second gas plenum having an inlet and an outlet;
- and
- b) a cooling device comprising a cooling chamber having an inlet and an outlet and comprising an inner first wall comprising a porous section and a second wall substantially enclosing the first wall and a third gas plenum located substantially between the first and second wall, the third gas plenum having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet of the cooling device being connected to the outlet of the first inner shell of the solar-thermal reactor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.