Method for producing hydrogen by means of thermochemical water-splitting, and device for producing hydrogen

A method for producing hydrogen by means of thermochemical water-splitting comprising

• simultaneously progressing an oxygen evolution reaction and a hydrogen evolution reaction while a fluidized bed comprising particles of a metal oxide is circulated within a solar reactor, by using a device for producing hydrogen by means of thermochemical water-splitting,
• the solar reactor storing the fluidized bed comprising the particles of the metal oxide;
• a solar light concentration means concentrating and irradiating solar light onto the fluidized bed stored within the solar reactor;
• a low-oxygen partial pressure gas introduction means introducing a low-oxygen partial pressure gas into the fluidized bed;
• and
• a water vapor introduction means introducing water vapor into the fluidized bed, and
• wherein the oxygen evolution reaction releases oxygen from the metal oxide by heating a part of the fluidized bed by solar light to not lower than 1,400° C. under a low-oxygen partial pressure gas atmosphere and the hydrogen evolution reaction releases hydrogen by allowing the metal oxide with oxygen having been released therefrom to come into contact with water vapor in a temperature of not higher than 1,400° C.

A device for producing hydrogen by means of thermochemical water-splitting comprising:

• a solar reactor storing a fluidized bed comprising metal oxide particles;
• a solar light concentration means concentrating and irradiating solar light onto the fluidized bed stored within the solar reactor;
• a low-oxygen partial pressure gas introduction means introducing a low-oxygen partial pressure gas into the fluidized bed;
• and
• a water vapor introduction means introducing water vapor into the fluidized bed.

A device for producing hydrogen by means of thermochemical water-splitting comprising:

• a solar reactor storing a fluidized bed comprising metal oxide particles;
• a solar light concentration means concentrating and irradiating solar light onto an upper central portion of the fluidized bed stored within the solar reactor;
• wherein the solar reactor comprises:
• a cylindrical draft tube that is open in a top and bottom direction, buried into the fluidized bed, and arranged in a center portion of the fluidized bed;
• a low-oxygen partial pressure gas introduction means introducing a low-oxygen partial pressure gas into an inside of the draft tube from a lower portion of the draft tube;
• a water vapor introduction means introducing water vapor into an outside of the draft tube from the lower portion of the draft tube;
• and
• a gas separation means separating a gas upwardly released from the inside of the draft tube and a gas upwardly released from the outside of the draft tube.