Solar-powered flexible waste-to-fuels process

Abstract

Various examples are provided related to conversion of biomass and other carbonaceous sources using solar heat. In one example, a waste-to-fuel conversion method includes generating carbon-containing gases and vapors from a carbonaceous waste by pyrolysis; and converting the carbon-containing gases and vapors to carbon monoxide and hydrogen (synthesis gas or syngas) in a chemical looping cycle utilizing a reductionoxidation (redox) material. Heating for the pyrolysis and chemical looping cycle is provided by solar thermal energy via a thermal storage medium. In another example, a gasification process includes a pyrolysis reactor that can generate carbon-containing gases and vapors from a carbonaceous waste; and a chemical looping redox cycle that can convert the carbon-containing gases and vapors to carbon monoxide and hydrogen (synthesis gas or syngas) utilizing a redox material. Heating for the pyrolysis reactor and chemical looping redox cycle is provided by solar thermal energy via a thermal storage medium.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.