Solar solids reactor

Solar powered solids reactor apparatus comprising:

• walls forming an elongated chamber having rearward and forward ends, side portions, and a top and bottom;
• means for feeding solid material which is to be thermally reacted into said rearward end of said chamber;
• means coupled to said forward end of said chamber for receiving solid material after it has been at least partially reacted in said chamber;
• means for moving solid material in a layer along the bottom of said chamber from its rearward end to its forward end, while maintaining a top of said layer exposed to receive heat created by solar radiation;
• the forward end of said chamber being at an angle with respect to vertical and having an aperture therein;
• a sunlight reflecting concentrator positioned to direct concentrated sunlight through said aperture into said chamber;
• a regenerator which includes a solar heat absorbing material within said chamber above the level of said layer of solid material, and means for moving said heat absorbing material between a first location, at which it receives concentrated sunlight which has passed through said aperture into said chamber, to a second location, which is closer to said rearward end of said chamber than is said first location, and at which it gives up heat.

A solar powered solids reactor, comprising:

• walls forming an elongated chamber having a rearward end portion, an inclined forward end portion and a top and bottom, said chamber walls also having an aperture in said inclined forward end portion through which sunlight and ambient air can pass;
• means for feeding solid material to be thermally reacted into said rearward end portion of said chamber,
• means for moving solid material at least partially along a length of the chamber, and
• means for disposing of at least partially reacted solid material from said forward end portion of said chamber;
• means for directing solar radiation through said aperture into said chamber;
• means for transferring heat between at least partially reacted solid material and a sweep gas for heating the sweep gas;
• means for passing said sweep gas into said forward end portion of said chamber and at least partially along the length of said chamber and out from said rearward end portion of said chamber, including a first gas pump coupled to said rearward end of said chamber to pump gas out of said chamber, and a second gas pump coupled to said forward end of said chamber to pump said sweep gas into said chamber, whereby to minimize the inflow of ambient air through said aperture and the outflow of heated sweep gas through said aperture.