Thermal swing reactor including a multi-flight auger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10035121-B1
Application number	US-201715419817-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 30, 2017
Priority date	May 15, 2013
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

A thermal swing reactor including a multi-flight auger and methods for solar thermochemical reactions are disclosed. The reactor includes a multi-flight auger having different helix portions having different pitch. Embodiments of reactors include at least two distinct reactor portions between which there is at least a pressure differential. In embodiments, reactive particles are exchanged between portions during a reaction cycle to thermally reduce the particles at first conditions and oxidize the particles at second conditions to produce chemical work from heat.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
transporting particles from a particle collection zone at a first temperature to a first reaction zone operating at a first reaction temperature by rotating a casing surrounding an auger having a flight capable of moving the particles;
transporting particles from the first reaction zone to a bottom portion of an inner cylinder of the auger;
transporting particles to a second reaction zone operating at a second reaction temperature less than the first reaction temperature;
wherein heat is transferred from particles being transported from the first reaction zone to the bottom portion of the inner cylinder of the auger to particles being transported from the particle collection zone to the first reaction zone; and
wherein the first reaction temperature is greater than the first temperature; and
wherein particles are heated to the first reaction temperature in the first reaction zone by concentrated solar energy; and
wherein particles are transported from the second reaction zone
to the first reaction zone by a second auger.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing carbon dioxide to the second reaction zone where the carbon dioxide is reduced to produce carbon monoxide and oxidized particles;
wherein the oxidized particles are reduced in the first reaction zone to produce oxygen.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing water to the second reaction zone where the water is reduced to produce hydrogen and oxidized particles;
wherein the oxidized particles are reduced in the first reaction zone to produce oxygen.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a gas stream containing carbon dioxide to the second reaction zone where carbon dioxide is captured by the particles;
wherein the particles are heated in the first reaction zone to release carbon dioxide.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particles are redox reactive.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first reaction temperature is greater than 1000° C.

Assignees

• Sandia Corp
• Nat Tech & Eng Solutions Sandia Llc

Inventors

• Ermanoski Ivan

Classifications

• B01J2219/0892

  involving catalytically active material · CPC title

• B01J2219/1203

  Incoherent waves · CPC title

• Y02E60/364

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• C01B3/042

  Decomposition of water (by electrolysis of water C25B1/04) · CPC title

• B65G33/14

  comprising a screw or screws enclosed in a tubular housing · CPC title