Dual-cavity method and device for collecting and storing solar energy with metal oxide particles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017191697-A1
Application number	US-201414898694-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 12, 2014
Priority date	Dec 12, 2014
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A dual-cavity method and device for collecting and storing solar energy with metal oxide particles. Solar radiation irradiates into a light receiving cavity of a dual-cavity, heat-collecting reactor to heat a separating plate and preheat metal oxide particles. The preheated metal oxide particles then enter a reacting cavity. As temperature increases, the metal oxide particles reduce to release oxygen, which discharges through a gas outlet. Reduced metal oxide particles discharge through a particle outlet into a particle storage tank, and then into an oxidation heat exchanger to react with the discharged oxygen discharged to release and transfer stored chemical energy to a medium to be heated. The oxidized metal oxide particles are conveyed into a storage tank, and again enter into a particle inlet of the light receiving cavity. Ambient air controls the gas flow rate in the reactor and the reacting rate in exchanger.

First claim

1 . A dual-cavity method for collecting and storing solar energy with metal oxide particles, wherein the method comprises:
providing a light receiving cavity and a reacting cavity, which are separated by a separating plate; passing metal oxide particles into the light receiving cavity through a light receiving cavity particle inlet, which flow through the separating plate; irradiating the light receiving cavity with concentrated solar radiation, which heats the metal oxide particles and the separating plate; passing the heated metal oxide particles flow into the reacting cavity from the light receiving cavity, producing a reaction—as the heating continues to operate, in which the heated metal oxide particles gradually decompose and are reduced to release oxygen and absorb heat, wherein heat for the reaction is provided together by heat from the heated solid particles per se and the separating plate's thermal radiation to the reacting cavity; and discharging the oxygen released in the reaction process through a reacting cavity gas outlet, and discharging the reduced metal oxide particles from a reacting cavity particle outlet, wherein solar energy is stored in the reduced metal oxide particles in the form of chemical energy.

2 . The dual-cavity method for collecting and storing solar energy with metal oxide particles according to claim 1 , wherein the reduced metal oxide particles discharged from the reacting cavity particle outlet enter a reduced particle storage tank; and when heat energy is needed, the reduced metal oxide particles re-enter a particle inlet of an oxidation heat exchanger, and the gas discharged from the reacting cavity gas outlet enters a gas inlet of the oxidation heat exchanger to react with the reduced metal oxide particles to release heat; the released heat is transferred to a medium to be heated in heat exchange pipes of the oxidation heat exchanger; the residual gas is discharged from the oxidation heat exchanger gas outlet, while the oxidized metal oxide particles enter an oxidized particle storage tank and later, via a particle conveyor, come back to the light receiving cavity particle inlet, completing a metal oxide particle cycle.

3 . The dual-cavity method for collecting and storing solar energy with metal oxide particles according to claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide particles comprise one or more from the group consisting of iron oxide, manganese oxide, cobalt oxide, copper oxide, barium oxide and antimony oxide.

4 . The dual-cavity method for collecting and storing solar energy with metal oxide particles according to claim 2 , wherein the medium to be heated in the oxidation heat exchanger pipes comprises one or more from the group consisting of air, water, hydrogen, helium, nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

5 . The dual-cavity method for collecting and storing solar energy with metal oxide particles according to claim 2 , further comprising providing an air inlet to the reacting cavity, through which ambient air can be fed into the reacting cavity.

6 . The dual-cavity method for collecting and storing solar energy with metal oxide particles according to claim 5 , wherein the ambient air fed into the reacting cavity has heat exchange in a recuperator with residual gas discharged from the oxidation heat exchanger gas outlet in advance to increase the air temperature and reduce the residual gas temperature.

7 . The dual-cavity method for collecting and storing solar energy with metal oxide particles according to claim 2 , further comprising providing the oxidation heat exchanger gas inlet with an air inlet, through which ambient air can be fed into the oxidation heat exchanger.

8 . The dual-cavity method for collecting and storing solar energy with metal oxide particles according to claim 7 , wherein the ambient air fed into oxidation heat exchanger has heat exchange in a recuperator with residual gas discharged from the oxidation heat exchanger gas outlet in advance to increase the air temperature and reduce the residual gas temperature.

9 . The dual-cavity method for collecting and storing solar energy with metal oxide particles according to claim 1 , further comprising providing a secondary concentrator a solar incident light aperture of the light receiving cavity.

10 . A dual-cavity device for collecting and storing solar energy with metal oxide particles, comprising:
a light receiving cavity, comprising:
an incident light aperture; and
a light receiving cavity particle inlet;
a secondary concentrator disposed upon the incident light aperture of the light receiving cavity; a reacting cavity, wherein the light receiving cavity and the reacting cavity are
separated by a separating plate, and connected by a particle downcomer, and
wherein the reacting cavity comprises:
a reacting cavity gas outlet; and
a reacting cavity particle outlet;
a reduced particle storage tank comprising:
a reduced particle storage tank particle inlet connected to the reacting cavity particle outlet; and
a reduced particle storage tank particle outlet;
an oxidized particle storage tank, comprising:
an oxidized particle storage tank particle inlet;
an oxidized particle storage tank particle outlet connected via a particle conveyor to the light receiving cavity particle inlet;
an oxidation heat exchanger, comprising:
an oxidation heat exchanger gas inlet connected to the reacting cavity gas outlet;
an oxidation heat exchanger particle inlet connected to the reduced particle storage tank particle outlet;
an oxidation heat exchanger particle outlet connected to the oxidized particle storage tank particle inlet.

Assignees

• Univ Zhejiang

Inventors

• Xiao Gang
• Yang Tianfeng
• Ni Mingjiang
• Luo Zhongyang
• Gao Xiang
• Cen Kefa
• Fang Mengxiang
• Zhou Jinsong
• Shi Zhenglun
• Cheng Leming
• Wang Qinhui
• Wang Shurong
• Yu Chunjiang
• Wang Tao
• Zheng Chenghang

Classifications

• F24S80/20

  Working fluids specially adapted for solar heat collectors · CPC title

• F28D20/003

  using thermochemical reactions · CPC title

• Y02E70/30

  Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin · CPC title

• F24V30/00

  Apparatus or devices using heat produced by exothermal chemical reactions other than combustion · CPC title

• F24S10/00 Primary

  Solar heat collectors using working fluids · CPC title