Solar thermochemical reactor, methods of manufacture and use thereof and thermogravimeter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017217771-A1
Application number	US-201615384837-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 20, 2016
Priority date	Dec 22, 2011
Publication date	Aug 3, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a solar thermochemical reactor comprising an outer member, an inner member disposed within an outer member, wherein the outer member surrounds the inner member and wherein the outer member has an aperture for receiving solar radiation and wherein an inner cavity and an outer cavity are formed by the inner member and outer member and a reactive material capable of being magnetically stabilized wherein the reactive material is disposed in the outer cavity between the inner member and the outer member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of using a solar thermochemical reactor comprising:
disposing an inner member within an outer member, wherein the outer member surrounds the inner member; disposing a reactive material capable of being magnetically stabilized in between the outer member and the inner member; applying a vacuum to the outer member; fluidizing the reactive material; applying a magnetic field around the outer member; disposing solar radiation onto the outer member; carrying out a reduction reaction in the reactor; extracting oxygen from the outer member; disposing carbon dioxide and water onto the reactor material; carrying out an oxidation reaction in the reactor; and extracting carbon monoxide gas and hydrogen gas from the outer member.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reduction reaction is carried out at a temperature of less than or equal to 1500° C.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxidation reaction is carried out at an autothermal temperature.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reduction reaction is carried out at a pressure of less than or equal to 10 −4 bar.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxidation reaction is carried out at atmospheric pressure.

6 . A cycling loop process for producing synthetic gas comprising:
disposing a first solar thermochemical reactor in close proximity to a second solar thermochemical reactor; focusing solar radiation from a concentrated sources onto the first solar thermochemical reactor; carrying out a reduction reaction in the first solar thermochemical reactor; focusing solar radiation from the concentrated source onto a second solar thermochemical reactor; carrying out an oxidation reaction in the first reactor; and carrying out a reduction reaction in the second solar thermochemical reactor; and carrying out an oxidation reaction in the second reactor, wherein the first reactor and second reactor each comprise an outer member having an aperture for receiving solar radiation, wherein said outer member completely surrounds an inner member, wherein the outer member and inner member form an inner cavity and outer cavity and further wherein a reactor material capable of becoming magnetically stabilized is disposed in the outer cavity.

7 . The process of claim 6 , wherein the first reactor and second reactor are each equipped with a shutter that is open when the reduction reaction is being carried out and the shutter is closed when the oxidation reaction is being carried out.

8 . A solar thermogravimeter for modeling the kinetics of thermochemical reactions in a solar thermochemical reactor comprising:
a metal pressure vessel; a tubular or dome shaped quartz vessel for optical access; a low vibration vacuum pump; an analytical balance disposed within the low pressure vessel; a temperature sensor; a thermocoupler; a flow meter; and a gas phase chromatograph or mass spectrometer.

Assignees

• Univ Florida

Inventors

• Klausner James F
• Petrasch Joerg

Classifications

• C01B3/10

  by reaction of water vapour with metals · CPC title

• B01J8/42 Primary

  with fluidised bed subjected to electric current or to radiations {this sub-group includes the fluidised bed subjected to electric or magnetic fields} · CPC title

• C01B3/105 Primary

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• B01J2219/1203

  Incoherent waves · CPC title

• F24J2/07

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic