Hybrid metal oxide cycle water splitting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9556528-B2
Application number	US-201615008749-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2016
Priority date	Jul 29, 2011
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

Hybrid thermochemical water splitting systems are disclosed that thermally reduces metal oxides particles to displace some but not all of the electrical requirements in a water splitting electrolytic cell. In these hybrid systems, the thermal reduction temperature is significantly reduced compared to two-step metal-oxide thermochemical cycles in which only thermal energy is required to produce hydrogen from water. Also, unlike conventional higher temperature systems where the reduction step must be carried out under reduced oxygen pressure, the reduction step in the proposed hybrid systems can be carried out in air, allowing for thermal input by a solar power tower with a windowless, cavity receiver.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hybrid thermochemical splitting cycle implementation comprising:
a reactive particle receiver including an open cavity;
a down comer;
a hot particle storage container;
a heat exchanger; and
an electrolyzer;
wherein oxidized particles are directly heated and thermally reduced in the open cavity.

2. The hybrid thermochemical splitting cycle implementation of claim 1 , wherein the oxidized particles are recirculated within the reactive particle receiver to increase residence and heat transfer times.

3. The hybrid thermochemical splitting cycle implementation of claim 1 , wherein particles within the reactive particle receiver are recirculated within the reactive particle receiver to increase residence time.

4. The hybrid thermochemical splitting cycle implementation of claim 1 , wherein the open cavity receives concentrated solar flux.

5. The hybrid thermochemical splitting cycle implementation of claim 1 , further comprising:
an electric power cycle in thermal connectivity with the heat exchanger that receives heat removed by the heat exchanger.

6. The hybrid thermochemical splitting cycle implementation of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyzer is configured to reoxidize an oxygen-deficient metal oxide by reducing water to produce hydrogen.

7. The hybrid thermochemical splitting cycle implementation of claim 6 , wherein the electrolyzer is further configured to receive electricity for reducing water into hydrogen.

8. The hybrid thermochemical splitting cycle implementation of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyzer is configured to reoxidize an oxygen-deficient meal oxide by reducing carbon dioxide to produce carbon monoxide.

9. The hybrid thermochemical splitting cycle implementation of claim 8 , wherein the electrolyzer is further configured to receive electricity for reducing carbon dioxide to produce hydrogen.

Assignees

• Diver Jr Richard B
• Palumbo Robert D
• Siegel Nathan P
• Miller James E
• Sandia Corp

Inventors

• Diver Jr Richard B
• Palumbo Robert D
• Siegel Nathan P
• Miller James E

Classifications

• Y02E60/366

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• C25B9/00 Primary

  Cells or assemblies of cells; Constructional parts of cells; Assemblies of constructional parts, e.g. electrode-diaphragm assemblies; Process-related cell features · CPC title

• Y02P20/134

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• C01B3/063

  Cyclic methods · CPC title

• C25B1/00

  Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals · CPC title