The
solar thermochemical steam-based gasification of carbonaceous
materials is investigated using concentrated solar energy as the source
of the high-temperature process heat. Vis-à-vis conventional
autothermal gasification, the solar-driven process delivers a higher
syngas output of higher quality and lower CO2 intensity
because no portion of the feedstock is combusted and its energy content
is solar upgraded. The operation of a solar gasification pilot plant
for a 150 kWth solar-radiative power input was experimentally
demonstrated using a packed-bed solar reactor operated in batch mode.
The experimentation was carried out in a solar tower. Six different
carbonaceous waste feedstocks have been successfully processed: industrial
sludge, fluff, tire chips, dried sewage sludge, low-rank coal, and
sugar cane bagasse. The calorific value of the produced syngas was
upgraded by a factor of up to 1.3. The solar-to-fuel energy-conversion
efficiency, defined as the ratio of the heating value of the fuel
produced to the solar and feedstock energy inputs, varied between
22 and 35%.
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