Modelling of solar thermochemical reaction systems

Wheeler, Vincent M.; Kreider, Peter B.; Hangi, Morteza; Haussener, Sophia; Lipiński, Wojciech

doi:10.1016/j.solener.2017.07.069

Cited by 53 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 164 publications

(288 reference statements)

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“…Kinetics of gasification of carbonaceous materials at high temperatures was studied in [51,52]. Mathematical models of gasification processes under the influence of solar radiation are proposed in [53][54][55][56][57][58]. Allothermal processes of biomass pyrolysis and gasification were investigated in [59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67], including those in a staged gasification unit [68,69].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of Fuel and Steam Consumption on Characteristics of Fixed Bed Process of Woody Biomass Steam Gasification with Intensive Heat Supply

Donskoy

2021

Energy Systems Research

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Plant biomass is one of the most widespread renewable energy sources. Energy utilization of biomass allows solving some problems associated with the development of off-grid energy systems and the processing of combustible waste (primarily agricultural and forestry waste). This paper is devoted to the study of an allothermal gasification process of plant biomass materials using a kinetic-thermodynamic model developed by the author. The gasification process is considered stationary, and steam is used as a gasification agent. The power of the supplied heat is considered constant (10 kW). One of the significant tasks related to allothermal gasification is to choose flowrate parameters so that the heat supplied is efficiently used in chemical reactions without the threat of reactor overheating. The determination of the boundaries of the safe gasifier operation involved variant calculations with a view to optimizing the gasification conditions. The calculation results show that the allothermal gasification process can proceed with a thermochemical efficiency of about 70%. For each fixed fuel consumption level, there is an optimal fuel-steam ratio. The complete conversion of biomass requires sufficiently high temperatures. The produced gas contains a significant steam fraction (>50 vol%) even under optimal conditions. The calculated fraction of hydrogen in dry gas is up to 60vol%. The data obtained can be used to assess the efficiency of energy units with biomass gasification using high-temperature sources, for example, in systems that use and store solar thermal energy.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of Fuel and Steam Consumption on Characteristics of Fixed Bed Process of Woody Biomass Steam Gasification with Intensive Heat Supply

Donskoy

2021

Energy Systems Research

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“…Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis has been an essential design tool for the optimization of solar reactors and receivers to address these engineering challenges prior to manufacturing. Combined use of in-house developed numerical modelling [4] and commercially available computational tools have proven their effectiveness in predicting and optimizing performance of solar thermochemical systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Systematic approach for design optimization of a 3 kW solar cavity receiver via multiphysics analysis

et al. 2020

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Use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling for solar reactor design optimization is a powerful tool in developing efficient reactors for solar thermochemical applications. CFD models can capture complex multiphase flow dynamics to explain the physics linking the heat transfer and flow dynamics on chemical conversion efficiency and continuous operation of a solar reactor. Flux map and temperature data can be numerically obtained via CFD inside the solar reactor, which is a harsh environment for penetrating measurement tools. In this paper, a CFD analysis of a solar cavity receiver operated with air flow and is directly irradiated by a 10 kWe high flux solar simulator (HFSS) is presented. Radiative heat transfer from the HFSS is modeled by implementing Monte Carlo Ray Tracing (MCRT) for tracking the ray paths from the radiative source to the aperture plane of the receiver. Flux densities were computed at the aperture and validated by experimental heat flux characterization of the solar simulator. The validated MCRT model provided directional information on the radiative flux and was sequentially coupled to the computational fluid domain. Through experimental testing, receiver temperatures up to 1200 K were measured with solar input at the entrance of the cavity of around 3 kW radiative power. Experimentally measured non-uniform temperature distribution in the axial direction was recorded, which developed a hot spot at the backplate of the cavity. Accuracy of the numerical model was validated by comparing the temperature prediction inside the cavity receiver to experimental results. Validated model was then used to conduct a parametric study on the flow configuration to identify run conditions yielding enhanced fluid mixing and improved heat transfer characteristics. The results showed that altering the angle of the main inlet ports proved to be effective in reducing the local hot spot in the back of the receiver. Moreover, results of the parametric study identified the increase of main flow rate as a positive contribution towards temperature uniformity throughout the fluid domain.

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“…Furthermore, the reactor plays the role of storing high‐flux solar irradiance in the form of chemical fuels. Radiation heat transfer and thermal characteristics of redox materials in the solar thermochemical reactor are the main challenges for the conversion of solar energy to chemical energy . Thus, an appropriate radiation heat transfer model is necessary for the accurate prediction of the axial temperature gradient with the chemical change of the active material.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of Two‐Step Solar Thermochemical Looping Reforming of Fe₃O₄ Redox Cycles for Synthesis Gas Production

et al. 2019

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A two‐step solar thermochemical looping reforming (STCLR) of CH4—Fe3O4 redox cycles via H2O and CO2 splitting is investigated for H2 and CO production. The P1 approximation is adopted for the radiation heat transfer and high‐temperature thermal characteristics of active materials in the reaction medium. A benchmark experimental setup for the conversion of solar energy to syngas based on the solar thermochemical technology is presented. The effects of operating conditions on the yield of H2 and CO as well as syngas production are investigated at both thermal reduction and oxidation steps. It is found that the key performance of two‐step CH4—Fe3O4 redox cycles for a higher H2 and CO production depends on the efficiency of methane and oxidizer (H2O and CO2) conversion. Furthermore, a substantial amount of H2 and CO production with carbon deposition is obtained when the thermal reduction is extended to the mixed oxide solid solution (FeO—Fe). Among the oxygen carriers, FeO exhibits a higher oxygen exchange for H2 production. However, the synergetic effect of FeO—Fe reactivity strongly contributes to syngas yield. The present solar reactor model can significantly contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emission by utilizing 40% of CO2 emissions into solar fuels such as H2 and syngas. The results indicate that highly selective syngas with an H2/CO ratio close to 2 can be obtained with a strong control of γ = H2O/CO2.

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Modelling of solar thermochemical reaction systems

Cited by 53 publications

References 164 publications

The Influence of Fuel and Steam Consumption on Characteristics of Fixed Bed Process of Woody Biomass Steam Gasification with Intensive Heat Supply

The Influence of Fuel and Steam Consumption on Characteristics of Fixed Bed Process of Woody Biomass Steam Gasification with Intensive Heat Supply

Systematic approach for design optimization of a 3 kW solar cavity receiver via multiphysics analysis

Analysis of Two‐Step Solar Thermochemical Looping Reforming of Fe₃O₄ Redox Cycles for Synthesis Gas Production

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Modelling of solar thermochemical reaction systems

Cited by 53 publications

References 164 publications

The Influence of Fuel and Steam Consumption on Characteristics of Fixed Bed Process of Woody Biomass Steam Gasification with Intensive Heat Supply

The Influence of Fuel and Steam Consumption on Characteristics of Fixed Bed Process of Woody Biomass Steam Gasification with Intensive Heat Supply

Systematic approach for design optimization of a 3 kW solar cavity receiver via multiphysics analysis

Analysis of Two‐Step Solar Thermochemical Looping Reforming of Fe3O4 Redox Cycles for Synthesis Gas Production

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Analysis of Two‐Step Solar Thermochemical Looping Reforming of Fe₃O₄ Redox Cycles for Synthesis Gas Production