Solar-driven gasification of carbonaceous feedstock—a review

This article reviews the progress, challenges and opportunities in heat transfer research as applied to high-temperature thermochemical systems that use high-flux solar irradiation as the source of process heat. Selected pertinent areas such as radiative spectroscopy and tomography-based heat and mass characterization of heterogeneous media, kinetics of high-temperature heterogeneous reactions, heat and mass transfer modeling of solar thermochemical systems, and thermal measurements in high-temperature systems are presented, with brief discussions of their methods and example results from selected applications.

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“…12(b)), and indirectly irradiated entrained flow (Fig. 12(c)) [91]. The principal modes of heat transfer are indicated.…”

Section: Heat and Mass Transfer Modeling Of Solar Thermochemical Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review of Heat Transfer Research for Solar Thermochemical Applications

Lipiński¹,

Davidson

Haussener

et al. 2013

Journal of Thermal Science and Engineering Applications

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“…These studies have yielded more insight on the design of the reactors (fixed bed [14][15][16][17], fluidized bed [18,19], cyclonic [9,20]) and the possibilities of the technology. Two reviews are available on the subject [21,22]. Yet, they do not permit better understanding of biomass and solar power interaction.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomass gasification under high solar heat flux: Experiments on thermally thick samples

Pozzobon

Salvador

Bézian

2016

Fuel

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gasification under high solar heat flux: Experiments on thermally thick samples. Fuel, Elsevier, 2016, 174, pp.257-266 Beech wood is exposed to radiative heat flux higher than 1000 kW/m 2 . Sample geometry evolves dramatically. Temperature higher than 1500°C are reached. Tar yield is lowered by thermal cracking and steam reforming. Initial moisture content plays key role in the biomass behavior. t r a c tIn this study, thermally thick samples of beech wood are exposed to radiative heat flux above 1 MW/m 2 (1000 suns). It was motivated by the fact that concentrated solar energy allows to achieve temperatures higher than 1200 °C where char gasification, tar thermal cracking and tar steam reforming can take place. It is achieved using a new experimental device made of an artificial sun and a new reaction chamber, that monitors the sample mass throughout a run and can trap the produced tars using a liquid nitrogen cooled tar condensing device. Thanks to this experimental device, it is possible to compute the average wood consumption rate as well as drying water, char, gas and tar production rates. The produced light gases are also analyzed using microGC. Furthermore, a radiometer is used to monitor surface temperature, which is around 1500 °C. First, a new behavior has been highlighted. Under high radiative heat flux, a char crater which mirrored incident heat flux distribution, is formed inside of the sample. Then, using this device, the impact of two major parameters was tested: wood fiber orientation relative to the solar flux and initial moisture content. Wood fiber orientation (end grain and with the grain) was shown to only have a minor impact on the production rates, gas composition and crater formation. Three initial moisture contents (0, 9 and 55 %wb) were tested. It was shown that increasing the sample moisture leads to direct drying steam gasification of the char produced by the pyrolysis. Moreover, steam also promotes tar steam reforming and therefore decreases the tar yield. Finally, form an energetic point of view, the dry samples can achieve an energetic conversion efficiency of 90%, capturing up to 72% of the incident solar power in chemical form.

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“…Only by implementing sustainable, efficient, stable, and economically viable solar devices and their assemblies in large-scale systems can a substantial impact on our fuel economy be achieved (11)(12)(13)(14). Whereas biological photosynthesis systems, i.e., plants, show annually averaged efficiencies (defined as the heat of combustion of the accumulated biomass divided by the solar irradiation) in the range of 1% (10), demonstrated efficiencies of artificial or technical systems are in the range of 1-2% for thermochemical water and CO 2 splitting by redox cycles (3,15,16), up to 18% for photo-electrochemical (PEC) water splitting (17)(18)(19), and 20-30% for solar biomass steam gasification for the production of synthesis gas (8). The latter requires the input of an additional, potentially nonabundant fuel (biomass).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These approaches include hightemperature solar thermochemistry by water-splitting redox cycles (2,3), photo-electrochemistry and photocatalysis (4-7), solar biomass gasification processes (8,9), and photobiology via photosynthetic processes (10). Only by implementing sustainable, efficient, stable, and economically viable solar devices and their assemblies in large-scale systems can a substantial impact on our fuel economy be achieved (11)(12)(13)(14).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Integrated Device View on Photo-Electrochemical Solar-Hydrogen Generation

Modestino

Haussener

2015

Annu. Rev. Chem. Biomol. Eng.

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Devices that directly capture and store solar energy have the potential to significantly increase the share of energy from intermittent renewable sources. Photo-electrochemical solar-hydrogen generators could become an important contributor, as these devices can convert solar energy into fuels that can be used throughout all sectors of energy. Rather than focusing on scientific achievement on the component level, this article reviews aspects of overall component integration in photo-electrochemical water-splitting devices that ultimately can lead to deployable devices. Throughout the article, three generalized categories of devices are considered with different levels of integration and spanning the range of complete integration by one-material photo-electrochemical approaches to complete decoupling by photovoltaics and electrolyzer devices. By using this generalized framework, we describe the physical aspects, device requirements, and practical implications involved with developing practical photo-electrochemical water-splitting devices. Aspects reviewed include macroscopic coupled multiphysics device models, physical device demonstrations, and economic and life cycle assessments, providing the grounds to draw conclusions on the overall technological outlook.

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Solar-driven gasification of carbonaceous feedstock—a review

Cited by 215 publications

References 62 publications

Review of Heat Transfer Research for Solar Thermochemical Applications

Review of Heat Transfer Research for Solar Thermochemical Applications

Biomass gasification under high solar heat flux: Experiments on thermally thick samples

An Integrated Device View on Photo-Electrochemical Solar-Hydrogen Generation

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