A transient three-dimensional heat transfer model is developed for a 3 kWth solar thermochemical reactor for H2O and CO2 splitting via two-step nonstoichiometric ceria cycling. The reactor consists of a windowed solar receiver cavity, counter-rotating reactive and inert cylinders, and insulated reactor walls. The counter-rotating cylinders allow for continuous fuel production and heat recovery. The model is developed to solve energy conservation equations accounting for conduction, convection, and radiation heat transfer modes, and chemical reactions. Radiative heat transfer is analyzed using a combination of the Monte Carlo ray-tracing method, the net radiation method, and the Rosseland diffusion approximation. Steady-state temperatures, heat fluxes, and nonstoichiometry are reported. A temperature swing of up to 401 K, heat recovery effectiveness of up to 95%, and solar-to-fuel efficiency of up to 5% are predicted in parametric studies.
Issue Section:
Research Papers
References
1.
Steinfeld
, A.
, and Palumbo
, R.
, 2001
, “Solar Thermochemical Process Technology
,” Encyclopedia of Physical Science & Technology
, R. A.
Meyers
, ed., Academic
, Burlington
, VT, Vol. 15
, pp. 237
–256
.2.
Kodama
, T.
, 2003
, “High-Temperature Solar Chemistry for Converting Solar Heat to Chemical Fuels
,” Prog. Energy Combust. Sci.
, 29
(6
), pp. 567
–597
.10.1016/S0360-1285(03)00059-53.
Nakamura
, T.
, 1977
, “Hydrogen Production From Water Utilizing Solar Heat at High Temperatures
,” Sol. Energy
, 19
(5
), pp. 467
–475
.10.1016/0038-092X(77)90102-54.
Diver
, R. B.
, Miller
, J. E.
, Allendorf
, M. D.
, Siegel
, N. P.
, and Hogan
, R. E.
, 2008
, “Solar Thermochemical Water-Splitting Ferrite-Cycle Heat Engines
,” ASME J. Sol. Energy Eng.
, 130
(4
), p. 041001
.10.1115/1.29697815.
Miller
, J. E.
, Allendorf
, M. D.
, Diver
, R. B.
, Evans
, L. R.
, Siegel
, N. P.
, and Stuecker
J. N.
, 2008
, “Metal Oxide Composites and Structures for Ultra-High Temperature Solar Thermochemical Cycles
,” J. Mater. Sci.
, 43
(14
), pp. 4714
–4728
.10.1007/s10853-007-2354-76.
Kodama
, T.
, Nakamuro
, Y.
, and Mizuno
, T.
, 2006
, “A Two-Step Thermochemical Water Splitting by Iron-Oxide on Stabilized Zirconia
,” ASME J. Sol. Energy Eng.
, 128
(1
), pp. 3
–7
.10.1115/1.18788527.
Abanades
, S.
, and Flamant
, G.
, 2006
, “Thermochemical Hydrogen Production From a Two-Step Solar-Driven Water-Splitting Cycle Based on Cerium Oxides
,” Sol. Energy
, 80
(12
), pp. 1611
–1623
.10.1016/j.solener.2005.12.0058.
Chueh
, W. C.
, and Haile
, S. M.
, 2010
, “A Thermochemical Study of Ceria: Exploiting an Old Material for New Modes of Energy Conversion and CO2 Mitigation
,” Philos. Trans. R. Soc., A
, 368
(1923
), pp. 3269
–3294
.10.1098/rsta.2010.01149.
Abanades
, S.
, Legal
, A.
, Cordier
, A.
, Peraudeau
, G.
, Flamant
, G.
, and Julbe
, A.
, 2010
, “Investigation of Reactive Cerium-Based Oxides for H2 Production by Thermochemical Two-Step Water-Splitting
,” J. Mater. Sci.
, 45
(15
), pp. 4163
–4173
.10.1007/s10853-010-4506-410.
Chueh
, W. C.
, Falter
, C.
, Abbott
, M.
, Scipio
, D.
, Furler
, P.
, Haile
, S. M.
, and Steinfeld
, A.
, 2010
, “High-Flux Solar-Driven Thermochemical Dissociation of CO2 and H2O Using Nonstoichiometric Ceria
,” Science
, 330
(6012
), pp. 1797
–1801
.10.1126/science.119783411.
Kaneko
, H.
, Miura
, T.
, Fuse
, A.
, Ishihara
, H.
, Taku
, S.
, Fukuzumi
, H.
, Naganuma
, Y.
, and Tamaura
, Y.
, 2007
, “Rotary-Type Solar Reactor for Solar Hydrogen Production With Two-Step Water Splitting Process
,” Energy Fuels
, 21
(4
), pp. 2287
–2293
.10.1021/ef060581z12.
Venstrom
, L. J.
, Petkovich
, N.
, Rudisill
, S.
, Stein
, A.
, and Davidson
, J. H.
, 2011
, “The Effect of Morphology on the Oxidation of Ceria by Water and Carbon Dioxide
,” ASME J. Solar Energy Eng.
, 134
(1
), p. 011005
.10.1115/1.400511913.
Chueh
, W. C.
, and Haile
, S. M.
, 2009
, “Ceria as a Thermochemical Reaction Medium for Selectively Generating Syngas or Methane From H2O and CO2
,” ChemSusChem
, 2
(8
), pp. 735
–739
.10.1002/cssc.20090013814.
Petkovich
, N. D.
, Rudisill
, S. G.
, Venstrom
, L. J.
, Boman
, D. B.
, Davidson
, J. H.
, and Stein
, A.
, 2011
, “Control of Heterogeneity in Nanostructured Ce1−xZrxO2 Binary Oxides for Enhanced Thermal Stability and Water Splitting Activity
,” J. Phys. Chem. C
, 115
(43
), pp. 21022
–21033
.10.1021/jp207131515.
Kaneko
, H.
, Taku
, S.
, and Tamaura
, Y.
, 2011
, “Reduction Reactivity of CeO2–ZrO2 Oxide Under High O2 Partial Pressure in Two-Step Water Splitting Process
,” Sol. Energy
, 85
(9
), pp. 2321
–2330
.10.1016/j.solener.2011.06.01916.
Panlener
, R. J.
, Blumenthal
, R. N.
, and Garnier
, J. E.
, 1975
, “A Thermodynamic Study of Nonstoichiometric Cerium Dioxide
,” J. Phys. Chem. Solids
, 36
(11
), pp. 1213
–1222
.10.1016/0022-3697(75)90192-417.
Furler
, P.
, Scheffe
, J. R.
, and Steinfeld
, A.
, 2012
, “Syngas Production by Simultaneous Splitting of H2O and CO2 Via Ceria Redox Reactions in a High-Temperature Solar Reactor
,” Energy Environ. Sci.
, 5
, pp. 6098
–6103
.10.1039/c1ee02620h18.
Furler
, P.
, Scheffe
, J.
, Gorbar
, M.
, Moes
, L.
, Vogt
, U.
, and Steinfeld
, A.
, 2012
, “Solar Thermochemical CO2 Splitting Utilizing a Reticulated Porous Ceria Redox System
,” Energy Fuels
, 26
(11
), pp. 7051
–7059
.10.1021/ef301375719.
Roeb
, M.
, Säck
, J.-P.
, Rietbrock
, P.
, Prahl
, C.
, Schreiber
, H.
, Neises
, M.
, de Oliveira
, L.
, Graf
, D.
, Ebert
, M.
, Reinalter
, W.
, Meyer-Grünefeldt
, M.
, Sattler
, C.
, Lopez
, A.
, Vidal
, A.
, Elsberg
, A.
, Stobbe
, P.
, Jones
, D.
, Steele
, A.
, Lorentzou
, S.
, Pagkoura
, C.
, Zygogianni
, A.
, Agrafiotis
, C.
, and Konstandopoulos
, A. G.
, 2011
, “Test Operation of a 100 kW Pilot Plant for Solar Hydrogen Production From Water on a Solar Tower
,” Sol. Energy
, 85
(4
), pp. 634
–644
.10.1016/j.solener.2010.04.01420.
Chen
, K. S.
, and Hogan
, R. E.
, 2009
, “A Two-Phase Model for Solar Thermochemical Water Splitting with FeO/Fe3O4
,” ASME 2009 International Conference of Energy Sustainability (ES2009)
, San Francisco, CA, July 19–23, ASME
Paper No. ES2009-90228.10.1115/ES2009-9022821.
James
, D. L.
, Siegel
, N. P.
, Diver
, R. B.
, Boughton
, B. D.
, and Hogan
, R. E.
, 2006
, “Numerical Modeling of Solar Thermo-Chemical Water-Splitting Reactor
,” ASME International Solar Energy Conference (ISEC2006)
, Denver, CO, July 8–13, ASME
Paper No. ISEC2006-99141.10.1115/ISEC2006-9914122.
Chen
, K. S.
, and Hogan
, R. E.
, “Modeling Solar Thermochemical Splitting of CO2 Using Metal Oxide and a CR5
,” ASME 2010 International Conference of Energy Sustainability (ES2010)
, Phoenix, AZ, May 17–20, ASME
Paper No. ES2010-90436.10.1115/ES2010-9043623.
Hogan
, R. E.
, Miller
, J. E.
, James
, D. L.
, Chen
, K. S.
, and Diver
, R. B.
, 2012
, “Modeling Chemical and Thermal States of Reactive Metal Oxides in a CR5 Solar Thermochemical Heat Engine
,” ASME 2012 International Conference on Energy Sustainability (ES2012)
, San Diego, CA, July 23–26, ASME
Paper No. ES2012-91490.10.1115/ES2012-9149024.
Lapp
, J.
, Davidson
, J. H.
, and Lipiński
, W.
, 2012
, “Efficiency of Two-Step Solar Thermochemical Non-Stoichiometric Redox Cycles With Heat Recovery
,” Energy
, 37
(1
), pp. 591
–600
.10.1016/j.energy.2011.10.04525.
Lapp
, J.
, Davidson
, J. H.
, and Lipiński
, W.
, 2013
, “Heat Transfer Analysis of a Solid-Solid Heat Recuperation System for Solar-Driven Nonstoichiometric Redox Cycles
,” ASME J. Solar Energy Eng.
, 135
(3
), p
. 031004
.10.1115/1.402335726.
Liang
, Z.
, Chueh
, W. C.
, Ganesan
, K.
, Haile
, S. M.
, and Lipiński
, W.
, 2011
, “Experimental Determination of Transmittance of Porous Cerium Dioxide Media in the Spectral Range of 300–1100 nm
,” Exp. Heat Transfer
, 24
(4
), pp. 285
–299
.10.1080/08916152.2010.54287627.
Chekhovskoy
, V.
, and Stavrovsky
, G.
, 1970
, “Thermal Conductivity of Cerium Dioxide
,” 9th Conference on Thermal Conductivity
, Ames, IA, October 6–8, 1969, pp. 295
–298
.28.
Binnewies
, M.
, and Milke
, E.
, 1999
, Thermochemical Data of Elements and Compounds
, Wiley
, New York
.29.
Touloukian
, Y. S.
, 1967
, Thermophysical Properties of High Temperature Solid Materials
, Vol. 4
, Macmillan
, New York
, pp. 8
–47
.30.
Chase
, M. W.
, 1998
, NIST-JANAF Thermochemical Tables, Parts 1 and 2, 4th ed.
, J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data
, Monograph No. 9, American Institute of Physics, Woodbury, NY.31.
Zircar Ceramics Inc.
, 2001
, “Rigid Alumina Products
,” from http://www.zircarceramics.com/pages/rigidmaterials/aluminaproducts.htm32.
Ganesan
, K.
, and Lipiński
, W.
, 2011
, “Experimental Determination of Spectral Transmittance of Porous Cerium Dioxide in the Range 900–1700 nm
,” ASME J. Heat Transfer
, 133
(10
), p. 104501
.10.1115/1.400397033.
Ganesan
, K.
, Dombrovsky
, L. A.
, and Lipiński
, W.
, 2013
, “Visible and Near-Infrared Optical Properties of Ceria Ceramics
,” Infrared Phys. Technol.
, 57
, pp. 101
–109
.10.1016/j.infrared.2012.12.04034.
Sarou-Kanian
, V.
, Rifflet
, J. C.
, and Millot
, F.
, 2005
, “IR Radiative Properties of Solid and Liquid Alumina: Effects of Temperature and Gaseous Environment
,” Int. J. Thermophys.
, 26
(4
), pp. 1263
–1275
.10.1007/s10765-005-6725-535.
Rosseland
, S.
, 1936
, Theoretical Astrophysics; Atomic Theory and the Analysis of Stellar Atmospheres and Envelopes
, Clarendon
, Oxford, UK
.36.
Modest
, M. F.
, 2013
, Radiative Heat Transfer
, 3rd ed., Academic
, San Diego
.37.
Dombrovsky
, L. A.
, 2012
, “The Use of Transport Approximation and Diffusion-Based Models in Radiative Transfer Calculations
,” Comput. Therm. Sci.
, 4
, pp. 297
–315
.10.1615/ComputThermalScien.201200505038.
Bohren
, C. F.
, and Huffman
, D. R.
, 1983
, Absorption and Scattering of Light by Small Particles
, John Wiley & Sons
, New York
.39.
Marabelli
, F.
, and Wachter
, P.
, 1987
, “Covalent Insulator CeO2: Optical Reflectivity Measurements
,” Phys. Rev. B
, 36
(2
), pp. 1238
–1243
.10.1103/PhysRevB.36.123840.
Dombrovsky
, L. A.
, Ganesan
, K.
, and Lipiński
, W.
, 2012
, “Combined Two-Flux Approximation and Monte Carlo Model for Identification of Radiative Properties of Highly Scattering Dispersed Materials
,” Comput. Therm. Sci.
, 4
(4
), pp. 365
–378
.10.1615/ComputThermalScien.2012005025Copyright © 2014 by ASME
You do not currently have access to this content.
