Kelvin Randhir

Solar Thermochemical Energy Storage Through Carbonation Cycles of SrCO3/SrO Supported on SrZrO3

Solar thermochemical energy storage has enormous potential for enabling cost-effective concentrated solar power (CSP). A thermochemical storage system based on a SrO/SrCO3 carbonation cycle offers the ability to store and release high temperature (≈1200 °C) heat. The energy density of SrCO3/SrO systems supported by zirconia-based sintering inhibitors was investigated for 15 cycles of exothermic carbonation at 1150 °C followed by decomposition at 1235 °C. A sample with 40 wt % of SrO supported by yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) shows good energy storage stability at 1450 MJ m(-3) over fifteen cycles at the same cycling temperatures. After further testing over 45 cycles, a decrease in energy storage capacity to 1260 MJ m(-3) is observed during the final cycle. The decrease is due to slowing carbonation kinetics, and the original value of energy density may be obtained by lengthening the carbonation steps.

Effects of Dopant Metal Variation and Material Synthesis Method on the Material Properties of Mixed Metal Ferrites in Yttria Stabilized Zirconia for Solar Thermochemical Fuel Production

Mixed metal ferrites have shown much promise in two-step solar-thermochemical fuel production. Previous work has typically focused on evaluating a particular metal ferrite produced by a particular synthesis process, which makes comparisons between studies performed by independent researchers difficult. A comparative study was undertaken to explore the effects different synthesis methods have on the performance of a particular material during redox cycling using thermogravimetry. This study revealed that materials made via wet chemistry methods and extended periods of high temperature calcination yield better redox performance. Differences in redox performance between materials made via wet chemistry methods were minimal and these demonstrated much better performance than those synthesized via the solid state method. Subsequently, various metal ferrite samples (NiFe2O4, MgFe2O4, CoFe2O4, and MnFe2O4) in yttria stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) were synthesized via coprecipitation and tested to determine the most promising metal ferrite combination. It was determined that 10 wt.% CoFe2O4 in 8YSZ produced the highest and most consistent yields of O2 and CO. By testing the effects of synthesis methods and dopants in a consistent fashion, those aspects of ferrite preparation which are most significant can be revealed. More importantly, these insights can guide future efforts in developing the next generation of thermochemical fuel production materials.

Investigation of Thermochemical Hydrogen Production via the Novel Thermo-Mechanical Stabilized Iron Oxide-Zirconia Porous Structure

In this study we have developed a unique method for synthesizing very reactive water splitting materials that will remain stable at temperatures as high as 1450 °C to efficiently produce clean hydrogen from concentrated solar energy. The hydrogen production for a laboratory scale reactor using a “Thermo-mechanical Stabilized Porous Structure” (TSPS) is experimentally investigated for oxidation and thermal reduction temperatures of 1200 and 1450 °C, respectively. The stability and reactivity of a 10 g TSPS over many consecutive oxidation and thermal reduction cycles for different particle size ranges has been investigated. The novel thermo-mechanical stabilization exploits sintering and controls the geometry of the matrix of particles inside the structure in a favorable manner so that the chemical reactivity of the structure remains intact. The experimental results demonstrate that this structure yields peak hydrogen production rates of 1–2 cm3/(min.gFe3O4) during the oxidation step at 1200 °C and the 30 minute thermal reduction step at 1450 ° C without noticeable degradation over many consecutive cycles. The hydrogen production rate is one of the highest yet reported in the open literature for thermochemical looping processes using thermal reduction. This novel process has strong potential for developing an enabling technology for efficient and commercially viable solar fuel production.© 2013 ASME