Solar energy storage via a closed-loop chemical heat pipe

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Solar Energy (Journal of Solar Energy Science and Engineering); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0038-092X(93)90089-7· OSTI ID:7093453

Levy, M; Levitan, R; Rosin, H; Rubin, R ^[1]

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1. Weizmann Inst. of Science, Rehovot (Israel)

The performance of a solar chemical heat pipe was studied using CO[sub 2] reforming of methane as the vehicle for storage and transport of solar energy. The endothermic reforming reaction was carried out with a reactor packed with a supported rhodium catalyst and heated by the concentrated solar flux from the Schaeffer solar furnace at the Weizmann Institute (Rehovot, Israel). The maximum absorbed power was 8.5 kW. The reforming was run under variable insolation conditions, including partly cloudy days. The flux input was regulated by opening the doors of the concentrator building. The product gas temperature followed a predetermined set point that automatically controlled the flow of reactants to ensure constant composition of the reformer products. The exothermic methanation reaction was run in a multistage methanator filled with the same Rh catalyst and fed with the products from the reformer. High conversions were achieved for both reactions. In the closed-loop mode, the products from the reformer and from the methanator were compressed into separate storage tanks. The two reactions were run consecutively, and the whole process was repeated for over 60 cycles. The overall performance of the closed loop was satisfactory; scaleup work is in progress. 7 refs., 10 figs., 3 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 7093453
• Journal Information: Solar Energy (Journal of Solar Energy Science and Engineering); (United States), Vol. 50:2; ISSN 0038-092X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
HEAT PIPES
PERFORMANCE
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
CARBON DIOXIDE
CHEMICAL REACTORS
INSOLATION
METHANE
SOLAR CONCENTRATORS
TANKS
THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE EQUIPMENT
THERMOCHEMICAL HEAT STORAGE
ALKANES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CONTAINERS
ENERGY STORAGE
EQUIPMENT
HEAT STORAGE
HYDROCARBONS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
STORAGE
142000* - Solar Energy- Heat Storage- (1980-)