Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Aluminum-doped calcium manganite particles for solar thermochemical energy storage: Reactor design, particle characterization, and heat and mass transfer modeling

Journal Article · · International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2]
  1. Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States); Georgia Institute of Technology
  2. Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)

A two-step cycle is discussed for solar thermochemical energy storage based on particulate aluminum-doped calcium manganite reduction/oxidation reactions for direct integration into Air Brayton cycles. The two steps encompass 1) the storage of concentrated solar irradiation within endothermic reduction of aluminum-doped calcium manganite and 2) the delivery of heat to an Air-Brayton cycle via exothermic re-oxidation of oxygen-deficient aluminum-doped calcium magnanite. A 5 kWth scale solar thermochemical reactor operating under vacuum was designed, modeled, and optimized to thermally reduce a continuous, gravity-driven flow of aluminum-doped calcium manganite particles. The granular flows were characterized in a tilt-flow rig, and particle image velocimetry was used to determine flow properties via frictional and velocity scaling relationships. Flow properties were integrated into a detailed heat and mass transfer model of the solar thermochemical reactor. A reactor design with 31° inclination angle, 230 g/min of particles, and 5.2 kWth radiative input from the high-flux solar simulator was discovered to produce an outlet flow temperature of 1158 K, with stoichiometric deviations of 0.076 and a storage efficiency of 0.628 while avoiding particle overheating and promoting longer particle residence times.

Research Organization:
Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Solar Energy Technologies Office (EE-4S)
Grant/Contract Number:
EE0000805
OSTI ID:
1600515
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1599647
Journal Information:
International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Journal Name: International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer Journal Issue: C Vol. 152; ISSN 0017-9310
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (82)

Solar-thermal production of renewable hydrogen journal February 2009
Doped calcium manganites for advanced high-temperature thermochemical energy storage: Doped calcium manganites for thermochemical energy storage journal December 2015
Radiative Properties of Ceramic $$\hbox {Al}_{2}\hbox {O}_{3}$$, AlN, and $$\hbox {Si}_{3}\hbox {N}_{4}$$: I. Experiments journal May 2016
The flow of granular solids through orifices journal September 1961
The flow of non-cohesive solids through orifices journal January 1984
The effective thermal conductivity of high temperature particulate beds—II. Model predictions and the implication of the experimental values journal March 1989
Solar coal gasification journal January 1980
Solar gasification of carbonaceous materials journal January 1983
Use of solar energy for direct and two-step water decomposition cycles☆ journal January 1977
Development of the model of segregation of particles undergoing granular flow down an inclined chute journal May 1998
High-temperature transport properties of Nb and Ta substituted CaMnO3 system journal June 2004
High-temperature solar chemistry for converting solar heat to chemical fuels journal January 2003
Solar hydrogen production by thermal decomposition of natural gas using a vortex-flow reactor journal January 2004
Dense flows of dry granular material journal January 2002
Study on optical and thermal performance of a linear Fresnel solar reflector using molten salt as HTF with MCRT and FVM methods journal May 2015
Finite-volume ray tracing using Computational Fluid Dynamics in linear focus CSP applications journal December 2016
Redox cycles with doped calcium manganites for thermochemical energy storage to 1000 °C journal November 2018
Critical review of the impact of tortuosity on diffusion journal July 2007
Thermal performance of lab-scale solar reactor designed for kinetics analysis at high radiation fluxes journal September 2013
Technology Advancements for Next Generation Falling Particle Receivers journal January 2014
A review on high-temperature thermochemical energy storage based on metal oxides redox cycle journal July 2018
Investigation of a calcium manganite as oxygen carrier during 99 h of operation of chemical-looping combustion in a 10 kW th reactor unit journal October 2016
Heterogeneous thermochemical decomposition under direct irradiation journal April 2004
A pilot-scale solar reactor for the production of hydrogen and carbon black from methane splitting journal August 2010
A novel beam-down, gravity-fed, solar thermochemical receiver/reactor for direct solid particle decomposition: Design, modeling, and experimentation journal November 2012
System efficiency for two-step metal oxide solar thermochemical hydrogen production – Part 3: Various methods for achieving low oxygen partial pressures in the reduction reaction journal November 2016
System efficiency for two-step metal oxide solar thermochemical hydrogen production – Part 2: Impact of gas heat recuperation and separation temperatures journal November 2016
A MCRT and FVM coupled simulation method for energy conversion process in parabolic trough solar collector journal March 2011
A comprehensive model for optical and thermal characterization of a linear Fresnel solar reflector with a trapezoidal cavity receiver journal November 2016
Light source selection for a solar simulator for thermal applications: A review journal July 2018
Solar thermochemical production of hydrogen––a review journal May 2005
Further advances toward the development of a direct heating solar thermal chemical reactor for the thermal dissociation of ZnO(s) journal May 2006
Band-approximated radiative heat transfer analysis of a solar chemical reactor for the thermal dissociation of zinc oxide journal October 2007
Solar-heated rotary kiln for thermochemical energy storage journal October 2012
Cobalt oxide based structured bodies as redox thermochemical heat storage medium for future CSP plants journal October 2014
Optical and thermal performance of a high-temperature spiral solar particle receiver journal November 2014
Investigation of La Sr1−Co M1−O3− (M = Mn, Fe) perovskite materials as thermochemical energy storage media journal August 2015
Solar electricity via an Air Brayton cycle with an integrated two-step thermochemical cycle for heat storage based on Co3O4/CoO redox reactions: Thermodynamic analysis journal August 2015
Solar electricity via an Air Brayton cycle with an integrated two-step thermochemical cycle for heat storage based on Co3O4/CoO redox reactions III: Solar thermochemical reactor design and modeling journal July 2017
Thermochemical energy storage in strontium-doped calcium manganites for concentrating solar power applications journal July 2017
Design of a pilot scale directly irradiated, high temperature, and low pressure moving particle cavity chamber for metal oxide reduction journal November 2017
Solar electricity via an Air Brayton cycle with an integrated two-step thermochemical cycle for heat storage based on Fe2O3/Fe3O4 redox reactions: Thermodynamic and kinetic analyses journal November 2018
Redox energetics of perovskite-related La(B1−xB′x)O3−δ oxides where BB′ is FeCo, MnCo, MnNi and CoCu journal February 2011
Oxygen non-stoichiometry and redox thermodynamics of LaMn1−xCoxO3−δ journal February 2013
Friction law for dense granular flows: application to the motion of a mass down a rough inclined plane journal February 2002
Long-surface-wave instability in dense granular flows journal June 2003
Particle size segregation in inclined chute flow of dry cohesionless granular solids journal April 1988
Solar Energy on Demand: A Review on High Temperature Thermochemical Heat Storage Systems and Materials journal March 2019
Effect of Production Parameters on the Spray-Dried Calcium Manganite Oxygen Carriers for Chemical-Looping Combustion journal March 2016
Experimental Investigation of the Carbothermal Reduction of ZnO Using a Beam-Down, Gravity-Fed Solar Reactor journal August 2015
Chemical Looping Combustion and Chemical Looping with Oxygen Uncoupling Experiments in a Batch Reactor Using Spray-Dried CaMn 1– x M x O 3−δ (M = Ti, Fe, Mg) Particles as Oxygen Carriers journal March 2013
Lanthanum–Strontium–Manganese Perovskites as Redox Materials for Solar Thermochemical Splitting of H 2 O and CO 2 journal March 2013
Thermodynamic Analysis of Isothermal Redox Cycling of Ceria for Solar Fuel Production journal July 2013
Thermally Driven Copper Oxide Redox Cycle for the Separation of Oxygen from Gases journal May 2012
Revisiting the BaO 2 /BaO redox cycle for solar thermochemical energy storage journal January 2016
Sr- and Mn-doped LaAlO3−δ for solar thermochemical H2 and CO production journal January 2013
Segregation induced instabilities of granular fronts journal September 1999
Dense flows of bidisperse assemblies of disks down an inclined plane journal May 2007
Characterization of a 6 kW high-flux solar simulator with an array of xenon arc lamps capable of concentrations of nearly 5000 suns journal December 2015
On-sun testing of an advanced falling particle receiver system
  • Ho, Clifford K.; Christian, Joshua M.; Yellowhair, Julius
  • SOLARPACES 2015: International Conference on Concentrating Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems, AIP Conference Proceedings https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4949074
conference January 2016
ABO3 (A = La, Ba, Sr, K; B = Co, Mn, Fe) perovskites for thermochemical energy storage
  • Babiniec, Sean M.; Coker, Eric N.; Ambrosini, Andrea
  • SOLARPACES 2015: International Conference on Concentrating Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems, AIP Conference Proceedings https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4949104
conference January 2016
Scaling laws in granular flows down rough inclined planes journal March 1999
Optical Properties of Ag and Cu journal November 1962
High-temperature heat capacity and thermal expansion of SrTiO 3 and SrZrO 3 perovskites journal February 1996
Plug flow and the breakdown of Bagnold scaling in cohesive granular flows journal December 2005
Relationship between interparticle contact lifetimes and rheology in gravity-driven granular flows journal June 2008
Solarthermal Processing: A Review journal November 2000
The Development of a Solar Chemical Reactor for the Direct Thermal Dissociation of Zinc Oxide journal November 2000
A Receiver-Reactor for the Solar Thermal Dissociation of Zinc Oxide journal March 2008
Funnel Flow in Hoppers journal December 1980
Development and Evaluation of a Prototype Solid Particle Receiver: On-Sun Testing and Model Validation journal January 2010
A New Reactor Concept for Efficient Solar-Thermochemical Fuel Production journal February 2013
Characterization of Particle Flow in a Free-Falling Solar Particle Receiver journal December 2016
Rheology of dense snow flows: Inferences from steady state chute-flow experiments journal May 2008
Flows of Dense Granular Media journal January 2008
Measuring Thermochemical Energy Storage Capacity with Redox Cycles of Doped-CaMnO3 journal April 2016
Model for a stationary dense granular flow along an inclined wall journal March 1999
Use of Particle Tracking Velocimetry for Measurements of Granular Flows: Review and Application journal January 2006
Tortuosity in Porous Media: A Critical Review journal January 2013
Finite volume radiative heat transfer procedure for irregular geometries journal July 1995
Review of the Two-Step H2O/CO2-Splitting Solar Thermochemical Cycle Based on Zn/ZnO Redox Reactions journal November 2010
PIVlab – Towards User-friendly, Affordable and Accurate Digital Particle Image Velocimetry in MATLAB journal October 2014