Catalytic solar reactor

Patent · 10 May 2022

OSTI ID:1892904

Weissman, Jeffrey G.; Crowder, Bruce; Prada, Julian

A catalytic solar reactor useful in chemical processes, more particularly, useful in endothermic chemical processes. The reactor comprises a reaction pathway defined by an exterior wall and an interior wall, the exterior wall comprising a solar radiation receiver capable of converting solar radiation into heat and transmitting the heat to the reaction pathway. Further, the reaction pathway has disposed therein, in alternating fashion, a plurality of catalytic elements and a plurality of heat transfer elements. Optionally, a supplementary heater, such as a conventional fossil fuel burner, is disposed in a plenum located within the interior of the reactor. The heater is employed as a supplemental source of heat, for example, when solar radiation is unavailable.

• Research Organization: Precision Combustion, Inc., North Haven, CT (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: SC0015855
• Assignee: Precision Combustion, Inc. (North Haven, CT)
• Patent Number(s): 11,325,090
• Application Number: 17/097,048
• OSTI ID: 1892904
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English