Cyclic operation of sodium heat-pipe, solar reformers

Thesis/Dissertation · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5079795

Paripatyadar, S A

Chemical Energy Transmission Systems (CETS) are based on reversible endothermic and exothermic reactions. One application of this concept is the SOLTHERM process, which utilizes solar energy from solar collectors to drive the endothermic methane-steam reforming reactions, stores it in the reaction products as chemical energy and delivers it to users by the reverse exothermic methanation reaction. Solar fluxes at central receivers are as high as 1 MS/m/sup 2/, about 10 times greater than can be absorbed by the heat-transfer limited reforming reactor. Flux transformers, such as a sodium heat-pipe must be used for coupling the solar receiver-reformer. Earlier, a sodium heat-pipe natural gas reformer pilot plant was designed, constructed and operated to study the performance of a commercial-scale reformer and the concept was proven feasible. In this work, the reformer was operated in a cyclic mode to simulate solar reformers. Over a period of 39 daily cycles, no catalyst deactivation or breakdown due to coking or thermal shocks is observed. This demonstrates feasibility of the process for solar CETS. Kinetics of steam reforming was determined in a differential reactor. CH/sub 4/-CO/sub 2/ reforming is potentially the best reaction for distributed solar CETS. A suitable catalyst was found and kinetics determined in a differential reactor.

• Research Organization: Houston Univ., TX (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5079795
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140905*
ALKALI METALS
CATALYSTS
CHEMICAL HEAT PIPES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
EQUIPMENT
HEAT
HEAT PIPES
METALS
PROCESS HEAT
REFORMER PROCESSES
SODIUM
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR FLUX
SOLAR PROCESS HEAT
STEAM REFORMER PROCESSES