Solar energy collection and retrieval employing reversible photochemical isomerization
A process for photochemical collection, storage, and retrieval of solar energy, including solar energy in the visible and near-infrared light spectrum is described comprising: exposing to solar radiation of a trans-isomer of particular geometrically isomerizable compounds, while dissolved in a predominantly (greater than 50 percent by volume) aqueous liquid medium, to isomerize the trans-isomer to a thermodynamically less stable, but kinetically stable, cis-isomer of higher energy content, heating the produced cis-isomer to an activation temperature triggering exothermal conversion (or return) of the cis-isomer to the trans-isomer with release of thermal energy; and continuing exothermal conversion of cis-isomer to trans-isomer through use of a portion of the exothermically released thermal energy and transferring of another portion of the released thermal energy from the region of exothermal conversion for availability of this other portion for useful thermal energy applications.
- Assignee:
- Battelle Development Corp.
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4004572
- OSTI ID:
- 7225366
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 30 Jun 1975
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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