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Title: Systems and methods for solar energy storage, transportation, and conversion utilizing photochemically active organometallic isomeric compounds and solid-state catalysts

Abstract

A system for converting solar energy to chemical energy, and, subsequently, to thermal energy includes a light-harvesting station, a storage station, and a thermal energy release station. The system may include additional stations for converting the released thermal energy to other energy forms, e.g., to electrical energy and mechanical work. At the light-harvesting station, a photochemically active first organometallic compound, e.g., a fulvalenyl diruthenium complex, is exposed to light and is photochemically converted to a second, higher-energy organometallic compound, which is then transported to a storage station. At the storage station, the high-energy organometallic compound is stored for a desired time and/or is transported to a desired location for thermal energy release. At the thermal energy release station, the high-energy organometallic compound is catalytically converted back to the photochemically active organometallic compound by an exothermic process, while the released thermal energy is captured for subsequent use.

Inventors:
; ; ;
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1169641
Patent Number(s):
8950392
Application Number:
13/002,645
Assignee:
The Regents of the University of California (Oakland, CA)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
C - CHEMISTRY C09 - DYES C09K - MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F28 - HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL F28D - HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
DOE Contract Number:  
AC02-05CH11231
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY

Citation Formats

Vollhardt, K. Peter C., Segalman, Rachel A, Majumdar, Arunava, and Meier, Steven. Systems and methods for solar energy storage, transportation, and conversion utilizing photochemically active organometallic isomeric compounds and solid-state catalysts. United States: N. p., 2015. Web.
Vollhardt, K. Peter C., Segalman, Rachel A, Majumdar, Arunava, & Meier, Steven. Systems and methods for solar energy storage, transportation, and conversion utilizing photochemically active organometallic isomeric compounds and solid-state catalysts. United States.
Vollhardt, K. Peter C., Segalman, Rachel A, Majumdar, Arunava, and Meier, Steven. Tue . "Systems and methods for solar energy storage, transportation, and conversion utilizing photochemically active organometallic isomeric compounds and solid-state catalysts". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1169641.
@article{osti_1169641,
title = {Systems and methods for solar energy storage, transportation, and conversion utilizing photochemically active organometallic isomeric compounds and solid-state catalysts},
author = {Vollhardt, K. Peter C. and Segalman, Rachel A and Majumdar, Arunava and Meier, Steven},
abstractNote = {A system for converting solar energy to chemical energy, and, subsequently, to thermal energy includes a light-harvesting station, a storage station, and a thermal energy release station. The system may include additional stations for converting the released thermal energy to other energy forms, e.g., to electrical energy and mechanical work. At the light-harvesting station, a photochemically active first organometallic compound, e.g., a fulvalenyl diruthenium complex, is exposed to light and is photochemically converted to a second, higher-energy organometallic compound, which is then transported to a storage station. At the storage station, the high-energy organometallic compound is stored for a desired time and/or is transported to a desired location for thermal energy release. At the thermal energy release station, the high-energy organometallic compound is catalytically converted back to the photochemically active organometallic compound by an exothermic process, while the released thermal energy is captured for subsequent use.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Feb 10 00:00:00 EST 2015},
month = {Tue Feb 10 00:00:00 EST 2015}
}

Works referenced in this record:

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patent, January 1977


Solar energy collection and retrieval employing reversible photochemical isomerization
patent, January 1977


Process and apparatus for solar energy collection and retrieval
patent, January 1977


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patent, January 1984


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patent, May 1984


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patent, October 1985


Electrically conductive complex
patent, May 1994


Latent store
patent, July 1997


Apparatus for low flux photocatalytic pollution control
patent, October 2001