Integrated solar thermochemical reaction system for steam methane reforming

Journal Article · Fri Jun 05 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Energy Procedia (Online)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2015.03.204· OSTI ID:1208780

Zheng, Feng ^[1]; Diver, Rich ^[2]; Caldwell, Dustin D. ^[1]; Fritz, Brad G. ^[1]; Cameron, Richard J. ^[1]; Humble, Paul H. ^[1]; TeGrotenhuis, Ward E. ^[1]; Dagle, Robert A. ^[1]; Wegeng, Robert S. ^[1]

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1. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
2. Diver Solar LLC, Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Solar-aided upgrade of the energy content of fossil fuels, such as natural gas, can provide a near-term transition path towards a future solar-fuel economy and reduce carbon dioxide emission from fossil fuel consumption. Both steam and dry reforming a methane-containing fuel stream have been studied with concentrated solar power as the energy input to drive the highly endothermic reactions but the concept has not been demonstrated at a commercial scale. Under a current project with the U.S. Department of Energy, PNNL is developing an integrated solar thermochemical reaction system that combines solar concentrators with micro- and meso-channel reactors and heat exchangers to accomplish more than 20% solar augment of methane higher heating value. The objective of our three-year project is to develop and prepare for commercialization such solar reforming system with a high enough efficiency to serve as the frontend of a conventional natural gas (or biogas) combined cycle power plant, producing power with a levelized cost of electricity less than 6¢/kWh, without subsidies, by the year 2020. In this paper, we present results from the first year of our project that demonstrated a solar-to-chemical energy conversion efficiency as high as 69% with a prototype reaction system.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1208780
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-104155; SL0100000
• Journal Information: Energy Procedia (Online), Vol. 69; ISSN 1876-6102
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
03 NATURAL GAS
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
concentrated solar power
steam reforming
methane reforming
natural gas
microchannel reaction
process intensification