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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:
; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1169641
Patent Number(s):
8,950,392
Application Number:
13/002,645
Assignee:
The Regents of the University of California (Oakland, CA)
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. 2015. "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 = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1169641}, 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:

Isomerization for photochemical solar energy storage
patent, January 1977


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


Electrically conductive complex
patent, May 1994


Latent store
patent, July 1997


Apparatus for low flux photocatalytic pollution control
patent, October 2001