Abstract: Ceria-based H2O/CO2-splitting solar-driven thermochemical cycle produces hydrogen or syngas. Thermal optimization of solar thermochemical reactor (STCR) improves the solar-to-fuel conversion efficiency. This research presents two conceptual designs and...
published research
Published at Solar Energy – Investigation of physico-mechanical, thermal properties and solar thermoregulation performance of shape-stable attapulgite based composite phase change material in foam concrete
Abstract Thermal energy storage (TES) by means of phase change materials (PCM) is of great concern to decrease heating and cooling loads. In building envelopes, one of the most efficient TES methods is integration of PCMs with construction materials for preventing...
Published at Solar Energy – A feasibility study on the application of mesh grids for heliostat wind load reduction
Abstract This study examines the effectiveness of mesh grids in heliostat field perimeter fences and edge-mounted devices for heliostat wind load reduction. Two experimental studies were conducted: (1) the effect of mesh porosity and non-dimensional longitudinal...
Published at International Journal of Hydrogen Energy – Performance of biogas blended with hydrogen in a commercial self-aspirating burner
Abstract: A natural gas and carbon dioxide fuel mixture was enriched by hydrogen to experimentally measure the performance of a hydrogen and surrogate biogas fuel. The performance of various biogas qualities and hydrogen blend ratios was investigated for use in a...
Published at Journal of Energy Storage – Human ear inspired solar thermochemical reactor for steam methane reforming with the consideration of minimum Gibbs free energy principle
Abstract The non-uniformity temperature field of direct solar thermochemical reactors severely decreases the energy conversion efficiency of solar-to-fuel. Inspired by the physical mechanism by which the human ear can collect more sound waves, associating the...
Published at Applied Energy – A novel high-efficiency solar thermochemical cycle for fuel production based on chemical-looping cycle oxygen removal
Abstract Solar-driven two-step thermochemical cycling is a promising means to convert solar energy into storable and transportable chemical fuel, in which hydrogen or carbon monoxide is generated by continuous reduction and oxidation reactions. However, the high...
Methane pyrolysis with liquid metals in a bubble column reactor to generate green hydrogen and carbon
Using a bubble column reactor at Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, the Liquid Metal Laboratory team is working on producing hydrogen from methane, the cheapest method, but without CO2 emissions - the problem with the cheapest method. The main product, besides...
Published at Solar Energy – The cost-saving potential of next-generation particle technology CSP with steam cycles
Abstract: The cost-saving potential of next-generation concentrating solar power plants based on particle technology with steam cycles is assessed. Techno-economic models were created to optimize three systems with different steam cycles, ranging from state of the art...
Published at Energy Conversion and Management – Thermodynamic and economic analysis of a multi-energy complementary distributed CCHP system coupled with solar thermochemistry and active energy storage regulation process
Abstract: The combination of distributed energy systems (DES) and solar energy is considered a vital measure to save the usage of fossil energy. A new distributed combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) system integrated with solar thermochemistry (STC) and energy...
Published at Chemical Engineering Journal – Green ammonia to Hydrogen: Reduction and oxidation catalytic processes
Abstract: Green ammonia, produced at ambient conditions, has received significant attention as a carrier of hydrogen for energy storage and transport. Reduction and oxidation catalytic decomposition of ammonia at atmospheric pressure and low temperatures suggests...
Published at Next Energy – Direct solar-driven thermochemical CO2-to-fuel conversion with efficiency over 39 % employing hierarchical triply periodic minimal surfaces biomimetic foam reactors
Abstract: Solar-driven CO2 reforming of CH4 is considered a promising approach for achieving CO2 emission reduction and clean energy utilization simultaneously. However, reactors suffer from uneven temperature distribution and severe carbon deposition, leading to low...
Published at Crystals – Manufacturing and Thermal Shock Resistance of 3D-Printed Porous Black Zirconia for Concentrated Solar Applications
Abstract: A novel approach for manufacturing porous materials, foreseen as solar receivers for concentrated sun radiation, used in the power tower technology is presented. In such applications, materials are subjected to steep thermal gradients and thousands of...
Published at Renewable Energy – Flow and heat transfer analysis of a gas–particle fluidized dense suspension in a tube for CSP applications
Abstract: This work presents a numerical study of the flow of particles in a gas–particle fluidized dense suspension for CSP applications using the Multi-Phase Particle in Cell (MP-PIC) method, implemented in CPFD-Barracuda software. The study covers two different...
Published at Solar Energy – Techno-economic assessment of a numbering-up approach for a 100 MWe third generation sodium-salt CSP system
Abstract: This work presents the design and techno-economic analysis of a 100 MWe concentrated solar power (CSP) system using a supercritical CO2 power block with 700 °C input temperature. Aiming to leverage the relatively higher efficiency of small heliostat fields...
Published at Energy Conversion and Management – Selection of iron-based oxygen carriers for two-step solar thermochemical splitting of carbon dioxide
Abstract: The two-step solar thermochemical cycle is a prospective clean energy technology that enables the direct splitting of water and carbon dioxide for solar fuel production. However, immature oxygen carriers fundamentally restrict the solar-to-fuel conversion...
Published at Energy Conversion and Management – Structural stabilization of granular Ca(OH)2 by coating with nanostructured additives for thermochemical cycling in a fixed reaction bed
Abstract: Thermochemical energy storage systems have a high potential to support a future energy supply based on renewables by providing comparably high storage capacities and option for long-term, cold and loss free storage, that allows a flexible utilization in...
Published – Technical, economic and environmental analysis of solar thermochemical production of drop-in fuels
Abstract: This study analyzes the technical performance, costs and life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the production of various fuels using air-captured water and CO2, and concentrated solar energy as the source of high-temperature process heat. The solar...
Published at Applied Energy – Co-optimisation of the heliostat field and receiver for concentrated solar power plants
Abstract: In a concentrated solar power (CSP) tower plant, it is essential to understand the performance of the subsystem formed by the heliostat field and the receiver, operated with an optimal aiming strategy that guarantees the safety and lifetime of the receiver...
Published at Energy – Concentrating efficiency loss of heliostat with multiple sub-mirrors under wind loads
Abstract: As an important design load for heliostat, wind load crucially affects the safety and concentrating performance. Herein, an evaluation method is proposed to study the impacts of wind loads on concentrating efficiency loss of the heliostat with multiple...
Published at Applied Energy – Market profitability of CSP-biomass hybrid power plants: Towards a firm supply of renewable energy
Abstract: CSP-biomass hybrid power plants are promising options for displacing electricity from flexible fossil systems and increasing the share of dispatchable renewable energy in power grids. However, they are investment-intensive technologies whose competitiveness...
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