Solar reactor efficiency analysis for alternative fuel production via ferrite based two-step thermochemical splitting of water and CO2

Abstract

In this paper computational thermodynamic modeling of solar syngas production via ferrite based (Fe3 O4 /FeO) thermochemical H2O and/or CO2 splitting cycle. This two-step cycle involves solar thermal reduction of Fe3O4 into FeO and O2 and non-solar splitting of H2O and CO2 via exothermic oxidation of FeO into Fe3O4. Solar syngas produced will be used for the production of solar liquid transportation fuels by catalytic Fischer Tropsch process. This paper reports the solar reactor efficiency analysis for the iron oxide based solar syngas production process. Second-law thermodynamic analysis is applied to determine the cycle efficiencies attainable with and without heat recuperation. Also, the energy required for the inert Ar heating during the solar thermal reduction step was included during the efficiency calculation. Thermodynamic analysis has been performed and the analysis shows that solar syngas production via the Iron Oxide redox cycle is a promising approach for CO2/H2O conversion into alternative fuels.