Solar syngas production via methanothermal reduction of strontium oxide

Abstract

A solar methanothermal reduction of strontium oxide for the co-production of Sr and syngas is thermodynamically explored. The data required for the equilibrium and efficiency analysis is taken from a commercial HSC Chemistry 9.9 software. The efficiency analysis is conducted by investigating a) Sr-Syn open process and b) Sr-Syn semi-open process as a function of the rise in the CH4/SrO ratio from 0.1 to 1. As per the results allied with the equilibrium analysis, a temperature of 2230 K is needed for the complete conversion of SrO into Sr and CH4 into a mixture of H2 and CO (syngas). As expected, a rise in the CH4/SrO ratio is responsible for a higher yield of Sr and syngas. The process efficiency is also enhanced from 24.5% to 38.7% due to the escalation in the CH4/SrO ratio from 0.1 to 1. Application of heat recuperation considerably decreased the requirement of solar energy input, and hence the process efficiency is further amplified. The Sr-Syn open process and Sr-Syn semi-open process can attain process efficiencies equal to 42.5% and 49.8% when 50% heat recuperation is applied.