A kinetic study and factor analysis of solar thermochemical membrane reactors for syngas production.

Solar thermochemical conversion technologies are promising for effectively utilizing solar energy by capturing the full spectrum of solar radiation. To overcome the challenges of low energy conversion efficiency and intermittency faced by solar thermochemical conversion, these technologies can be effectively integrated with membrane reactor technology. Although the performance of solar thermochemical membrane reactors has been experimentally tested, the chemical reactions and oxygen transport mechanisms during the energy conversion process remain poorly understood. This study introduces a resistance network model to elucidate the interactions between interfacial reactions and bulk diffusion during simultaneous oxidation-reduction reactions on both sides of the membrane. We analyzed the oxygen flux of the membrane reactor under various operating conditions using this model to identify the reaction/transport-limiting side of the overall process. The most effective solar membrane reactor configuration utilizes natural gas and CO₂, facilitating clean conversion of fossil fuels with significant advantages in fuel production and energy efficiency. Introducing CH₄ lowers the overall reaction temperature, maintains low oxygen partial pressure on the sweep side, and produces a synthesis gas with a 2:1 H₂/CO molar ratio. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was used to explore the relationship between overall fuel production performance and operational parameters, highlighting the critical role of this research in enhancing the reaction and transport performance of membrane reactors and advancing the development of solar-driven thermochemical fuel production technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]