Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences: Research Areas

Article Title: Solar Carbon Production via Thermochemical ZnO/Zn Carbon Dioxide Splitting Cycle
by Dareen Dardor, Rahul R. Bhosale, Shahd Gharbia, Anand Kumar, Fares AlMomani

Abstract:
This paper reports the equilibrium thermodynamic analysis and solar reactor efficiency analysis for the solar thermochemical ZnO/Zn redox cycle for the production of solid C via CO2 splitting reaction. The computational thermodynamic modeling was performed with the help of commercially available HSC Chemistry software and databases. To determine the actual reaction temperatures and equibrium compositions for the solar thermal reduction of ZnO and non-solar CO2 splitting reaction, thermodynamic equilibrium analysis was performed and explained in this paper. Furthermore, the cycle and solar to fuel conversion efficiencies of this process were also calculated by performing solar reactor efficiency analysis and these efficiencies were approximately equal to 4%. Effect of inert Ar flowrate, solar concentration ratio, and heat recuperation on solar reactor efficiency was also investigated and results are summarized. The efficiencies reported in this paper are more realistic as compared to previous investigations as the effect of Ar inclusion and heat energy required to increase the temperature of the Ar is considered in this paper (which was missing in previous investigations).

Keywords: solar carbon, computational thermodynamic simulations, solar reactor, ZnO/Zn Redox Cycle, CO2 conversion

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