Demonstration of the Entire Production Chain to Renewable Kerosene via Solar Thermochemical Splitting of H2O and CO2

The European consortium SOLARJET has experimentally demonstrated the first ever production of jet fuel via a thermochemical H2O/CO2-splitting cycle using simulated concentrated solar radiation. The key component of the production process of sustainable “solar kerosene” is a high-temperature solar reactor containing a reticulated porous ceramic (RPC) foam structure made of pure CeO2 undergoing a 2-step redox cyclic process. During the first endothermic reduction step at 1450–1600 °C, the RPC was directly exposed to concentrated thermal radiation with power inputs ranging from 2.8 to 3.8 kW and mean solar flux concentration ratios of up to 3000 suns. In the subsequent exothermic oxidation step at 700–1200 °C, the reduced ceria was stoichiometrically reoxidized with CO2 and/or H2O to generate CO and/or H2. The RPC featured dual-scale porosity: millimeter-size pores for volumetric radiation absorption during reduction and micrometer-size pores within its struts for enhanced oxidation rates. For a cycle durati...

[1]  Geoffrey A Ozin,et al.  Throwing New Light on the Reduction of CO2 , 2015, Advanced materials.

[2]  A. Steinfeld,et al.  Syngas production by simultaneous splitting of H2O and CO2via ceria redox reactions in a high-temperature solar reactor , 2012 .

[3]  N. Sammes,et al.  Physical, chemical and electrochemical properties of pure and doped ceria , 2000 .

[4]  Kazuhiko Maeda,et al.  Photocatalytic water splitting using semiconductor particles: History and recent developments , 2011 .

[5]  J E Miller,et al.  Efficiency maximization in solar-thermochemical fuel production: challenging the concept of isothermal water splitting. , 2014, Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP.

[6]  Hans Geerlings,et al.  Efficient production of solar fuel using existing large scale production technologies. , 2011, Environmental science & technology.

[7]  Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin,et al.  Water photolysis at 12.3% efficiency via perovskite photovoltaics and Earth-abundant catalysts , 2014, Science.

[8]  J. Mizusaki,et al.  Nonstoichiometry of Ce1−XYXO2−0.5X−δ (X=0.1, 0.2) , 2003 .

[9]  Christos T. Maravelias,et al.  Methanol production from CO2 using solar-thermal energy: process development and techno-economic analysis , 2011 .

[10]  Tatsuya Kodama,et al.  Thermochemical two-step water splitting by ZrO2-supported NixFe3-xO4 for solar hydrogen production , 2008 .

[11]  A. Steinfeld,et al.  Effective Heat and Mass Transport Properties of Anisotropic Porous Ceria for Solar Thermochemical Fuel Generation , 2012, Materials.

[12]  Nelson A. Kelly,et al.  Optimization of solar powered hydrogen production using photovoltaic electrolysis devices , 2008 .

[13]  A. Steinfeld,et al.  Lanthanum–Strontium–Manganese Perovskites as Redox Materials for Solar Thermochemical Splitting of H2O and CO2 , 2013 .

[14]  A. Steinfeld,et al.  Oxygen exchange materials for solar thermochemical splitting of H2O and CO2: a review , 2014 .

[15]  Ming Chen,et al.  Thermodynamic modeling of the Co–Fe–O system , 2013 .

[16]  Aldo Steinfeld,et al.  A Novel 50kW 11,000 suns High-Flux Solar Simulator Based on an Array of Xenon Arc Lamps , 2007 .

[17]  M. S. Hegde,et al.  Ce0.67Cr0.33O2.11: A New Low-Temperature O2 Evolution Material and H2 Generation Catalyst by Thermochemical Splitting of Water† , 2010 .

[18]  Chong-il Lee,et al.  Reactivity of CeO2-based ceramics for solar hydrogen production via a two-step water-splitting cycle with concentrated solar energy , 2011 .

[19]  H. Tagawa,et al.  Oxygen nonstoichiometry of Ce1−ySmyO2−0.5y−x (y=0.1, 0.2) , 1999 .

[20]  Edward A. Fletcher,et al.  Solarthermal Processing: A Review , 2001 .

[21]  W. Chueh,et al.  Sr- and Mn-doped LaAlO3-δ for solar thermochemical H2 and CO production , 2013 .

[22]  Wojciech Lipiński,et al.  Heat Transfer Analysis of a Solid-Solid Heat Recuperation System for Solar-Driven Nonstoichiometric Redox Cycles , 2013 .

[23]  S. Abanades,et al.  Dopant Incorporation in Ceria for Enhanced Water-Splitting Activity during Solar Thermochemical Hydrogen Generation , 2012 .

[24]  Christos T. Maravelias,et al.  Fuel production from CO2 using solar-thermal energy: system level analysis , 2012 .

[25]  A. Steinfeld,et al.  Synthesis, Characterization, and Thermochemical Redox Performance of Hf4+, Zr4+, and Sc3+ Doped Ceria for Splitting CO2 , 2013 .

[26]  Luke J. Venstrom,et al.  Thermodynamic Analysis of Isothermal Redox Cycling of Ceria for Solar Fuel Production , 2013 .

[27]  S. Haile,et al.  Thermodynamic and kinetic assessments of strontium-doped lanthanum manganite perovskites for two-step thermochemical water splitting , 2014 .

[28]  Christos T. Maravelias,et al.  A general framework for the assessment of solar fuel technologies , 2015 .

[29]  N. Lewis,et al.  Powering the planet: Chemical challenges in solar energy utilization , 2006, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[30]  A. Steinfeld,et al.  Physico-chemical changes in Ca, Sr and Al-doped La-Mn-O perovskites upon thermochemical splitting of CO2 via redox cycling. , 2015, Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP.

[31]  Nathan P. Siegel,et al.  A New Reactor Concept for Efficient Solar-Thermochemical Fuel Production , 2013 .

[32]  H. Kaneko,et al.  Reactive ceramics of CeO2–MOx (M=Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu) for H2 generation by two-step water splitting using concentrated solar thermal energy , 2007 .

[33]  W. Chueh,et al.  High-Flux Solar-Driven Thermochemical Dissociation of CO2 and H2O Using Nonstoichiometric Ceria , 2010, Science.

[34]  Tatsuya Kodama,et al.  Thermochemical hydrogen production by a redox system of ZrO2-supported Co(II)-ferrite , 2004 .

[35]  Ulrich Vogt,et al.  Solar Thermochemical CO2 Splitting Utilizing a Reticulated Porous Ceria Redox System , 2012 .

[36]  Xinhua Liang,et al.  Efficient Generation of H2 by Splitting Water with an Isothermal Redox Cycle , 2013, Science.

[37]  Nathan P. Siegel,et al.  Metal oxide composites and structures for ultra-high temperature solar thermochemical cycles , 2008 .

[38]  Aldo Steinfeld,et al.  Thermodynamic Analysis of Cerium-Based Oxides for Solar Thermochemical Fuel Production , 2012 .

[39]  Jun Kubota,et al.  Photocatalytic Water Splitting Using Oxynitride and Nitride Semiconductor Powders for Production of Solar Hydrogen , 2013 .

[40]  W. Chueh,et al.  Ceria as a thermochemical reaction medium for selectively generating syngas or methane from H(2)O and CO(2). , 2009, ChemSusChem.

[41]  M. Allendorf,et al.  Kinetics and mechanism of solar-thermochemical H2 production by oxidation of a cobalt ferrite–zirconia composite , 2013 .

[42]  G. Flamant,et al.  Investigation of reactive cerium-based oxides for H2 production by thermochemical two-step water-splitting , 2010 .

[43]  Nathan P. Siegel,et al.  Two-Step Water Splitting Using Mixed-Metal Ferrites: Thermodynamic Analysis and Characterization of Synthesized Materials , 2008 .

[44]  A. Steinfeld,et al.  Morphological Characterization and Effective Thermal Conductivity of Dual-Scale Reticulated Porous Structures , 2014, Materials.

[45]  H Böhni,et al.  Ink-bottle effect in mercury intrusion porosimetry of cement-based materials. , 2002, Journal of colloid and interface science.

[46]  S. Haile,et al.  High-temperature isothermal chemical cycling for solar-driven fuel production. , 2013, Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP.

[47]  W. Chueh,et al.  Highly Enhanced Concentration and Stability of Reactive Ce3+ on Doped CeO2 Surface Revealed In Operando , 2012 .

[48]  A. Steinfeld,et al.  Thermochemical CO2 splitting via redox cycling of ceria reticulated foam structures with dual-scale porosities. , 2014, Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP.

[49]  James Barber,et al.  Comparing Photosynthetic and Photovoltaic Efficiencies and Recognizing the Potential for Improvement , 2011, Science.

[50]  P. Colombo,et al.  Improving the properties of ceramic foams by a vacuum infiltration process , 2010 .

[51]  J. Vleugels,et al.  Thermodynamic prediction of the nonstoichiometric phase Zr1–zCezO2–x in the ZrO2–CeO1.5–CeO2 system , 2002 .

[52]  M. Romero,et al.  Concentrating solar thermal power and thermochemical fuels , 2012 .

[53]  W. Chueh,et al.  A thermochemical study of ceria: exploiting an old material for new modes of energy conversion and CO2 mitigation , 2010, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences.

[54]  Christian Sattler,et al.  Test operation of a 100 kW pilot plant for solar hydrogen production from water on a solar tower , 2011 .

[55]  Nathan P. Siegel,et al.  Solar Thermochemical Water-Splitting Ferrite-Cycle Heat Engines , 2008 .

[56]  Aldo Steinfeld,et al.  Diffusion of oxygen in ceria at elevated temperatures and its application to H2O/CO2 splitting thermochemical redox cycles , 2014 .

[57]  Marika Edoff,et al.  A monolithic device for solar water splitting based on series interconnected thin film absorbers reaching over 10% solar-to-hydrogen efficiency , 2013 .

[58]  Heinz-Wolfgang Hring,et al.  The Air Gases Nitrogen, Oxygen and Argon , 2007 .

[59]  G. Flamant,et al.  CO2 and H2O Splitting for Thermochemical Production of Solar Fuels Using Nonstoichiometric Ceria and Ceria/Zirconia Solid Solutions , 2011 .

[60]  Alison Mohr,et al.  Lessons from first generation biofuels and implications for the sustainability appraisal of second generation biofuels☆ , 2013, Energy Policy.

[61]  R. J. Panlener,et al.  A thermodynamic study of nonstoichiometric cerium dioxide , 1975 .

[62]  Luke J. Venstrom,et al.  The Effects of Morphology on the Oxidation of Ceria by Water and Carbon Dioxide , 2012 .

[63]  Kimberly M. Papadantonakis,et al.  A taxonomy for solar fuels generators , 2015 .

[64]  A. Steinfeld,et al.  Pore-level engineering of macroporous media for increased performance of solar-driven thermochemical fuel processing , 2014 .

[65]  William T. Gibbons,et al.  Ceria-based electrospun fibers for renewable fuel production via two-step thermal redox cycles for carbon dioxide splitting. , 2014, Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP.

[66]  M. Allendorf,et al.  Considerations in the Design of Materials for Solar‐Driven Fuel Production Using Metal‐Oxide Thermochemical Cycles , 2014 .

[67]  Robert Palumbo,et al.  Solar Thermochemical Process Technology , 2003 .

[68]  H. Giesche,et al.  Mercury Porosimetry: A General (Practical) Overview , 2006 .