2021-194 GASEOUS HYDROCARBON SELF-CATALYZING SOLAR REFORMING AND SOLID CARBON DEPOSITION

SUMMARY:

UCLA researchers in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering have developed a method for green hydrogen production through high flux solar heating and a porous substrate.

BACKGROUND:

With populations rising and the search for more sustainable sources of energy accelerating, hydrogen has been touted as a desirable sustainable fuel. Although hydrogen itself is a zero-carbon fuel, the most commonly used hydrogen production techniques still involve the use of non-renewable energy. Recently, direct solar-thermal decomposition of methane using concentrated solar-thermal power has been developed as a sustainable hydrogen production method without employing fossil fuel and greenhouse gas emission. However, this technology is still premature and is faced with several challenges such as carbon separation and clogging issues in addition to efficiency and economical limitations. Therefore, the field needs novel technologies to overcome the challenges for green hydrogen production.

INNOVATION: 

UCLA researchers in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering have developed a method for green hydrogen production through high flux solar heating and a porous substrate. The solar simulator is designed and built to maintain the operating temperature near 1500K. The use of porous substrate solves carbon deposition and clogging issues. In addition, such porous substrates increase the surface area exposed to methane flow, enhancing the efficiency of hydrogen production.  

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS:

• Hydrogen production
• Methane decomposition
• Carbon deposition

ADVANTAGES:

• Solar-driven process
• No use of catalyst materials
• High scalability

PATENT STATUS:

Patent application filed.

DEVELOPMENT TO DATE:

First successful demonstration of the invention has been accomplished

RELATED PAPERS:

• Abuseasa, M.; Wei, C.; Spearrin, M.; Fisher, T. “Solar-thermal production of graphitic carbon and hydrogen via methane decomposition”, preprint: https://doi.org/10.33774/chemrxiv-2021-drhkb-v2.
• M. Abuseada, C. Ophoff, N. Ozalp, Characterization of a new 10 kWe high flux solar simulator via indirect radiation mapping technique, Journal of Solar Energy Engineering 141 (2019) 022105.
• S. Abanades, H. Kimura, H. Otsuka, Hydrogen production from thermo catalytic decomposition of methane using carbon black catalysts in an indirectly irradiated tubular packed‐bed solar reactor, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy. 39 (2014) 18770–18783.
• J.L. Pinilla, D. Torres, M.J. Lázaro, I. Suelves, R. Moliner, I. Canadas, J. Rodriguez, A. Vidal, D. Martinez, Metallic and carbonaceous based catalysts performance in the solar catalytic decomposition of methane for hydrogen and carbon production, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy. 37 (2012) 9645–9655.
• J. Yeheskel, M. Epstein, Thermolysis of methane in a solar reactor for mass production of hydrogen and carbon nano materials, Carbon N. Y. 49 (2011) 4695 doi:10.1016/j.carbon.2011.06.071.
• G. Maag, G. Zanganeh, A. Steinfeld, Solar thermal cracking of methane in a particle flow reactor for the coproduction of hydrogen and carbon, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy. 34 (2009) 7676–7685.