Publications Details

Design of materials for solar-driven fuel production by metal-oxide thermochemical cycles

Miller, James E.; Mcdaniel, Anthony H.

Thermochemical cycles that divide the energetically unfavorable thermolysis of water or carbon dioxide into two or more reactions were used for solar driven fuel production. A large number of diverse metal oxides have been proposed for solar thermochemical fuel production (STFP) including stoichiometric compounds such as ferrites and other transition metal spinels. The design parameter is determined by a set of interacting factors, including reaction thermodynamics, target efficiency, and durability of reactor materials. Operating temperature window is determined by a set of interacting factors, including reaction thermodynamics, target efficiency, and durability of reactor materials. In the absence of kinetic data, however, it can be stated that achieving high average annual solar-to-fuel efficiencies (AASFE) requires that energy consumption of the reactions, and hence the reaction rates, be matched to the solar flux entering the system.