This thermochemical process converts large-scale power plants’ flue exhaust into synthesis gas, which refines into high-quality synthetic fuels such as diesel or methanol. University of Florida researchers propose to do this via integration with a methane reformation driven redox cycle powered by solar energy, where the solar step and flue gas utilization step are separated in both space and time. This is vitally important for 24/7 operation and utilization of flue gas because at the industrial scales at which it is generated, storage is not a viable option. In total, this process affords the economical utilization and transformation of solar energy, flue gases and methane or natural gas to a valuable synthesis gas that can be further converted to a high quality, drop-in, diesel fuel and other added value chemicals that can be stored and transported.
Continuous conversion of industrial flue gases into valuable synthesis gas suitable for producing high quality liquid fuels and other value added chemicals
Natural gas and solar energy work in tandem continuously to process flue gas effluent from large-scale plants that consume fossil fuels. In a drop tube reactor, solar energy drives an endothermic reaction that reduces highly reactive ceria-based (CeO2) particles and oxidizes the methane found in natural gas to produce synthesis gas. A second reactor collects and stores the reduced ceria particles for later use in an exothermic reaction. The particles re-oxidize upon exposure to carbon dioxide and water vapor captured from flue gases, which themselves reduce selectively to generate synthesis gas. The re-oxidized ceria particles then return to the solar reactor for the synthesis gas production cycle to begin again.
