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Solar Thermochemical Fuel Production
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Solar Thermochemical Fuel Production

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "I1: Fuel".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 7526

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Rahul R. Bhosale

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Engineering and Computer Science, University of Tennessee, 615 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37403-2598, USA
Interests: solar thermal processes; alternative fuels; CO2 capture & utilization; materials and catalysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

One of the most abundant energy resources on the surface of the Earth is sunlight. The Sun provides 100,000 TW of energy to the Earth, approximately 10,000 times greater than the world’s present energy consumption rate. Therefore, harnessing solar radiation and its effective conversion to fuels is extremely important and beneficial toward the current global energy requirement. This Special Issue will collect original research works or review articles on recent advances in solar thermochemical fuel production. Different solar thermochemical fuel production ways, such as water splitting, carbon dioxide splitting, methane reforming, biomass conversion, and others will be considered.

Dr. Rahul R. Bhosale
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Solar fuels
  • Water splitting
  • CO2 conversion
  • Methane reforming
  • Biomass conversion
  • Thermodynamic analysis
  • Kinetic investigation
  • Material synthesis and characterization
  • Hydrogen and/or syngas production

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 5194 KiB  
Article
Utilization of MnFe2O4 Redox Ferrite for Solar Fuel Production via CO2 Splitting: A Thermodynamic Study
by Rahul R. Bhosale, Sayma Akhter, Ram B. Gupta and Rajesh V. Shende
Energies 2023, 16(14), 5479; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16145479 - 19 Jul 2023
Viewed by 949
Abstract
A thermodynamic efficiency analysis of MnFe2O4-based CO2 splitting (CDS) cycle is reported. HSC Chemistry software is used for performing the calculations allied with the model developed. By maintaining the reduction nonstoichiometry equal to 0.1, variations [...] Read more.
A thermodynamic efficiency analysis of MnFe2O4-based CO2 splitting (CDS) cycle is reported. HSC Chemistry software is used for performing the calculations allied with the model developed. By maintaining the reduction nonstoichiometry equal to 0.1, variations in the thermal energy required to drive the cycle and solar-to-fuel energy conversion efficiency as a function of the ratio of the molar flow rate of inert sweep gas to the molar flow rate of Mn-ferrite, reduction temperature, and gas-to-gas heat recovery effectiveness are studied. This study confirms that the thermal reduction temperature needed to achieve reduction nonstoichiometry equal to 0.1 is reduced when the inert gas flow rate is increased. Conversely, due to the requirement of the additional energy to heat the inert gas, the thermal energy required to drive the cycle is upsurged considerably. As the solar-to-fuel energy conversion efficiency depends significantly on the thermal energy required to drive the cycle, a reduction in it is recorded. As the ratio of the molar flow rate of inert sweep gas to the molar flow rate of Mn-ferrite is increased from 10 to 100, the solar-to-fuel energy conversion efficiency is decreased from 14.9% to 9.9%. By incorporating gas-to-gas heat recovery, a drastic drop in the thermal energy required to drive the cycle is attained which further resulted in a rise in the solar-to-fuel energy conversion efficiency. The maximum solar-to-fuel energy conversion efficiency (17.5%) is achieved at the ratio of the molar flow rate of inert sweep gas to the molar flow rate of Mn-ferrite equal to 10 as well as 20 when 90% of gas-to-gas heat recovery is applied. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Thermochemical Fuel Production)
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Review

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30 pages, 13644 KiB  
Review
Recent Developments in Ceria-Driven Solar Thermochemical Water and Carbon Dioxide Splitting Redox Cycle
by Rahul R. Bhosale
Energies 2023, 16(16), 5949; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16165949 - 11 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1568
Abstract
Metal oxide (MO) based solar thermochemical H2O (WS) and CO2 splitting (CDS) is one of the most promising and potential-containing processes that can be used to produce H2 and syngas (liquid fuel precursor). Several non-volatile and volatile MOs were [...] Read more.
Metal oxide (MO) based solar thermochemical H2O (WS) and CO2 splitting (CDS) is one of the most promising and potential-containing processes that can be used to produce H2 and syngas (liquid fuel precursor). Several non-volatile and volatile MOs were considered redox materials for the solar-driven WS and CDS operation. Among all the examined redox materials, based on their high O2 storage capacity, faster oxidation kinetics, and good stability, ceria and doped ceria materials are deemed to be one of the best alternatives for the operation of the thermochemical redox reactions associated with the WS and CDS. Pure ceria was used for solar fuel production for the first time in 2006. A review paper highlighting the work done on the ceria-based solar thermochemical redox WS and CDS cycle from 2006 until 2016 is already published elsewhere by the author. This review paper presents all the significant findings reported in applying pure ceria and doped ceria materials for the WS and CDS by research teams worldwide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Thermochemical Fuel Production)
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21 pages, 1773 KiB  
Review
Advances in Solar-Derived Chemical Fuel Systems
by Nigel Twi-Yeboah, Dacosta Osei and Michael K. Danquah
Energies 2023, 16(6), 2864; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16062864 - 20 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2008
Abstract
Fuel cells are essential components of a large portfolio for developing a competitive, secure, and sustainable clean energy economy as they possess the ability to efficiently convert a variety of fuels into electricity. They convert chemical energy from fuels into electricity through chemical [...] Read more.
Fuel cells are essential components of a large portfolio for developing a competitive, secure, and sustainable clean energy economy as they possess the ability to efficiently convert a variety of fuels into electricity. They convert chemical energy from fuels into electricity through chemical reactions with an oxidizing agent. Fuel cells are highly efficient and can produce electricity with very little pollution. They are used in a variety of applications, including powering buildings and vehicles, and as a backup power source. However, the infrastructure for fuel cells is still not fully developed and the cost of fuel cells is currently high, hindering their widespread adoption. This article discusses various advanced fuel cell types with descriptions of their working principles and applications. It provides some insights on the requirements of solar-derived chemical fuel cells as well as some novel materials for the fabrication of solar-derived chemical fuel cells. Discussions on the limitations of solar-derived fuel cells were provided in relation to environmental hazards involved in the use of these cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Thermochemical Fuel Production)
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28 pages, 5282 KiB  
Review
Redox Cycles, Active Materials, and Reactors Applied to Water and Carbon Dioxide Splitting for Solar Thermochemical Fuel Production: A Review
by Stéphane Abanades
Energies 2022, 15(19), 7061; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15197061 - 26 Sep 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2301
Abstract
The solar thermochemical two-step splitting of H2O and CO2 based on metal oxide compounds is a promising path for clean and efficient generation of hydrogen and renewable synthetic fuels. The two-step process is based on the endothermic solar thermal reduction [...] Read more.
The solar thermochemical two-step splitting of H2O and CO2 based on metal oxide compounds is a promising path for clean and efficient generation of hydrogen and renewable synthetic fuels. The two-step process is based on the endothermic solar thermal reduction of a metal oxide releasing O2 using a high-temperature concentrated solar heat source, followed by the exothermic oxidation of the reduced oxide with H2O and/or CO2 to generate pure H2 and/or CO. This pathway relates to one of the emerging and most promising processes for solar thermochemical fuel production encompassing green H2 and the recycling/valorization of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. It represents an efficient route for solar energy conversion and storage into renewable and dispatchable fuels, by directly converting the whole solar spectrum using heat delivered by concentrating systems. This eliminates the need for photocatalysts or intermediate electricity production, thus bypassing the main limitations of the low-efficient photochemical and electrochemical routes currently seen as the main green methods for solar fuel production. In this context, among the relevant potential redox materials, thermochemical cycles based on volatile and non-volatile metal oxides are particularly attractive. Most redox pairs in two-step cycles proceed with a phase change (solid-to-gas or solid-to-liquid) during the reduction step, which can be avoided by using non-stoichiometric oxides (chiefly, spinel, fluorite, or perovskite-structured materials) through the creation of oxygen vacancies in the lattice. The oxygen sub-stoichiometry determines the oxygen exchange capacity, thus determining the fuel production output per mass of redox-active material. This paper provides an overview of the most advanced cycles involving ZnO/Zn, SnO2/SnO, Fe3O4/FeO, ferrites, ceria, and perovskites redox systems by focusing on their ability to perform H2O and CO2 splitting during two-step thermochemical cycles with high fuel production yields, rapid reaction rates, and performance stability. Furthermore, the possible routes for redox-active material integration and processing in various solar reactor technologies are also described. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar Thermochemical Fuel Production)
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