Solar concentrator reactor for high temperature thermochemical processes
A solar concentrator reactor system and method of use for high temperature thermochemical processes. In one embodiment, the solar concentrator reactor system produces a thermochemical reaction of irradiated particles within an enclosed vessel volume of a solar concentrator reactor. In one aspect, the solar concentrator reactor system uses a solar concentrator to irradiate particles of a particle stream within an enclosed vessel volume of a solar concentrator reactor. The thermochemical reaction yields a chemical change of the feedstock and/or phase transition of the feedstock such as the production of a molten reacted material from a solid particulate feed. In one embodiment, the particles are a lunar regolith and the thermochemical reaction yields oxygen.
1 . A solar concentrator reactor system producing at least a reacted material, the system comprising:
a solar concentrator reactor comprising:
an enclosed vessel comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion comprising a tray configured to hold a reacted material pool of reacted material;
a gas inlet configured to input a first gas stream to the enclosed vessel volume, the first gas stream comprising a first gas;
a gas outlet configured to output an output gas stream from the enclosed vessel, the output gas stream comprising a second gas;
a solar concentrator comprising a light concentrating system configured to produce a solar energy light profile comprising solar energy converging to a first irradiating location within the enclosed vessel;
a particle feed device configured to deliver a set of falling particles of a particle stream to the first irradiating location, the set of falling particles descending by gravity in a falling particle direction from the upper portion to the lower portion in the direction of gravity, the first irradiating location between the upper portion and the lower portion; and
a controller configured to control an incidence angle between the solar energy light profile and the falling particle direction to provide the solar energy to the first irradiating location; wherein:
the controller controls the incidence angle by adjustment of the light concentrating system, the solar energy light profile directly irradiating the set of falling particles to produce a thermochemical reaction of at least the set of falling particles, the thermochemical reaction yielding the second gas and also yielding a reacted material;
the light concentrating system is at least one of: a parabolic mirror, a heliostatic reflector, a lens, and a refractive optic;
the reacted material is extruded from a slag extrusion nozzle of the lower portion; and
the output gas stream is emitted from the gas outlet.
2 . The solar concentrator reactor system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the solar energy light profile to simultaneously irradiate the reacted material pool held by the tray and irradiate the set of falling particles.
3 . The solar concentrator reactor system of claim 1 , wherein the falling particles are falling regolith particles.
4 . The solar concentrator reactor system of claim 1 , further comprising a measurement system comprising one or more load cells configured to measure a mass of the tray.
5 . The solar concentrator reactor system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control a processing temperature of the thermochemical reaction using at least a temperature sensor positioned within the enclosed vessel.
6 . The solar concentrator reactor system of claim 1 , wherein the second gas is at least one of oxygen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and H 2 O.
7 . The solar concentrator reactor system of claim 1 , further comprising an external vertical chute, the external vertical chute producing a packed chute particle stream forming at least a partial pressure seal with the enclosed vessel and preventing gas leakage into or out of the enclosed vessel as the packed chute particle stream enters the enclosed vessel, the packed chute particle stream then forming the particle stream.
8 . The solar concentrator reactor system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control a rate of extrusion of the reacted material from the slag extrusion nozzle by control of one or more of an enclosed vessel pressure, a slag extrusion nozzle temperature, and a particle feed rate of the particle stream.
9 . The solar concentrator reactor system of claim 1 , wherein the particle stream is a particle stream sheet.
10 . A solar concentrator reactor system producing a reacted material, the system comprising:
a solar concentrator reactor comprising:
an enclosed vessel having an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion comprising a tray configured to hold a reacted material pool of reacted material;
a solar concentrator comprising a light concentrating system configured to produce a solar energy light profile comprising solar energy converging to an irradiating location within the enclosed vessel;
a particle feed device configured to deliver a set of falling particles of a particle stream to the irradiating location, the set of falling particles descending by gravity in a falling particle direction from the upper portion to the lower portion in the direction of gravity, the first irradiating location between the upper portion and the lower portion; and
a controller configured to control an incidence angle between the solar energy light profile and the falling particle direction to provide the solar energy to the irradiating location;
wherein:
the controller controls the incidence angle, by control of the light concentrating system, to directly irradiate the set of falling particles of the particle stream to produce a thermochemical reaction of at least the set of falling particles and yield a reacted material;
the light concentrating system is at least one of: a parabolic mirror, a heliostatic reflector, a lens, and a refractive optic;
the reacted material is extruded from the lower portion at a selectable extrusion rate; and
the selectable extrusion rate is controlled by the controller by control of one or more of the enclosed vessel pressure, a nozzle orifice size, and the nozzle temperature.
11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the solar energy light profile to simultaneously irradiate the reacted material pool held by the tray and irradiate the set of falling particles.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the falling particles are falling regolith particles.
13 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a gas inlet configured to input a first gas stream to the enclosed vessel, the first gas stream comprising a first gas;
a gas outlet configured to output a second gas stream from the enclosed vessel, the second gas stream comprising a second gas;
a heat transfer device coupled to a slag extrusion nozzle configured to control a temperature of the reacted material; and
an external vertical chute, the external vertical chute producing a packed chute particle stream forming at least a partial pressure seal with the enclosed vessel and preventing gas leakage into or out of the enclosed vessel as the packed chute particle stream enters the enclosed vessel, the packed chute particle stream then forming the particle stream;
wherein the thermochemical reaction further produces the second gas.
14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the second gas is at least one of oxygen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and H 2 O.
15 . A solar concentrator reactor system producing a reacted material and an output gas, the system comprising:
an enclosed vessel having an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion comprising a tray configured to hold a reacted material pool of reacted material;
a gas inlet configured to input an input gas stream to the enclosed vessel;
a gas outlet configured to output an output gas stream comprising the output gas from the enclosed vessel;
a solar concentrator comprising a light concentrating system configured to produce a concentrated light comprising solar energy to an irradiating location within the enclosed vessel;
a particle feed device configured to deliver a set of falling particles of a particle stream to the irradiating location, the set of falling particles descending by gravity in a falling particle direction from the upper portion to the lower portion in the direction of gravity, the first irradiating location between the upper portion and the lower portion; and
a controller configured to control an incidence angle between the concentrated light and the falling particle direction to provide solar energy to the irradiating location;
wherein:
the controller controls the light concentrating system to control the incidence angle to directly irradiate the set of falling particles to produce a thermochemical reaction of at least the set of falling particles, the thermochemical reaction yielding a reacted material and the output gas;
the reacted material is extruded from the enclosed vessel; and
the output gas stream is output from the gas outlet.
16 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising an external vertical chute producing a packed chute particle stream forming at least a partial pressure seal with the enclosed vessel and preventing gas leakage into or out of the enclosed vessel as the packed chute particle stream enters the enclosed vessel, the packed chute particle stream forming the particle stream.
17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the output gas is at least one of oxygen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and H 2 O.
18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the solar energy light profile to simultaneously irradiate the reacted material pool held by the tray and irradiate the set of falling particles.
19 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller further operates to control a packed chute particle stream rate of the packed chute particle stream.
20 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the falling particles are falling regolith particles.