Solid thermochemical fuel apparatus
A method of charging and/or discharging energy in reusable fuel workpieces or particles includes a solar furnace with counter-flowing workpieces and gas, to exchange heat therebetween, with the exiting gas and workpieces being at about ambient temperature. A further aspect employs a production plant including a reduction reactor configured to use excess electrical energy generated by renewable power generators to charge and/or discharge solid-state thermochemical fuel. Another aspect includes a fuel flow control valve using air pulses. An oxygen-deprived and reusable fuel, such as magnesium manganese oxide, or magnesium iron oxide, is also provided. In another aspect, an apparatus for producing a solid-state fuel includes a reduction reactor including a reactor chamber configured to receive concentrated solar energy, and a reactor tube having a recuperation zone, a reduction zone, and a quenching zone, wherein the reduction zone passes through the reactor chamber. A discharged solid-state fuel is configured to be fed down the reactor tube and a low-oxygen gas is configured to flow up the reactor tube.
1. A method of using energy, the method comprising:
(a) downwardly feeding particles from a hopper to an upper heat-exchange area of a reactor, the particles being at least one of: magnesium manganese oxide, magnesium iron oxide, or magnesioferrite;
(b) downwardly feeding the particles from the upper heat-exchange area to a furnace;
(c) downwardly feeding the particles from the furnace to a lower heat-exchange area;
(d) flowing gas into the lower heat-exchange area, the gas being oxygen-depleted when in the lower heat-exchange area;
(e) upwardly flowing the gas from the lower heat-exchange area to the furnace;
(f) upwardly flowing the gas from the furnace to the upper heat-exchange area;
(g) pre-heating the particles with the gas as the gas flows through the particles in the upper heat-exchange area;
(h) transferring oxygen from the particles to the gas as the gas flows through the particles in the furnace; and
(i) cooling the particles with the gas as the gas flows through the particles in the lower heat-exchanging area.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising converting the particles into oxygen-depleted fuel when the particles and gas are heated in the furnace which is a solar furnace, as they continuously move through at least one substantially vertically elongated and ceramic feeding tube located within the solar furnace, and the particles and the gas having counter-flowing directions.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
(a) moving the oxygen-depleted fuel from an entrance to a recuperation area;
(b) moving the oxygen-depleted fuel from the recuperation area to an oxidation area, whereat the oxygen-depleted fuel receives oxygen and is converted back to the particles including a pre-reduced amount of the oxygen;
(c) moving the particles from the oxidation area to a quenching area;
(d) moving the particles from the quenching area to an exit;
(e) flowing a second gas or steam into the quenching area;
(f) flowing the second gas or the steam from the quenching area to the oxidation area during the moving of the particles from the oxidation area to the quenching area;
(g) flowing the second gas or the steam from the oxidation area to the recuperation area during the moving of the oxygen-depleted fuel from the recuperation area to the oxidation area; and
(h) pre-heating the oxygen-depleted fuel with the second gas or the steam, when the oxygen-depleted fuel and the second gas or the steam are in the recuperation area.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising splitting the steam within at least one of the oxidation area and the recuperation area to produce substantially pure hydrogen.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising exhausting oxygen-enriched gas from the upper heat-exchange area at substantially room temperature.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising receiving the particles from the lower heat-exchange area at substantially room temperature.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the particles, which are oxygen-depleted, at substantially room temperature for more than two months without a loss of its energy content, and reusing the particles multiple times after the energy is removed therefrom as the oxygen-depleted particles are moved through subsequent generators.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(a) supplying a substantially constant flow of the gas to a constant gas inlet coupled to the lower heat-exchange area;
(b) supplying a pulsating flow of the gas to an entryway a bottom of the lower heat-exchange area and the constant gas inlet; and
(c) the pulsating flow of the gas acting as a non-mechanical valve to control the flow of the particles downwardly moving through at least one of the zones.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the energy is concentrated solar energy entering the furnace.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending electricity from a renewable power generator to a heating element inside the furnace.
11. A method of using energy, the method comprising:
(a) downwardly feeding particles from a hopper to an upper heat-exchange area of a reactor, the particles comprising at least one of: magnesium manganese oxide, magnesium iron oxide, or magnesioferrite;
(b) downwardly feeding the particles from the upper heat-exchange area to a solar furnace;
(c) downwardly feeding the particles from the solar furnace to a lower heat-exchange area;
(d) flowing gas into the lower heat-exchange area, the gas being oxygen-depleted when in the lower heat-exchange area;
(e) upwardly flowing the gas from the lower heat-exchange area to the solar furnace;
(f) upwardly flowing the gas from the solar furnace to the upper heat-exchange area;
(g) pre-heating the particles with the gas as the gas flows through the particles in the upper heat-exchange area;
(h) transferring oxygen from the particles to the gas as the gas flows through the particles in the solar furnace; and
(i) cooling the particles with the gas as the gas flows through the particles in the lower heat-exchanging area;
(j) exhausting oxygen-enriched gas from the upper heat-exchange area at substantially room temperature;
(k) receiving the particles from the lower heat-exchange area at substantially room temperature; and
(l) converting the particles into oxygen-depleted fuel when the particles and the gas are heated in the solar furnace.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising moving the particles and the gas in counter-flowing directions.
13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
moving the oxygen-depleted fuel from an entrance to a recuperation area;
moving the oxygen-depleted fuel from the recuperation area to an oxidation area, whereat the oxygen-depleted fuel receives oxygen and is converted back to the particles including a pre-reduced amount of the oxygen;
moving the particles from the oxidation area to a quenching area;
moving the particles from the quenching area to an exit;
flowing a second gas or steam into the quenching area;
flowing the second gas or the steam from the quenching area to the oxidation area during the moving of the particles from the oxidation area to the quenching area;
flowing the second gas or the steam from the oxidation area to the recuperation area during the moving of the oxygen-depleted fuel from the recuperation area to the oxidation area; and
pre-heating the oxygen-depleted fuel with the second gas or the steam, when the oxygen-depleted fuel and the second gas or the steam are in the recuperation area.
14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising splitting steam within at least one of an oxidation area and a recuperation area to produce substantially pure hydrogen.
15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising storing the oxygen-depleted fuel at substantially room temperature for more than two months without a loss of its energy content, and reusing the particles multiple times after the energy is removed therefrom as the oxygen-depleted fuel is moved through subsequent generators.
16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
supplying a pulsating flow of the gas to an entryway a bottom of the lower heat-exchange area and the constant gas inlet; and
the pulsating flow of the gas acting as a non-mechanical valve to control the flow of the particles downwardly moving through at least one of the zones.
17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising sending electricity from a renewable power generator to a heating element inside the solar furnace.