Text Description of Hybrid Solar Chemical Looping Diagram
Concentrated solar thermal radiation from the solar collector field is captured and stored in oxygen carrier particles within a solar fuel reactor, at a constant temperature. Using chemical looping combustion (CLC) process components – oxygen carrier particles, fuel and air reactors – the heat stored in oxygen carrier particles is released into the air reactor at a higher temperature resulting in a steady power output despite intermittent solar radiation input.
In the proposed hybrid solar-CLC combined cycle, two reservoirs are used to store the hot and cold particles from the solar fuel and air reactors. A direct air-particle heat ex-changer is employed to further cool the particles to the oxygen carrier particle storage temperaure in a third reservior. An after-burner is optionally used to increase the temperature to the gas turbine inlet.