Thermochemical reactor and methods of manufacture and use thereof

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a solar reactor comprising a reactor member; an aperture for receiving solar radiation, the aperture being disposed in a plane on a wall of the reactor member, where the plane is oriented at any angle other than parallel relative to the centerline of the reactor member; a plurality of absorber tubes, wherein the absorber tubes are oriented such that their respective centerlines are at an angle other than 90° relative to the centerline of the reactor member; and wherein the aperture has a hydraulic diameter that is from 0.2 to 4 times a hydraulic diameter of at least one absorber tube in the plurality of absorber tubes; and a reactive material, the reactive material being disposed in the plurality of absorber tubes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A thermochemical reactor comprising:
 a reactor member comprising an inlet and an outlet; and   a reactive material disposed in the reactor member, wherein the reactive material comprises a metal oxide, wherein (i) the reactive material undergoes reduction to produce oxygen when exposed to heat and (ii) the reactive material produces heat when oxidized.   
     
     
         2 . The thermochemical reactor of  claim 1 , wherein the reactive material comprises a composite comprising first non-metallic particles and second non-metallic particles, wherein the first non-metallic particles and the second non-metallic particles are different metal oxides. 
     
     
         3 . The thermochemical reactor of  claim 2 , wherein the first non-metallic particles have an average particle size of about 20 to about 80 micrometers, and where the second non-metallic particles have an average particle size of about 0.5 to about 10 micrometers prior to a sintering. 
     
     
         4 . The thermochemical reactor of  claim 2 , wherein the first non-metallic particles have a lower melting temperature than the second non-metallic particles. 
     
     
         5 . The thermochemical reactor of  claim 2 , wherein a weight ratio of the first non-metallic particle to the second non-metallic particle is about 1:4 to about 1:6. 
     
     
         6 . The thermochemical reactor of  claim 2 , wherein the first non-metallic particles are present in the composite in the amount of from 2 wt % to 20 wt %. 
     
     
         7 . The thermochemical reactor of  claim 2 , wherein the composite particle has an average particle size of about 200 to about 2000 micrometers. 
     
     
         8 . The thermochemical reactor of  claim 2 , wherein the first non-metallic particle comprises manganese dioxide (MnO 2 ) and the second particle comprises magnesium oxide.