High temperature synthesis for power production and storage

Lavine, Adrienne Gail; Wirz, Richard Edward; Aryafar, Hamarz; Chen, Chen; Lovegrove, Keith Malcolm

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DOE OSTI · 1650856

High temperature synthesis for power production and storage

Lavine, Adrienne Gail·Wirz, Richard Edward·Aryafar, Hamarz·Chen, Chen·Lovegrove, Keith Malcolm

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Abstract

Thermochemical energy storage (TCES) for concentrating solar power (CSP) systems provides higher energy density than sensible energy storage systems. An ammonia-based TCES system dissociates endothermically into hydrogen and nitrogen. The stored energy is released when supercritical hydrogen and nitrogen react exothermically to synthesize ammonia. Prior ammonia synthesis systems are unable to produce temperatures consistent with modern power blocks requiring a working fluid, for example steam or carbon dioxide, to be heated to greater than 600° C., for example about 650° C. An ammonia synthesis system heats steam from, for example 350° C. to 650° C. under pressure of about 26 MPa. The hydrogen and nitrogen are preheated with a flow of supercritical fluid prior to the synthesis step to provide reaction rates sufficient to heat power block working fluid to the desired temperature.

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14 SOLAR ENERGY 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

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Lavine, Adrienne Gail, Wirz, Richard Edward, Aryafar, Hamarz, Chen, Chen, Lovegrove, Keith Malcolm. 2020-05-05. High temperature synthesis for power production and storage. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1650856

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