Chemical looping process for hydrogen and electricity co-production: Design and operational consideration for moving-bed-reducer-based circulating fluidized bed systems

Abstract

Chemical looping is an economically advantageous technology for reducing carbon emission from energy, fuels, and chemicals conversion systems utilizing a variety of feedstocks including fossil fuels, renewable materials, and industrial and municipal wastes. Its development relies on two key areas of core competency, i.e., metal oxide reaction engineering, and particle science and technology. The reaction kinetics and the transport phenomena in chemical looping reactors are intrinsically twined with the specific system operational conditions, configuration, and their integration. The optimal design and successful operation of chemical looping systems necessitate a comprehensive consideration of both the reaction rates and multiphase flow characteristics within each reactor. In this article, we analyze the impact of particle hydrodynamic characteristics on optimizing the operational conditions of a syngas-fueled chemical looping (SCL) process, which aims to co-produce hydrogen and electricity. Using this SCL process as an illustrative example, we examine how the particle hydrodynamics influence the system performance and efficiency. The outcome of these effects on the system performance is discussed.