Abstract
Thermal and thermochemical processes can be efficiently developed and carried out in fluidized beds, due to the unique properties of fluidized suspensions of solid particles and to the inherent flexibility of fluidized bed design and operation. Coupling fluidization with concentrated solar power is a stimulating cross-disciplinary field of investigation, with the related issues and opportunities to explore. In this review article the current and perspective applications of fluidized beds to collection, storage and exploitation of solar radiation are surveyed. Novel and “creative” designs of fluidized bed solar receivers/reactors are reported and critically discussed. The vast field of applications of solar-driven fluidized bed processes, from energy conversion with thermal energy storage, to solids looping for thermochemical energy storage, production of fuels, chemicals and materials, is explored with an eye at past and current developments and an outlook of future perspectives.
Highlights
Even though cyclic changes in the atmospheric CO2 concentration have characterized the history of our planet, a maximum “physiological” value of about 280 ppm is documented until the beginning of the Industrial Revolution
Solar particle receivers/reactors are gaining extensive consideration in Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) applications, as solid particles can work as both heat transfer fluid (HTF) in the receiver, heat transfer and storage medium
Bold values represent the values for the fluidized bed (FB) technology, which the present study focuses on
Summary
Even though cyclic changes in the atmospheric CO2 concentration have characterized the history of our planet, a maximum “physiological” value of about 280 ppm is documented until the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) represents an alternative path to exploit solar energy (REN21, 2020) It is comparatively less deployed mostly due to the higher capital costs, with a current installed capacity of about 6 GWe. Despite being more capital-intensive, CSP is characterized by some attractive features that might justify its use:. Research aims at the study of novel HTFs which would be able to overcome the limits imposed by the use of molten salts, so allowing to increase the efficiency of the solar energy storage systems. TCES systems are bound to play a major role in the very future as they enable large energy density and, at least virtually, a time scale of energy storage and dispatchability that can be considered unlimited (Chen et al, 2018; Sunku Prasad et al, 2019) This assures energy programmability for seasonal changes and favors the solar power dispatchability through the production of solar-driven energy carriers such as solar fuels/chemicals. Solar particle receivers/reactors are gaining extensive consideration in CSP applications, as solid particles can work as both HTF in the receiver, heat transfer and storage medium
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