Numerical analysis of the biomimetic leaf-type hierarchical porous structure to improve the energy storage efficiency of solar driven steam methane reforming

Abstract

Due the energy resource comes from solar energy, resulting in a high working temperature, radiation field has a significant influence on the energy storage efficiency of the high temperature solar thermochemistry. In order to promote the solar energy conversion efficiency of solar driven steam methane reforming (SMR), the idea of regulate the radiation field to be in accordance with the energy conversion on-demand is proposed and the biomimetic leaf-type hierarchical porous structure solar thermochemical reactor is introduced, which can regulate the spatial distribution of solar radiation intensity and optimize the temperature field. Combined with thermochemical kinetics and Finite Volume Method (FVM), the numerical calculation model of the SMR reaction in a biomimetic solar thermochemical reactor is established to optimize the temperature field. The effects of different reaction conditions and reactor parameters on steam methane reforming hydrogen production are analyzed. The results show that methane conversion in the biomimetic leaf-type solar thermochemical reactor is increased by 4.5%.