Optical and Thermal Analysis of STCR Cavity Subjected Under Flow and no Flow Conditions

Abstract

Solar thermochemical water/CO2-splitting process is used to produce hydrogen and syngas. Since past 50 years, solar thermochemical processes have been explored and advanced on the laboratory scale. At current stage, cerium oxide (CeO2) catalyst-based water-splitting process seems more promising than any other. Further, there has been significant advancement in the area of solar receivers and solar simulators. Thus, this study aims to explore the solar flux distribution in the RPC-based solar thermochemical reactor-receiver cavity. This paper presents the conceptual design and optical analysis of RPC cavity to attain the optimum conditions (uniform distribution of solar flux) and to achieve the maximum temperature for reduction reaction. In this study, a hybrid geometry of solar reactor-receiver cavity (cylindrical and hemi-spherical) has been used. The focal point of the simulator has moved [(1) on the cavity aperture and (2) 20 mm inside the cavity] to analyze the solar flux and temperature distribution inside the cavity. The distribution of solar flux inside the solar thermochemical reactor cavity found to be more uniform for case-1 with slope error 4. It was seen that case-1 with slope error 2 mrad yields 33% higher solar flux value as compared to the 4 mard slope error and yet 4 mrad slope error yield the higher temperature inside reactor cavity.