Thermal Performance Analysis of a Solar Reactor Designed for Syngas Production

Yabibal Getahun Dessie, Bachirou Guene Lougou, Qi Hong, Tan Heping, Zhang Juqi, Gao Baohai and Islam Md Arafat
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Yabibal Getahun Dessie: School of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
Bachirou Guene Lougou: School of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
Qi Hong: School of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
Tan Heping: School of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
Zhang Juqi: School of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
Gao Baohai: School of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
Islam Md Arafat: School of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 13, 1-20

Abstract: The design elements considered during the construction of a thermochemical reactor determine its thermal performance. This current study investigated the effect of design elements, such as boundary layer thickness, insulating materials for the outlet tube design and fluid inlet locations of the frustum, on the thermal performance of a proposed syngas production reactor with incident radiation heat transfer through quartz glass. The P 1 radiation approximation model and fluid flow in the shallow path were integrated into a proposed radiation model. The result indicated that inlet mass flow rates from 5 × 10 −4 to 14 × 10 −4 kg/s increased the temperature in the cavity and the outlet. The fluid inlet located at the top of the quartz glass edges was found to have better thermal performance and maximum average outlet temperature. Insulation for fluid inlets tube above the quartz glass edges of the frustum was very important for the prevention of radiation loss through quartz glass and sedimentation of fluid particles around the quartz glass edge, and the facilitation of fast heat transfer towards the internal part of the reactor. The outlet that was a tube designed using an aluminum oxide-type insulator with a 50 mm boundary layer thickness was found to increase the average outlet temperature of the reactor. This study revealed that fluid entry and exit locations on the frustum and proper fluid outlet design were critical for the thermal performance analysis of the solar thermochemical reactor for heat transfer with quartz glass. Findings from this study will be of relevance to chemical and power engineering sectors, as well as academia.

Keywords: incident radiation; thermal performance; thermochemical reactor; heat transfer; reactor tube design (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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