Utilization of MnFe 2 O 4 Redox Ferrite for Solar Fuel Production via CO 2 Splitting: A Thermodynamic Study

Rahul R. Bhosale (), Sayma Akhter, Ram B. Gupta and Rajesh V. Shende
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Rahul R. Bhosale: Department of Civil and Chemical Engineering, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, 615 Mccallie Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37403, USA
Sayma Akhter: Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar
Ram B. Gupta: Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
Rajesh V. Shende: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD 57701, USA

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 14, 1-17

Abstract: A thermodynamic efficiency analysis of M n F e 2 O 4 -based CO 2 splitting (CDS) cycle is reported. HSC Chemistry software is used for performing the calculations allied with the model developed. By maintaining the reduction nonstoichiometry equal to 0.1, variations in the thermal energy required to drive the cycle and solar-to-fuel energy conversion efficiency as a function of the ratio of the molar flow rate of inert sweep gas to the molar flow rate of Mn-ferrite, reduction temperature, and gas-to-gas heat recovery effectiveness are studied. This study confirms that the thermal reduction temperature needed to achieve reduction nonstoichiometry equal to 0.1 is reduced when the inert gas flow rate is increased. Conversely, due to the requirement of the additional energy to heat the inert gas, the thermal energy required to drive the cycle is upsurged considerably. As the solar-to-fuel energy conversion efficiency depends significantly on the thermal energy required to drive the cycle, a reduction in it is recorded. As the ratio of the molar flow rate of inert sweep gas to the molar flow rate of Mn-ferrite is increased from 10 to 100, the solar-to-fuel energy conversion efficiency is decreased from 14.9% to 9.9%. By incorporating gas-to-gas heat recovery, a drastic drop in the thermal energy required to drive the cycle is attained which further resulted in a rise in the solar-to-fuel energy conversion efficiency. The maximum solar-to-fuel energy conversion efficiency (17.5%) is achieved at the ratio of the molar flow rate of inert sweep gas to the molar flow rate of Mn-ferrite equal to 10 as well as 20 when 90% of gas-to-gas heat recovery is applied.

Keywords: MnFe 2 O 4; CO 2 splitting; thermodynamic model; solar fuels; gas-to-gas heat recovery (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: 2023
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