(86d) H2 and Syngas Production Via Solar Thermochemical Methane Reforming and Water Splitting Cycle Using Vanadium-Based Oxide Materials

In past, several metal oxide based water-splitting cycles are examined for H2 production, for instance zinc oxide/zinc cycle, tin oxide/tin cycle, iron oxide/iron cycle, ceria and doped ceria cycle, ferrite cycle, and perovskite cycle. Attempts are also made to use some of these cycles towards a combined H2O/CO2 splitting reaction for the production of syngas. To reduce the thermal reduction temperature of the metal oxides, CH4 is used as a reducing agent by several researchers. In this study, we propose a co-production of syngas, and H2 in a two-step combined methane reforming and water splitting process driven by solar energy using vanadium-based oxide materials. A thermodynamic analysis is carried out for a) syngas producing open process (VS) and b) syngas, and H2 producing semi-open process (VSH). Effects of CH4 as a reducing agent and water splitting temperature on thermal reduction of vanadium-based oxides, total solar energy required to run the cycle, efficiency values and other thermodynamics parameters needed for the process development are explored in detail. In addition to the thermodynamic modeling, the experimental investigation of production of H2 and syngas via methane reforming and H2O splitting cycle is investigated using a high temperature thermogravimetric analyzer.