A Novel Solar Thermal Cycle with Chemical Looping Combustion

In this paper, we have proposed a thermal cycle with the integration of chemical-looping combustion and solar thermal energy with the temperature of about 500-600°C. Chemical-looping combustion may be carried out in two successive reactions between a reduction of hydrocarbon fuel with metal oxides and a reduced metal with oxygen in the air. This loop of chemical reactions is substituted for conventional combustion of fuel. Methane as a fuel and nickel oxides as an oxygen carrier were employed in this cycle. Collected high-temperature solar thermal energy is provided for the endothermic reduction reaction. The feature of the proposed cycle is investigated through Energy-Utilization Diagram methodology. As a result, at the turbine inlet temperature of 1200°C, the exergy efficiency of the proposed cycle would be expected to be about 4 percentage points higher than that of a conventional gas turbine combined cycle. Compared to the previous study of chemical-looping combustion energy systems, the proposed cycle with the integration of green energy and traditional hydrocarbon fuels will offer the possibility of both greenhouse gas mitigation, with green energy, and a new approach to the efficient use of solar energy.