HYDROGEN SULFIDE DISSOCIATION: A SOLAR PARTICIPATING BED REACTOR

PETROLEUM, NATURAL GAS, AND COAL CONTAIN VARIOUS AMOUNTS OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE (H2S) WHICH BECOMES A POLLUTANT DURING COMBUSTION UNLESS IT IS REMOVED. EACH YEAR, MORE THAN 4 MILLION TONS OF H2S ARE REMOVED FROM THESE FOSSIL FUELS IN THE U.S. THE CLAUS PROCESS EXTRACTS THE ELEMENTAL SULFUR FROM THE H2S GAS BUT CONSUMES THE HYDROGEN TO PRODUCE LOW GRADE HEAT. THE ROTTEN EGG SMELL NEAR REFINERIES RESULTS FROM THIS OPEN PROCESS. SOLAR DISSOCIATION OF H2S ALLOWS SULFUR AND HYDROGEN TO BE SEPARATED IN A CLOSED SYSTEM. THEDISSOCIATION OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE WITH CONCENTRATED SOLAR ENERGY HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED IN SMALL LABORATORY FURNACES, BUT THE RECEIVER/REACTORS DO NOT MAINTAIN HIGH PERFORMANCE IN VARYING FLUXES. OPAQUE RIGID MATERIALS HAVE BEEN USED TOABSORB THE INCIDENT ENERGY FROM THE SUN. HOWEVER, SINCE THEY ARE NOT HEATED UNIFORMLY, THEY DETERIORATE IN THIS APPLICATION. THIS RESEARCH WILL DEVELOP AN ABSORBING MEDIUMTHAT TOLERATES VARYING FLUX DISTRIBUTIONS AND THEREBY PERMITS COMMERCIALIZATION. PHASE I ADDRESSES THE DESIGN OF A RECEIVER/REACTOR (5 KW TO 50 MW) WITH DETAILED ATTENTION GIVEN TO THE NATURE OF THE ABSORBING MEDIUM. THREE SYSTEM OPTIONS WILL BE ANALYZED TO ASCERTAIN THE MECHANISMS THAT LIMIT PERFORMANCE. THE USE A TRANSLUCENT MATERIAL FOR THE ABSORBING MEDIUM WILL BE INVESTIGATED. IF THE FRONT SURFACEOF THE PARTICIPATING MEDIUM CAN BE COOLED BY THE FLOW OF H2S AND CAN TRANSMIT THE SUNLIGHT DEEP INTO THE RECEIVER, THE HIGH TEMPERATURES DEVELOPED CAN BE PREVENTED FROM RERADIATING OUT THE WINDOW. A MATHEMATICAL MODEL WILL BE USED IN THE ANALYSIS TO HELP ENSURE A HIGH DEGREE OF SUCCESSFOR THE RECEIVER PROTOTYPING IN PHASE II.