ORCID

0009-0002-3191-860X

Keywords

Thermochemical Energy Storage, Chemical Reactor, TCES, Thermochemistry

Subject Categories

Energy Systems | Heat Transfer, Combustion | Mechanical Engineering

Abstract

Thermochemical energy storage (TCES) is an emerging technology that is being studied as a carbon-neutral renewable alternative to conventional methods of large-scale power generation, such as the utilization of fossil fuels. TCES makes use of thermochemical materials to store and discharge energy in two-step reversible chemical reactions. Among the most promising TCES materials are metal oxides, which possess significantly higher energy storage densities compared to other TCES materials; consequently, thermochemical reactors are used to store and discharge large amounts of energy during reduction-oxidation cycles using metal oxide materials. The current work focuses on the design and experimental demonstration of a packed bed thermochemical reactor that is heated via heating elements embedded within the bed. After characterization of several candidate metal oxides, a manganese-iron oxide with a manganese-to- iron molar ratio of 3:1 was chosen as the reactive material to be used within the reactor. The bed mass was approximately 1.025 kg, significantly greater than other laboratory-scale packed bed thermochemical reactors in the literature. Experimental results indicate that the center of the reactor’s packed bed is able to heat up to the requisite reduction and oxidation temperatures of 1050 °C and 750 °C, respectively, while remaining below the expected nominal thermal input. However, thermal gradients within the bed prevent full conversion of the bed material, limiting the maximum conversion to 50-55%. Though not ideal, these findings could serve to inform the design of future laboratory-scale packed bed thermochemical reactors.

Completion Date

2026

Semester

Summer

Committee Chair

Like Li

Degree

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (M.S.M.E.)

College

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Format

PDF

Document Type

Thesis

Language

English

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