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Catalytic monolith reactor for hydrogen generation from solar water splitting (HYDROSOL)

Deliverables

A series of small-scale ( 25x50mm) and large scale (144mm in lengths from 50mm to 200mm)Silicon-infiltrated Silicon carbide (si-SiC) one-piece extruded multi cell honeycomb monoliths with cell densities of 90 cpsi to serve as redox-pair-material carriers.
The concept of an innovative solar reactor for the production of hydrogen from the splitting of steam using solar energy is introduced. The solar reactor contains no moving parts and is constructed from special refractory ceramic thin-wall, multi-channelled (honeycomb) monoliths optimised to absorb solar radiation and develop sufficiently high temperatures. The monolith channels are coated with an active water-splitting material, and the overall reactor looks very similar to the familiar catalytic converter of modern automobiles. The reactor concept can be easily extended to perform other solar chemistry reactions.
The feasibility to drive the two-step thermochemical cycle by solar power has been demonstrated several times in a solar furnace. Water was split by applying solar concentrated radiation providing hydrogen and oxygen in two subsequent steps of the process. A continuous production of hydrogen was possible by using a multi-chamber reactor allowing to operate both steps of the process in parallel in different chambers. A multi-cycling of the process was possible up to 40 times with high potential to improve this number.
A series of small-scale (25x50mm) and large scale (144mm in lengths from 50mm to 200mm) re-crystallized Silicon carbide (Re-SiC) one-piece extruded multi cell honeycomb monoliths with cell densities of 50-200cpsi, capable to efficiently absorb concentrated solar irradiation, to serve as redox pair material carriers and cast parts to form the reactor's housing vessel.

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