Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
  • F24S20/00—Solar heat collectors specially adapted for particular uses or environments
  • F24S20/20—Solar heat collectors for receiving concentrated solar energy, e.g. receivers for solar power plants
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
  • C01B13/00—Oxygen; Ozone; Oxides or hydroxides in general
  • C01B13/02—Preparation of oxygen
  • C01B13/0203—Preparation of oxygen from inorganic compounds
  • C01B13/0207—Water
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
  • C01B3/00—Hydrogen; Gaseous mixtures containing hydrogen; Separation of hydrogen from mixtures containing it; Purification of hydrogen
  • C01B3/02—Production of hydrogen or of gaseous mixtures containing a substantial proportion of hydrogen
  • C01B3/04—Production of hydrogen or of gaseous mixtures containing a substantial proportion of hydrogen by decomposition of inorganic compounds, e.g. ammonia
  • C01B3/042—Decomposition of water
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
  • C01B3/00—Hydrogen; Gaseous mixtures containing hydrogen; Separation of hydrogen from mixtures containing it; Purification of hydrogen
  • C01B3/02—Production of hydrogen or of gaseous mixtures containing a substantial proportion of hydrogen
  • C01B3/04—Production of hydrogen or of gaseous mixtures containing a substantial proportion of hydrogen by decomposition of inorganic compounds, e.g. ammonia
  • C01B3/042—Decomposition of water
  • C01B3/045—Decomposition of water in gaseous phase
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
  • F24S23/00—Arrangements for concentrating solar-rays for solar heat collectors
  • F24S23/12—Light guides
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
  • Y02E10/40—Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
  • Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
  • Y02E60/36—Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
  • Y02P20/00—Technologies relating to chemical industry
  • Y02P20/10—Process efficiency
  • Y02P20/133—Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the production of solar energy at very low prices (equivalent or lower than the price of crude oil) with a "free" process (source of solar energy) in replacement of oil / fossil fuels and conventional batteries (storage) .
• the advantages are to avoid complex or expensive materials (rare metals, catalysts, etc.), the absence of wear or maintenance as in electrolysers or fuel cells, abundant and available materials (carbon / graphite, water, ...) free sources of energy (sun, water), to provide 100% clean renewable energy with no societal or environmental impact, with a lifespan of at least 40 years. It has the possibility of supplying fuel cells as well as of carrying out storage, in particular by burning the h2 / o2 mixture which is stored separately and then burned (exothermic reaction) in a specific burner to supply a thermodynamic device or a furnace, the combustion producing water vapor which is recycled indefinitely in the invention
• the invention is based on the principle of solar hyper concentration (of the order of 10,000 suns) and the injection of the concentrated solar flux into a preform equipped or not with windows leading into a fiber (or bundle of fibers). ideally hollow optic with an empty core (pure waveguide without optical losses), the input of which is a preform of sufficient diameter to receive the concentrated flow without damage.
• the preform can be full (bar / stretched tube) or closed by an entry window and the opposite end is also closed so that the interior of the fiber is under vacuum, the vacuum not opposing to the conduction of light this over a broad spectrum.
• a gas trap in English "getter" or an appropriate device accessing the vacuum core makes it possible to absorb / evacuate any contaminant / degassing.
• An industrial optical fiber laser of 100mpi can transport 100kw, a hollow fiber of 1.OOOm would reach and exceed 1.6MW. (see in particular the article “Microstructured optical fibers” by Laurent Provino, Laurent Brilland, Achille Monteville, David Landais, Olivier Le Goffic, Denis Tregoat and David Mechin).
• the end of the fiber inside the reactor ends with a second, smaller preform which can be solid or fitted with a window, collimation optics, condenser, focusing optics, etc.) made of glass or materials with suitable optical properties forming the appropriate optical structure to allow focusing at a point, taking into account the different wavelengths in particular by the use for example of optical doublets.
• the optics receive one (or more) anti-reflection treatment and possibly a cooling device or temperature control.
• the end of the fiber or fiber bundles then arrives in the "reactor" (dissociator would be fairer), which consists of a vacuum cavity ideally in graphite or suitable materials preferably covered with a hard surface.
• the nozzle (s) projecting the flow of water (or steam), which is intercepted by the solar flow and dissociated.
• Nozzle and fiber (s) can be coaxial or forming a greater or lesser angle to avoid any deterioration or contamination of the optical end / optical components or thermal shock.
• the optical components are covered with protection against chemical attacks from the water molecule or compounds h2 and o2.
• a large set of fibers can also be almost perpendicular to the nozzle (s).
• the reactor opens to allow easy replacement of damaged components.
• this heat source can be used to produce water vapor at high temperature by a device for example tubular surrounding the vacuum chamber while ensuring its cooling.
• This high temperature and high pressure water vapor arrives in the vacuum chamber and is immediately dissociated by the luminous flux.
• the advantage of steam being that it transports part of the energy necessary for dissociation.
• the vacuum inside the reactor makes it possible to carry out a chemical quenching avoiding molecular recombination or explosion in the reactor, and then to suck the o2 / h2 atoms towards the final separation device (purification) as well as to recycle the water / steam that has not been dissociated and avoid pollution detrimental to the purity of the gases.
• the atoms are entrained in a vortex which can be of the Ranque-Hilsch type facilitating the separation due to the different atomic masses (coef 1 to 16) whose walls forming an exchanger allow cooling while preheating the water to be dissociated .
• the vortex then separates into two distinct circuits, one preferably containing oxygen and the second hydrogen.
• a pre-filtration device makes it possible to return the water which is not dissociated and to reinject it into the reactor.
• the final purification can be carried out by means such as chemical filtration processes, molecular sieves or others, the objective being the supply of high purity gas which can in particular be recycled indefinitely within the same closed circuit installation in the in particular for solar fuel or “PAC” “batteries” or any other device.
• Optical components are ideally covered with a protective layer to protect them from possible chemical reactions with 1 ⁇ 2 / H2 or H20 which may degrade their properties
• Field of the invention is ideally covered with a protective layer to protect them from possible chemical reactions with 1 ⁇ 2 / H2 or H20 which may degrade their properties
• the present invention relates to the field of the production of ENR (new renewable energy) of solar origin in the form of the hydrogen / oxygen pair being called “solar fuel” (trade name), from a solar power plant associated with a fiber.
• ENR new renewable energy
• solar fuel trade name
• energy storage at very high density (solar fuel) heat pump power (fuel cells), combustion engines or all devices (ovens, flames, heaters, DHW, cooking equipment, etc.) traditionally running on hydrocarbons, or rocket engines and all space vehicles .
• the invention ideally implements a solar concentrator allowing a concentration rate of up to 20,000 suns at the focal point called hyper concentrator. It is therefore possible to use an optical fiber, ideally hollow, to achieve a concentration rate of the order of 30,000 suns and transport the solar flux at a distance towards a target or inject it into a reactor.
• thermophotolysis Since it concerns the combined action of several bands of the spectrum visible and invisible optics on a flow of water.
• optical fiber Probably the most well-known type of optical guide is optical fiber.
• the latter can be made of silica, glass or polymer. It is generally made of a core of refractive index n c and of a sheath having a refractive index n g less than that of the core.
• the radiation it carries is propagated in the heart by total internal reflection.
• the optical fiber can advantageously be of the hollow-core type, in which case the transmitted light power is not subject to the purity of the materials used and can therefore transport very high powers.
• the energy converter uses the principle of the dissociation of the water molecule into hydrogen and oxygen under the effect of high intensity light energy.
• US Patent US3780722 is known in the state of the art, describing an improved solar collector comprising an optical fiber solar receiver which passively concentrates incident solar energy for distribution in the form of an intensified flux to an absorbing target.
• the present solar collector comprises a ball of fibers shaped into an arcuate collecting surface at one end, the fibers tapering to a flat exit plane at the opposite end of the ball. Solar radiation entering the collector at the collector surface is concentrated in the tapered portion of the ball and delivered as an intensified flow to an absorbent target disposed in operative relation to the exit plane, the absorbent target being either a pot, a thermal storage mass, or the hot junction of 'a thermoelectric generator.
• French patent FR2310309 describes another method and apparatus solution for the production of gas mixtures.
• the invention relates firstly to a high density solar energy concentrator called hyper concentrator, comprising a means for collecting solar energy consisting of one (or more) optical fibers characterized in that the entry of the optical fiber is constituted by an unstretched zone of the preform and the exit end is introduced into an energy conversion module.
• said energy conversion module is for example constituted by a reactor which can be made of graphite and whose internal surfaces are hardened to avoid erosion phenomena, which can open easily to allow components to be changed or for maintenance.
• Said reactor is connected to a vacuum means which comprises inside a water micronization nozzle in a zone receiving the transmitted light energy, the graphite reactor having an outlet opening onto a vortex to separate the oxygen. and hydrogen, which are found in two distinct circuits.
• the vacuum means is advantageously divided into two distinct sections, one sucking in hydrogen and the other in oxygen so as to avoid their mixing.
• Said vacuum means is equipped with a device making it possible to recycle the gases or vapor which are not incompletely separated and to reinject them into the reactor.
• the output end of an optical fiber for collecting solar energy is engaged in said cavity.
• said micronization nozzle is arranged opposite the outlet end of said optical fiber, coaxially or not.
• said reactor comprises a water injector for misting a very fine stream or water vapor which will be subjected to a temperature resulting from the interaction with the beam of light energy, causing its spontaneous chemical dissociation. in its two elements, H2 and 02.
• said reactor having a separator for dissociating the misted water or the vapor by thermophotolysis and producing a jet of molecules of different masses separated by means of a device of the cyclonic vortex type generating two distinct streams of hydrogen. and oxygen.
• FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a fiber
• FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of the energy converter.
• the invention described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 relates to a device for producing a hydrogen / oxygen pair from a solar energy concentrator comprising a means for collecting solar energy consisting of one or more optical fibers. , preferably hollow.
• the entry and exit of the optical fiber (s) (1) is formed by an unstretched zone (3) of the preform allowing the remote transport of the solar flux.
• the ends of the preform (2) of the hollow fiber (1) comprises a window (3) or optical coupling (collimation) plus a gas trap (in English "getter”).
• the other end of the fiber (1) also has a preform / exit window (4) with focusing optics (5) to a focal point (6)
• the energy conversion module consists of a reactor (11) defining a volume (11) under vacuum, with a water / steam inlet (12) and a high pressure water / steam inlet (13) feeding a nozzle.
• optical fibers (14) have different possible conformations, coaxial to perpendicular.
• a h2 / o2 outlet (15) opens into a vortex and heat exchanger.
• An equipment (16) carries out a residual h2o pre-filtration.
• a separator (17) provides additional electrostatic / electromagnetic separation. Non-dissociated water is reinjected into the circuit.
• the module (19) redirects atoms towards their final circuit.
• a filter (20) ensures the final filtration / purification and two separate pumping units (h2 and o2) (21) by vacuum pump motors.
• the energy conversion module consists of a reactor (11), for example made of graphite, having a cavity (11) whose surfaces are hardened to prevent erosion, connected to a vacuum means, said module comprising a nozzle (4 ) micronization of water inside said cavity (11), in a zone receiving the transmitted light energy, the graphite reactor (11) having an outlet (18) leading to a vortex to separate the oxygen and hydrogen.
• the micronization nozzle is arranged opposite the outlet end of said optical fiber, in a coaxial or almost perpendicular manner.
• the reactor (10) comprises a water injector for misting a very fine mist of water or vapor which will be subjected to a high temperature and the action of photons resulting from the interaction with the beam (s) of light energy, causing its spontaneous chemical dissociation into its two elements, H2 and 0.
• the transport of solar energy concentrated by the heliostat between the energy collector and the energy converter is carried out by an optical fiber or by a bundle of optical fibers.
• the optical fiber has a numerical aperture which allows the injection of all the solar radiation sent by the concentrator.
• the numerical aperture is preferably greater than 0.42.
• the optical fiber must also transmit the solar spectrum as efficiently as possible, that is to say with a minimum of absorption.
• the fiber tolerance is at minus 500 ° C, in particular when the injected solar radiation is highly concentrated and when the fiber strongly absorbs a certain band of the solar spectrum, creating a heating of the guide in its first section.
• the heat resistance makes it easier to couple with the thermal accumulator.
• fewer special measures have to be taken in order to prevent the energy converter from transmitting too much heat to the guide, creating its overheating in its section near the converter.
• the flexibility or maneuverability of the guide is also an advantage to be considered in order to give more ease as to its installation on the concentrator matrix. The stresses are often at the level of the minimum radius of curvature of the guide to be respected.
• the fiber or the fiber bundle is based on preferentially hollow silica because of its transmission of the solar spectrum, which can be excellent, as well as its resistance to heat. Indeed, after integration according to the solar spectrum.
• the absorption of such silica fibers is low, of the order of 0.014dB / m to 0.348dB / m when the transmission is made in the core and the losses are lower when the fiber is hollow.
• the optical fiber is formed by drawing a bar (or cylinders or other shapes) having an initial diameter for example of 100 millimeters and a length which may be from a few tens of centimeters to several meters.
• the first step consists of assembling the tubes and / or a cylindrical silica bar mounted concentrically. Everything is heated to ensure the homogeneity of the glass bar.
• the bar thus obtained will ideally be installed vertically in a tower and heated for example with gas, electric or even solar ramps.
• the glass will stretch and "sink” down to be wound on a spool.
• the thickness of the fiber is measured to control the speed of the reel motor, in order to ensure a constant diameter.
• the shaping can also be carried out with any other suitable drawing process which may be horizontal (inspired by the device for drawing capillary columns of silica chromatographs), or whose heating / melting would be carried out by the solar route.
• any other suitable drawing process which may be horizontal (inspired by the device for drawing capillary columns of silica chromatographs), or whose heating / melting would be carried out by the solar route.
• the dissociation of water by solar energy is ensured by a principle of thermophotolysis ensuring the decomposition of the water, optionally in the presence of a catalyst, under the action of sunlight and possibly additional radiation, with production of H2 and O2, or other molecules such as H202, in a reactor ideally formed by a graphite body (10) whose surfaces are hardened and having a cavity (11) under partial vacuum.
• the molecular separation could be carried out either by cyclonic vortex, the molecules being ejected at supersonic speed, or by membrane filtration, or thermochemical or any other suitable process, the molecular weight of the atoms being considerably different.
• dihydrogen / oxygen By preparing dihydrogen / oxygen by photodissociation of water by irradiation, in particular by irradiation from solar radiation, it is possible to transform light energy, in particular solar energy, into chemical energy in the form of hydrogen and oxygen can then be separated and then stored. This chemical energy in the form of stored hydrogen / oxygen can then be transported or used later.
• the reactor (11) is for example made of graphite or of carbon / graphite which is ideally covered with a layer thin such as a carbide to avoid erosion phenomena linked to supersonic flows
• the solar energy coming from the concentrator is transmitted by means of a fiber (13), in an axial direction.
• the reactor also has various connections:
• a water injector (17) for misting a very fine water mist which will be subjected to a temperature of 2,500 ° C resulting from the interaction with the beam of light energy, causing its chemical dissociation spontaneous in its two elements, H2 and 0.
• thermophotlyysis produces a jet of molecules of different masses separated by means of a device of the cyclonic vortex type generating two distinct flows of hydrogen and oxygen.
• Hydrogen ions can be separated from oxygen ions using a Ranque-Hilsch vortex and an electrostatic and / or electromagnetic field.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
• Sustainable Energy (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Sustainable Development (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)
• Catalysts (AREA)
• Separation Using Semi-Permeable Membranes (AREA)
• Optical Fibers, Optical Fiber Cores, And Optical Fiber Bundles (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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• 2019
  • 2019-06-13 FR FR1906296A patent/FR3097217B1/fr active Active
• 2020
  • 2020-05-26 CA CA3142845A patent/CA3142845A1/fr active Pending
  • 2020-05-26 EP EP20743183.4A patent/EP3983335A1/fr active Pending
  • 2020-05-26 CN CN202080050807.XA patent/CN114127486A/zh active Pending
  • 2020-05-26 WO PCT/FR2020/050880 patent/WO2020249883A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2020-05-26 JP JP2021573751A patent/JP2022536744A/ja active Pending
  • 2020-05-26 AU AU2020290035A patent/AU2020290035A1/en active Pending
  • 2020-05-26 KR KR1020227001257A patent/KR20220020935A/ko unknown
• 2021
  • 2021-12-09 IL IL288879A patent/IL288879A/en unknown

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