Hydrogen Production by the Sodium Manganese Ferrite Thermochemical Cycle-Experimental Rate and Modeling

The sodium manganese ferrite thermochemical cycle for hydrogen production by water splitting can successfully operate in a relatively low temperature range (1023-1073 K) and has a high potential for coupling with the solar source using conventional structural materials. With the aim of implementing the cycle in a solar reactor, the hydrogen evolution rate from the reactive mixture measured in laboratory apparatus has been modeled by using a shrinking-core model. Such a model proved to adequately describe the rate of hydrogen production in the studied temperature and water concentration range. The model was extended to predict the behavior of the reactive mixture subjected to different experimental conditions.