Solid-gas reactors driven by concentrated solar energy with potential application to calcium looping: A comparative review

The calcium looping process, based on the reversible calcination-carbonation reaction cycle of CaCO3-CaO, is an emerging and promising technology for thermochemical energy storage in concentrating solar power plants. In this process, concentrated solar energy is used to carry out the endothermic solar-driven calcination of CaCO3 with formation of CaO and CO2 as products in a solid-gas reactor. In this review, a number of experimental studies of solid-gas reactors driven by concentrated solar energy are discussed, with a particular focus on solar reactors for calcination of CaCO3 or with that potential application. The solid-gas reactors for solar-driven calcination of CaCO3 reported in the literature achieved a total efficiency of 16.6%-88% for a mass flow rate up to 25 kg h(-1) and a power up to 55 kW. Also, a detailed comparison of the different types of solid-gas reactors driven by concentrated solar energy is provided by outlining their advantages and disadvantages according to several relevant criteria. This review is intended to be a valuable tool for the selection of a reactor configuration for future studies related to solar-driven calcination of CaCO3.

Automated summary

This review discusses experimental studies on solar-driven solid-gas reactors for the calcination of CaCO3 and provides a detailed comparison of various types of reactors driven by concentrated solar energy. It aims to serve as a valuable tool for selecting reactor configurations for future research on solar-driven calcination of CaCO3.