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Computational Fluid Dynamics of Co-Production of Zinc and Syngas in a Solar Reactor

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Abstract

In this paper, the production of Zn and H2 in a 4 kW solar reactor has been investigated. Utilization of a renewable energy source increases the importance of this work. The effect of changes in reactor geometry was analyzed, and, with changing different parameters, their effects were investigated. At constant thermal energy rate, with increasing CH4 inlet gas flow rate there is a decrease in reaction chamber temperature and therefore in reactor efficiency. Increasing rotation of reaction chamber causes its temperature to increase, where an increase of 150% in rotation caused a 1% increase in efficiency. With the increase in thermal energy rate, thermal efficiency was increased. Also, with increasing rate of thermal energy, the rate of chemical reaction that produces Zn and H2 increased. The geometry used in the light beams concentrator section causes the occurrence of maximum temperature in the desired point (cylindrical chamber) which increases system efficiency significantly.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Narmak, 16887, Iran

    M. A. Neshat & H. Yaghoubi

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Islamic Azad University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran

    M. Kiani

  3. Department of automotive Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Narmak, 16887, Iran

    S. Hassanzadeh

  4. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

    S. Jeidi

  5. Department of Mechanical Engineering, K.N.Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, 470 Mirdamad, 19697, Iran

    A. Fathi

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  1. M. A. Neshat
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  6. H. Yaghoubi
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Correspondence to M. A. Neshat.

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Neshat, M.A., Kiani, M., Hassanzadeh, S. et al. Computational Fluid Dynamics of Co-Production of Zinc and Syngas in a Solar Reactor. Theor Found Chem Eng 52, 135–145 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0040579518010128

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0040579518010128

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