Calcium Solar Power Generation

Is calcium looping a good option for solar power production?

The capability of calcium looping to efficiently store solar energy fluctuation and feed a power unit with higher energy density makes this option an optimal candidate for the decarbonization of power production.

What factors affect energy storage based on the calcium looping process?

This study uses thermochemical energy storage based on the calcium looping (CaL) process and takes advantage of a number of factors: high energy density (2 GJ/m 3), absence of heat loss (seasonal storage), high operation temperature (high efficiency of the power plant), and use of cheap and environmentally friendly reactant feedstock (CaO/CaCO 3).

How does a solar calciner produce electricity?

The solar energy is collected from the field of heliostats and is reflected by the beam down the central reflector to the solar calciner. The accumulated energy can be (i) used directly to generate electricity and/or (ii) stored through the direct CaL process. In this paper, we have studied only electricity production by the CaL storage system.

How does a solar calciner affect CO2 generation?

When more solid material is travelling though the solar calciner to make up for lower activity, a greater proportion of the solar energy is lost as heat. However this is still small compared to the energy used for the chemical reaction soCO 2 generation remains fairly stable.