SOLHYCARB

WIS Report about sensors and the complete equipment to monitor the SR10 reactor Workpackage 4: Deliverable D4.1: On-line monitoring and products separation Report about sensors and on-line monitoring for the reactor prototypes

1. Introduction Prototype solar reactor SR10 is equipped with sensors for measurement of gas flowrates, gas and solid surface temperatures, pressures and gas composition. The various instruments were chosen to enable measurement of each parameter with sufficient precision to enable a satisfactory analysis of the obtained experimental results. The 3 attached Figures show a schematic layout of components of the WIS prototype reactor SR10, an axial cross section of SR10 reaction chamber and a schematic representation of the fluidizer used for delivery of a stream of CB powder in a gas suspension (CB-N2), respectively. 2. Measurement of flowrates Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, there are up to 5 streams of gas entering the reaction chamber during a STMS experiment: Range of flowrate [L/M] The main stream: Methane One or two tertiary streams A CB seeding stream 5 F1 18 0 F3,1 2 0 F3,2 2 0 Fs 2 A secondary stream: Helium, Argon or Nitrogen 0 F2 3

The following instruments are utilized to measure F1, F2, F3,1, F3,2, and Fs flowrates: Range [L/M] F1 F2 Mass flow sensor McMillan Model 50 Mass flow sensor Tylan Model FM 380 0-50 0-5 0-5 0-5 0-10 0-10

F3,1 Mass flow sensor Tylan Model FM 380 F3,2 Dwyer rotameter Mf Mr Mass flow sensor Sierra Mass flow sensor Sierra

The stream Fs of CB-N2 suspension to the reactor (Fig. 3) is generated by fluidizing CB powder deposited in the fluidizer by the fluidizing stream Ff. Most of the fluidized CB suspension is discharged from the fluidizer through a choked nozzle N by a vacuum pump. The balance stream Fs = Ff - Fr flows to the reactor. The value of Fs is controlled manually by needle valve V. In addition to the above mentioned streams, there are a number of auxiliary streams that do not flow into the reaction chamber: 1. A stream of air in the range 0-150 L/M is flown to an annular distribution manifold, to generate 3 jets directed to the external surface of the quartz window, to lower its temperature. This stream is measured by a Dwyer rotameter, controlled manually. 2. An air stream in the range 0-50 L/M is controlled manually by a Dwyer rotameter. It serves to cool the lens of an Infratherm pyrometer (Fig. 2). 3. During the starting operation of a STMS test, a stream of inert gas (N2) F1' is flown into the reaction chamber instead of the methane stream F1 for a few minutes in order to bring up the reaction chamber walls to the "steady state" test temperature. During this short period, the stream of methane is regulated to the planned value. This methane stream is discharged to the atmosphere bypassing the reaction chamber. A 3entry by 2-exit valve is used in order to change the CH4 and N2 flow directions at the end of the starting period, the CH4 stream being directed to the reaction chamber and the N2 stream being directed to the atmosphere. 4. A similar arrangement is applied to the fluidizer during a short starting period. The seeding stream Fs is initially dumped to the atmosphere until planned value of Fs is reached. Then the stream Fs is redirected to the reaction chamber. 5. Finally, there are streams of water used to cool the plane deflector, the two flanges that fasten the window in its position and the structure of the Infratherm pyrometer. These flows are measured by F&P flowmeters of the rotameter type.

3. Measurement of pressures The pressure difference P between the inside of the reaction chamber and the outside atmosphere is measured by a colored water U-tube manometer. When P increases beyond a preset value, a laser beam sensor activates an alarm and the test is discontinued by closing the shutter and by discontinuing the flow of CH4 to the reaction chamber. Referring to Fig. 3, in order to maintain choked flow through nozzle N, the condition P2

1 P1 2 P2 is a Rosemount pressure

must be fulfilled. P0 and P1 are regular Bourdon gages. transducer calibrated for the range 0-1 ata.

The pressure difference between the fluidizer and the reaction chamber must fulfill the condition P0 Pat > 0 in order to prevent reversal of flow through the capillary, from the reactor to the fluidizer. For this purpose we use again a colored water U-tube manometer as a clear and obvious indicator.
4. Temperature measurements

The temperatures at predetermined positions inside the reaction chamber or in the insulated wall are determined by B-type thermocouples. The temperatures of cooling water and of cooling gas are measured by T-type thermocouples. The temperature of the external surface of the quartz window is measured by an Infratherm pyrometer, Type IN 5/5 plus, range 100 T 1300C. Gas composition is measured by a Varian CP 3900 with a single analytical column for H2 and Hydrocarbon gases. A 20 channel HYDRA 2625A Data Logger is used for registration of all the electrical sensors.

References

[1] Kogan A., Kogan M. and Barak, S. Production of hydrogen and carbon by solar thermal methane splitting. III. Fluidization, entrainment and seeding powder particles into a Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 30 (2005): 35-43. volumetric solar receiver.

Figure 1. Schematic layout of components of the WIS prototype reactor SR10

Figure 2. Axial cross section of SR10 reaction chamber

Figure 3. Schematic representation of fifth fluidizer [1]