HIGH-TEMPERATURE CATALYSIS DRIVEN BY THE DIRECT ACTION OF CONCENTRATED LIGHT OR A HIGH-DENSITY ELECTRON-BEAM

Steam reforming of methane has been studied under direct illumination of a catalyst by concentrated light in an energy receiver/catalytic re actor unit with a light transparent wall. In such a reactor, the energ etic efficiency eta of the light-to-chemical energy conversion is abou t 50-75%, both the specific rate r of hydrogen production and the spec ific power loading w are extremely high, reaching 40 N cm(3)/s per 1 c m(3) of the catalyst and 90-100 W/cm(3), respectively. Dependencies of r and w upon the incident power density and the methane conversion ha ve been investigated. The data obtained are compared with those for no ntransparent (steel) reactors as well as for reactors irradiated by hi gh-power electron beam. Mechanism of the reaction rate enhancement as well as the influence of the reaction, catalyst and radiation nature o n peculiarities of radiation-to-chemical energy conversion are discuss ed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.