Donna Jean Kelley

US Patent:

20100242352, Sep 30, 2010

Filed:

Jun 8, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/795989

Inventors:

Christopher Perkins - Boulder CO, US
Courtland Hilton - Broomfield CO, US
Steven Strand - Midland MI, US
Donna Kelley - Louisville CO, US
Wayne Simmons - Dublin OH, US
Andrew Minden - Boulder CO, US
Joseph Hilton - Provo UT, US
Zoran Jovanovic - Louisville CO, US

Assignee:

SUNDROP FUELS, INC. - Louisville CO

International Classification:

C10L 1/02
B01J 19/12

US Classification:

44639, 4221863, 422108

Abstract:

A method, apparatus, and system for a solar-driven chemical reactor are disclosed, including a solar thermal receiver aligned to absorb concentrated solar energy. Some embodiments include a solar driven chemical reactor that has multiple reactor tubes. Some embodiments include one of 1) one or more apertures open to an atmosphere of the Earth or 2) one or more windows, to pass the concentrated solar energy into the solar thermal receiver. This energy impinges on the multiple reactor tubes and cavity walls of the receiver and transfer energy by solar radiation absorption and heat radiation, convection, and conduction. In this way, the energy causes reacting particles to drive the endothermic chemical reaction flowing in the reactor tubes. The design of the multiple reactor tubes and solar thermal receiver can be adapted per a solar flux profile to take advantage of variations in the concentrations of solar flux in the profile.

US Patent:

20100242354, Sep 30, 2010

Filed:

Jun 8, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/796471

Inventors:

Christopher Perkins - Boulder CO, US
Zoran Jovanovic - Louisville CO, US
Courtland Hilton - Broomfield CO, US
Brittany Lancaster - Boulder CO, US
Andrew Minden - Boulder CO, US
Richard Ridley - Loveland CO, US
Donna Kelley - Louisville CO, US

Assignee:

SUNDROP FUELS, INC. - Louisville CO

International Classification:

C10L 1/00
G05D 7/00
C07C 1/02

US Classification:

44639, 422105, 422110, 252373

Abstract:

A method, apparatus, and system for a solar-driven chemical plant that manages variations in solar energy are disclosed. Some embodiments include a solar thermal receiver to absorb concentrated solar energy, a solar driven chemical reactor contained within the solar thermal receiver, and an entrained gas biomass feed system that uses an entrainment carrier gas and supplies a variety of biomass sources fed as particles into the solar driven chemical reactor. Inner walls of the solar thermal receiver and the chemical reactor can be made from materials selected to transfer energy. Some embodiments include a control system that may be configured to balance the gasification reaction of biomass particles with the available concentrated solar energy and additional variable parameters including, but not limited to, a fixed range of particle sizes, temperature of the chemical reactor, and residence time of the particles in a reaction zone in the chemical reactor.

US Patent:

20100247387, Sep 30, 2010

Filed:

Jun 8, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/795910

Inventors:

Christopher Perkins - Boulder CO, US
Zoran Jovanovic - Louisville CO, US
Steven Strand - Midland MI, US
Donna Kelley - Louisville CO, US
Andrew Minden - Boulder CO, US
Richard Ridley - Loveland CO, US

Assignee:

SUNDROP FUELS, INC. - Louisville CO

International Classification:

G05D 7/00
B01J 8/04

US Classification:

422110, 422197

Abstract:

A method, apparatus, and system for solar-driven chemical plant may include a solar thermal receiver to absorb concentrated solar energy from an array of heliostats. Additionally, some embodiments may include a solar driven chemical reactor that has multiple reactor tubes. The concentrated solar energy drives the endothermic gasification reaction of the particles of biomass flowing through the reactor tubes. Some embodiments may also include an on-site fuel synthesis reactor that is geographically located on the same site as the chemical reactor and integrated to receive the hydrogen and carbon monoxide products from the gasification reaction.

US Patent:

20100303692, Dec 2, 2010

Filed:

Jun 8, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/795947

Inventors:

Christopher Perkins - Boulder CO, US
Zoran Jovanovic - Louisville CO, US
Steven Strand - Midland MI, US
Courtland Hilton - Broomfield CO, US
Donna Kelley - Louisville CO, US

Assignee:

SUNDROP FUELS, INC. - Louisville CO

International Classification:

B01J 19/00
F24J 2/02

US Classification:

422639, 422659, 126681

Abstract:

A method, apparatus, and system for a solar-driven chemical plant are disclosed. Some embodiments may include a solar thermal receiver to absorb concentrated solar energy from an array of heliostats and a solar-driven chemical reactor. This chemical reactor may have multiple reactor tubes, in which particles of biomass may be gasified in the presence of a carrier gas in a gasification reaction to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide products. High heat transfer rates of the walls and tubes may allow the particles of biomass to achieve a high enough temperature necessary for substantial tar destruction and complete gasification of greater than 90 percent of the biomass particles into reaction products including hydrogen and carbon monoxide gas in a very short residence time between a range of 0.01 and 5 seconds.