Csiro's advanced power generation technology using solar thermal - Fossil energy hybrid systems

CSIRO has completed the construction and commissioning of a demonstration facility integrating solar thermal energy and fossil fuels for advanced power generation and other applications with substantially reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Solar energy via a 107 m(2) twin-axis tracking paraboloidal solar concentrating dish is used to reform 36 kW (LHV) of natural gas with steam to generate a mixture Of CO2 and H-2 in tubular reformer housed inside a 200x200mm cavity receiver. The facility includes further gas processing steps such as low-temperature-water-gas shift reaction to convert CO, recovery Of CO2 in physical and chemical absorption processes and methanation to finally reduce CO in the product H-2 to the ppm levels for use in a PEM fuel cell. All components of the facility - from solar concentrating dish to methanator - performed better than expected achieving 136% of design natural gas feed. In this paper, experiences gained in the operation of the facility and results of solar steam reforming of natural gas in a MUlti Straight Tube Reformer (MUSTR) and in a Single COiled Reformer TubE (SCORE) at 850degreesC and 0.5 to 2AMpa with downstream processing of reformer gas producing PEM fuel cell H-2 gas are presented.