Radiative heat transfer in solar thermochemical particle reactor: A comprehensive review

Thermochemical reactions involved in endothermic reactions can make use of concentrated solar irradiation as the energy source for high-temperature processed heat. Over the past few decades, tremendous progress has been made in the development of solar thermochemical reactors. The maximum temperature in a solar thermochemical reactor can reach 1500 K or higher, and heat is transferred to the particles in the reactor predominantly by radiative heat transfer. The present work provides a comprehensive review of radiative heat transfer in particle solar thermochemical reactors. The review first covers the commonly used catalysts in solar thermochemical reactions, types of solar thermochemical reactors, and the theory of radiative transfer. Further, recent developments in obtaining the spectral radiative properties of particles, the progress of radiative heat transfer research, and radiative heat transfer coupled with solar thermochemical reactions are reported. Finally, further developments and future prospects for obtaining the spectral radiative properties of high-temperature particles and radiative heat transfer in solar thermochemical reactor are outlined.