Solar Decomposition of Cadmium Oxide for Hydrogen Production. Final Subcontract Report

摘要

The reactor developed for this study performed satisfactorily in establishing the feasibility of cadmium oxide decomposition under the realistic conditions of the solar-furnace environment. The solar-furnace environment is very appropriate for the evaluation of design concepts. However, the solar furnace probably cannot give precise rate data. The flux is too nonuniform, so temperatures of reactant and corresponding reaction rates are also nonuniform. One of the most important results of this project was the recovery of samples from the quench heat exchanger that contained a surprisingly large amount of metallic cadmium. The fact that the sample taken from the quench heat exchanger was metallic in appearance and contained between 67% and 84% metallic cadmium would tend to indicate recombination of cadmium vapor and oxygen can be effectively prevented by the quenching operation. It would also tend to confirm recent studies that show cadmium oxide does not sublime appreciably. Determination of the decomposition rate of cadmium oxide was severely limited by fluctuating and nonuniform reactant temperatures and baseline drift in the oxygen sensor. However, the estimated rate based on a single run seemed to follow a typical solid decomposition rate pattern with an initial acceleratory period, followed by a longer deceleratory period. From a preliminary flowsheet analysis of the cadmium-cadmium oxide cycle, it was determined that at a cadmium oxide decomposition temperature of 1400 exp 0 C and a requirement of 0.2 V in the electrolyzer the efficiency was 41%, assuming total quenching of the cadmium oxide decomposition products. This efficiency could increase to a maximum of 59% if total recovery of the latent heats of vaporization and fusion of the decomposition products is possible.