Scale-up analysis of three-phase oxygen reactor in the Cu-Cl thermochemical cycle of hydrogen production

The copper-chlorine cycle is one of the most promising thermochemical cycles to produce hydrogen. In this cycle, water releases oxygen from the thermolysis of an intermediate compound. The thermolysis process is a three-phase system involving molten salt, solid reactant and gaseous oxygen. This paper examines the scale-up feasibility of the chemical reactor from the perspectives of the optimum size and number of oxygen reactors for different oxygen and hydrogen production rates. It specifically analyzes the factors contributing to the oxygen reactor size. It is shown that the reactor size is significantly influenced by residence times, mass and heat transfer.