REGENLOOP Laboratory-Scale Redox Reactor

Producing CO from captured CO₂ can be achieved using redox reactors in which ceria-based oxides reduce CO₂ after being reduced by H₂. This process is the basis of the DOE-funded REGENLOOP project led by the National Laboratory of the Rockies to support the production of synthetic fuels and chemicals.

The cyclic chemical-looping process separates the overall reaction into two steps, allowing the reactor to produce pure CO without the dilution associated with equilibrium in conventional catalytic reactors. The CO₂ reduction step is strongly exothermic, while reduction of the oxide by H₂ is highly endothermic. The central thermal challenge is capturing the energy released during one step and returning it during the other.

This study supports REGENLOOP by developing and testing a laboratory-scale redox reactor with an external fluidized bed of inert particles for thermal-energy capture and release. The system integrates reactor hardware, gas delivery, instrumentation, and LabVIEW-based controls for automated cyclic operation.

Work focused on reactor assembly, instrumentation integration, and development of the control system required for experimental testing. Future reactor and fluidized-bed testing will provide a basis for scale-up at the National Laboratory of the Rockies.