A pilot plant for chemical looping hydrogen generation using a single-column packed bed and hydrogen generation method. The plant has a feeding system, reaction system, tail gas treatment and analysis system, and auxiliary system. The reaction system has a packed bed reactor, inside which a thermal storage layer, oxygen carrier layer and supporting layer are arranged successively from top to bottom. The feeding system has a delivery pipe, metering pump, mass flow controller and fuel mixer. The tail gas treatment and analysis system has a cooler, gas-liquid separator, mass flow meter, gas analyzer and tail gas pipe. The packed bed reactor is subjected to fuel reduction, purge, steam oxidation, purge, air combustion and purge stages successively under control of the feeding system. The pilot plant enables evaluation for oxygen carriers and identification for technological difficulties and can generate high-purity hydrogen without using complex gas purification devices.

A looping reaction hydrogen production system includes a reduction reaction device, a primary separation device, a hydrogen production reaction device, a secondary separation device, a primary heat transfer device and a cooling purification device. Based on looping combustion reaction mechanism, the system makes MeO/Me circularly flow between the hydrogen production reaction device and the reduction reaction device to respectively generate a reduction/oxidation chemical reaction, and to convert the conventional carbon-based solid fuel into the high-purity clean hydrogen energy. Compared with the conventional hydrogen production technology from water-gas shift reaction of syngas, the system reduces water consumption, energy consumption and environmental pollution of the hydrogen production process; converts conventional carbon-based fuel into clean hydrogen energy by use of renewable energy sources, such as solar energy; and achieves efficient capture and storage of gaseous CO.sub.2.

Systems and methods for generating hydrogen from water consisting of reacting aluminum alloy powders with steam in the presence of an effective amount of promotor are provided. Aluminum powder is premixed with a dry solid-state promotor mixture before being exposed to high-temperature steam. Steam is introduced into a vessel called reactor, where the aluminum powder premixed with optimal ratio of promotors is contacted at pressure and temperature conditions to help the reaction between aluminum powder and water occurs completely, with 100% conversion in less than 15 minutes. Since the reaction occurs at high temperature condition, the heat released from the exothermic reaction between aluminum and steam is a “high-quality” heat, contributing to excess heat separation and making the most of the reaction heat, producing steam.

Systems and methods for generating hydrogen from water consisting of reacting aluminum alloy powders with steam in the presence of an effective amount of promotor are provided. Aluminum powder is premixed with a dry solid-state promotor mixture before being exposed to high-temperature steam. Steam is introduced into a vessel called reactor, where the aluminum powder premixed with optimal ratio of promotors is contacted at pressure and temperature conditions to help the reaction between aluminum powder and water occurs completely, with 100% conversion in less than 15 minutes. Since the reaction occurs at high temperature condition, the heat released from the exothermic reaction between aluminum and steam is a “high-quality” heat, contributing to excess heat separation and making the most of the reaction heat, producing steam.

The invention is directed to a process for the purification of a raw hydrogen gas stream comprising hydrogen gas in an amount of 85-99%, said process comprising the step of contacting said raw hydrogen gas stream with an oxidized bed comprising an oxidized metal resulting in a waste gas stream comprising water and less than 5% hydrogen gas, and in a reduction of said oxidized metal; and a step of contacting a bed comprising a reduced metal with water to produce a purified hydrogen gas stream comprising more than 99% hydrogen gas, preferably comprising 99.97% or more hydrogen gas, and the oxidized metal. In a further aspect, the invention is directed to an apparatus suitable to carry out said process.

Disclosed herein are aluminum oxide aerogels and methods of making and use thereof. The methods of making the aluminum oxide aerogel include contacting a solid comprising aluminum with a Ga-based liquid alloy to dissolve at least a portion of the aluminum from the solid, thereby forming an aluminum-alloy mixture; and contacting the aluminum-alloy mixture with a fluid comprising water, thereby forming the aluminum oxide aerogel. In some examples, the methods can further comprise capturing and converting carbon dioxide to a syngas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

Disclosed herein are aluminum oxide aerogels and methods of making and use thereof. The methods of making the aluminum oxide aerogel include contacting a solid comprising aluminum with a Ga-based liquid alloy to dissolve at least a portion of the aluminum from the solid, thereby forming an aluminum-alloy mixture; and contacting the aluminum-alloy mixture with a fluid comprising water, thereby forming the aluminum oxide aerogel. In some examples, the methods can further comprise capturing and converting carbon dioxide to a syngas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

The present disclosure is directed to the integration of direct air capture of carbon dioxide with thermochemical water splitting, the latter optionally driven by solar energy. The disclosure is also directed to a process comprising extracting carbon dioxide from an air stream by contacting the air-stream with an alkali metal ion-transition metal oxide of empirical formula A.sub.xMO.sub.2 (0.1<x≤1), where A represents the alkali metal ion comprising sodium ion, potassium ion, or a combination thereof and M comprises iron, manganese, or a combination thereof to form a transition metal composition comprising an oxidized ion extracted-transition metal oxide.

A process for generating thermal energy and basic chemicals having the following steps: a) producing aluminum metal by fused-salt electrolysis in a fused-salt electrolysis plant, b) using aluminum metal for the generation of thermal energy and of chemical basic materials selected from the group carbon monoxide or hydrogen, by bringing carbon dioxide and/or water or a mixture containing a compound containing nitrogen and hydrogen and carbon dioxide and/or water into contact with the aluminum metal and converting it in an aluminothermic reaction to aluminum oxide and carbon monoxide and/or hydrogen, c) storage or chemical conversion of the carbon monoxide and/or hydrogen produced thereby, d) storage of the thermal energy generated in the process or conversion into other forms of energy, and e) recycling the aluminum oxide obtained in the process to the fused-salt electrolysis.

The process allows fused-salt electrolysis plants for aluminum production to be operated with regenerative energies of fluctuating output over time without having to shut down these plants. The process also allows energy generation to be coupled with the provision of basic chemicals that can be used in a closed-loop process.

A process for generating thermal energy and basic chemicals having the following steps: a) producing aluminum metal by fused-salt electrolysis in a fused-salt electrolysis plant, b) using aluminum metal for the generation of thermal energy and of chemical basic materials selected from the group carbon monoxide or hydrogen, by bringing carbon dioxide and/or water or a mixture containing a compound containing nitrogen and hydrogen and carbon dioxide and/or water into contact with the aluminum metal and converting it in an aluminothermic reaction to aluminum oxide and carbon monoxide and/or hydrogen, c) storage or chemical conversion of the carbon monoxide and/or hydrogen produced thereby, d) storage of the thermal energy generated in the process or conversion into other forms of energy, and e) recycling the aluminum oxide obtained in the process to the fused-salt electrolysis.

The process allows fused-salt electrolysis plants for aluminum production to be operated with regenerative energies of fluctuating output over time without having to shut down these plants. The process also allows energy generation to be coupled with the provision of basic chemicals that can be used in a closed-loop process.