Solar-Driven membrane reactors with wide temperature range for chemical looping dry reforming of Methane: Concept validation and one-dimensional analysis

•One dimensional model incorporating diffusion, transport and reaction was developed.•Theoretical efficiency of the membrane reactor system can reach 78%.•The membrane reactor maintains high efficiency over a wide temperature range.•Heat recovery and RCH4/CO2 are vital for efficiency and conversion rate. Solar thermochemical fuel conversion technology offers a significant potential to mitigate the challenges of intermittency and variability inherent in solar energy utilization. Traditional two-step methane chemical looping processes for fuel production are often hampered by complex apparatus requirements, operational intermittency, and persistent temperature variations, contributing to energy loss. In contrast, the chemical looping dry reforming of methane (CL-DRM) membrane reactor technology, as developed in this study, facilitates continuous fuel synthesis under isothermal conditions. Through the construction and analysis of a one-dimensional + one-dimensional model for a single channel of this innovative reactor, the impact of structural and operational parameters on the reactor performance is elucidated. This model enables a swift prediction of the membrane reactor’s operational efficacy. The results indicate that the reactor sustains a high energy conversion efficiency across a broad temperature spectrum, thereby enhancing its adaptability to the dynamic conditions of solar energy input. Notably, temperature and feed ratio (RCH4/CO2) are pivotal determinants of the conversion rate and the concentration of products. At a temperature of 1000 °C, with an optimal RCH4/CO2 ratio of 1, the efficiency is projected to attain 78 %, considering heat dissipation and thermal recovery mechanisms. These results underscore the promise of the solar-driven CL-DRM membrane reactor as a viable and efficient method for solar fuel production. This study provides a new perspective on the design of continuous solar fuel conversion reactors.