Water + sun = hydrogen! Prototype of the world's first double-layer solar hydrogen production system announced

Water + sun = hydrogen! Prototype of the world's first double-layer solar hydrogen production system announced

Researchers at the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion for short) have developed a prototype system that can efficiently and safely produce hydrogen using only solar energy. This is the world ’s first use of solar energy at two different levels. A system in which water is broken down into hydrogen and oxygen.

The research was published in the Joule magazine and was co-led by Avigail Landman, a PhD student at the Grand Technion Energy Program, and Rawan Halabi, a graduate student at the School of Materials Science and Engineering. The research was conducted under the joint guidance of Professor Gideon Grader of the School of Chemical Engineering, Professor Avner Rothschild of the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Professor Adelio Mendes of the University of Porto, Portugal, and Dr. Paula Dias.

This innovative system includes a tandem solar cell device, making it more efficient use of the spectrum. Some solar radiation is absorbed by the upper layer, which is composed of translucent iron oxide. Radiation that is not absorbed by this layer passes through it and is subsequently absorbed by the photovoltaic cell. Together, the two-layer system provides the energy needed to split the water.

From theory to application

The innovative system is a continuation of the theoretical breakthrough proposed by the Technion research team in an article published in the journal Natural Materials in March 2017. In that article, the researchers introduced a typical transformation of hydrogen production: no longer a production unit, water is broken down into hydrogen and oxygen, and the researchers developed a system in which hydrogen and oxygen are in two completely different units form. This progress is important in part because the mixture of oxygen and hydrogen poses a risk of explosion. The researchers demonstrated the feasibility of using traditional power supplies in laboratory systems.

Now, in the latest research published in Joule, the researchers demonstrated the realization of the theory in application development-a photoelectrochemical prototype system that uses sunlight to produce hydrogen and oxygen in two separate battery cells. As part of the experiment, about 80 working hours (10 days, about 8 hours per day) were performed, demonstrating the efficiency of the system under natural light.

background

In many areas of our lives, hydrogen is a very popular material. Most of the hydrogen produced today is used to make ammonia, which is used to produce fertilizers that are essential for modern agriculture. In addition, hydrogen is one of the main alternative fuel sources, especially in transportation. In terms of transportation, hydrogen has the following advantages over fossil fuels:

It can be generated from water using solar energy and other green energy, thereby reducing dependence on fossil fuels; hydrogen can store renewable energy, such as solar energy and wind energy, which are not available all day; unlike diesel and gasoline engines that emit large amounts of air pollution The only byproduct of hydrogen engines is water.

Today, most of the world's hydrogen is produced from natural gas. However, along with this process comes the emission of carbon dioxide, whose damage to the environment is well known. Another production method is to electrolyze water (H2O) to obtain hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2). Although the electrolysis process was discovered more than 200 years ago, no breakthrough electrolysis technology has yet been developed. In recent years, with the increasing importance of the transition to alternative energy sources, improvements in electrolysis processes are becoming increasingly important.

Under this background, the photoelectrochemical process has been developed, which uses sunlight radiation to directly decompose water. Nevertheless, there are various technical challenges. For example, the production of hydrogen using traditional electrolysis methods—the decomposition of water into hydrogen and oxygen in the same production unit—has risks because the contact between hydrogen and oxygen can cause an explosion. In addition, in the large-scale solar field, it is difficult to generate hydrogen in this configuration. Therefore, "Joule" introduces the importance of current technological breakthroughs.

The researchers hope that the academia and industry can continue to advance this system and eventually realize its commercialization.

This research was supported by Nancy and Stephen Grand Signan Energy Project (GTEP), with funding from US donor Ed Sutter, Adliss Foundation, Department of Energy, and European Commission Two grants) and the National Science Foundation Pat Center of Excellence.

(Original source: Technion China New Energy Network Comprehensive)

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