Green Hydrogen Production Boosts by Solar Device : Hits 20% Efficiency
Here’s an article posted in solarpaces that talks about the efficiency achieved by solar reactors.
According to the article,
- New solar-radiation-concentrating device achieves over 20% efficiency in hydrogen production.
- Generates green hydrogen at a rate of more than 2 kilowatts..
- Produces usable heat at 70°C.
- Potential applications: hospitals, electric vehicles, residential heating.
- Builds on previous research from 2019.
Additional Details about the post:
The solar-radiation-concentrating device developed by the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland is a groundbreaking innovation that combines photovoltaic and electrolysis components to efficiently produce green hydrogen, oxygen, and usable heat. Let’s break down the process:
- Parabolic Dish: The system consists of a parabolic dish with a diameter of seven meters, providing a collection area of 38.5 square meters. This dish collects sunlight and concentrates it by a factor of about 1000 onto a focal point.
- Photovoltaic and Electrolysis Components: At the focal point of the parabolic dish, there is a reactor that integrates both photovoltaic and electrolysis components. When sunlight is concentrated on this reactor, it generates electron-hole pairs in the photovoltaic material.
- Energy Conversion: The generated electron-hole pairs are separated and transported to the integrated electrolysis system. Here, the energy is utilized to split water molecules (H2O) into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2). The optimal rate of water pumping through the system ensures efficient hydrogen production.
- Hydrogen Production: The system achieves a solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of over 20%, which is unprecedented in large-scale devices. It produces green hydrogen at a rate of more than 2 kilowatts, equivalent to around 0.5 kilograms of hydrogen per day. This level of hydrogen production is significant for industrial and commercial applications.
- Heat Production: In addition to hydrogen and oxygen, the system also generates usable heat at a temperature of 70°C. This heat can be utilized for various purposes, such as residential water heating or industrial processes.
- Versatility and Applications: The versatility of the system makes it suitable for a wide range of applications. It can be used in industrial processes like metal processing and fertilizer manufacturing, as well as in hospitals to produce oxygen. Moreover, the produced hydrogen can be used in fuel cells for electric vehicles or converted back to electricity after storage.
- Scaling Up: The EPFL team is actively scaling up the system, deploying individual reactors in a modular fashion. A spin-off company, SoHHytec SA, is working on commercializing the technology and building demonstration plants on a multi-100-kilowatt scale.
- Future Directions: The team is exploring the potential to develop similar systems for converting CO2 into valuable products such as carbon monoxide (CO) or ethylene, along with oxygen. This could lead to the valorization of CO2 and the production of precursors for various industrial processes, including green plastic production and liquid fuel production.
Interestingly, we have some other posts related to this content:
- Hydrogen-Producing Rooftop Solar Panels: The Future of Clean Energy
- Researchers at KU Leuven have developed hydrogen-producing rooftop solar panels nearing commercialization. These panels are compatible with common PV structures and utilize non-precious materials to keep costs low, indicating readiness for industrial production.
- Solar-Powered Hydrogen Generation from Seawater: by IIT Madras
- IIT Madras researchers have developed a solar-powered system to generate hydrogen from seawater, producing 100 liters per day, enough to power a small car for 100 km, using solar energy, seawater, and a catalyst.
