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Directory:Solar Hydrogen

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Sunday, September 28, 2008

Description: 
Index of technologies that use solar power to produce Hydrogen gas.
"The raw materials -- water and sunlight -- are free. The only waste, oxygen, is nonpolluting." (Wired; Sept. 2, 2004)


OBJECTIVE: 
Present a prioritized listing of the best resources and most promising up-coming technologies that deal with solar hydrogen. With input from knowledgeable people worldwide, this page can become the most reliable and helpful place to find information about solar hydrogen.

See also Directory:Solar:Photosynthesis Imitation

Contents

Overview

Technologies / Teams

  • Water + Sunlight = Solar Hydrogen - Scientists are developing a cheap, viable photoelectrolytic technology that would split water into hydrogen and oxygen using sunlight. Using thin films of titanium iron oxide nanotube arrays, they reported a photoconversion rate of 1.5%, and are now optimizing to obtain closer to the theoretical maximum around 12.9%. (TreeHugger; Aug. 17, 2007)

Solar Hydrogen Energy Corporation (SHEC)

  • Directory:Solar Hydrogen Energy Corporation (SHEC) Labs (separate page) - has developed a process that will convert landfill and other waste methane into clean hydrogen, using the power of the Sun for the reformation, at a price comparable to traditional hydrogen production methods.


Nocera Catalytic Electrolysis

  • Electrolysis Breakthrough Makes Solar Storage Affordable - MIT researchers have combined a liquid catalyst with photovoltaic cells to achieve nearly a 100% efficient electrolysis in a simple set-up, which could make solar energy more affordable and practical -- excess capacity during the day could be stored as hydrogen and oxygen, then used in fuel cells at night when needed. (PESWiki; Aug. 1, 2008)

Nanoptek

  • Cheap Hydrogen from Solar Energy - Nanoptek, a startup based in Maynard, MA, has developed a new way to make hydrogen from water using solar energy. The company says that its process is cheap enough to compete with the cheapest approaches used now, which strip hydrogen from natural gas, and it has the further advantage of releasing no carbon dioxide. (MIT Technology Review; Jan. 31, 2008)

Hydrogen Solar Ltd.

"Hydrogen Solar is building a portfolio of hydrogen technologies and Intellectual Property aimed at the new hydrogen economy, which many believe will evolve alongside the oil economy and eventually overtake it. Currently, the prime technology is the Tandem Cell™, which converts light and water directly into hydrogen fuel, and for which Hydrogen Solar owns the world-wide exclusive rights. We also own rights to biological processes for generating hydrogen, and are actively seeking to acquire compatible technologies in hydrogen generation and storage."

In the News

Altair Nanotechnologies

Two-pronged approach entails the development of a cell for direct hydrogen production from sunlight and water, along with related vehicle refilling stations.

  • Grant Funds Development of Solar Hydrogen Generation Cells - The US Department of Energy has awarded a 2.5 million dollar grant to fund the development of solar hydrogen generation cells. The phase III award is given jointly to Altair Nanotechnologies and the University of Nevada Las Vegas Research Foundation. (Renewable Energy Access; Nov. 2005)

Algae as a Hydrogen Factory using Photosynthesis

  • Mutant Algae Is Hydrogen Factory - Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley have engineered a strain of pond scum that could, with further refinements, produce vast amounts of hydrogen through photosynthesis. The breakthrough also could have application in a wide range of products, from biodiesel to cosmetics.

Weizmann Institute of Science

Asymmetric Parabolic Mirrors on a Filament of Platinum

  • Asymmetric Parabolic Mirrors on a Filament of Platinum - System that converts solar radiation into hydrogen utilizing ASYMETRIC PARABOLIC MIRRORS to create energy gradients that set up an energy flow on a platinum wire. This creates hydrogen from the water. Similar to SHEC labs, but possibly much cheaper and easier to build.

Hydrogen Solar Ltd

  • Hydrogen Solar Ltd Hydrogen Solar is building a portfolio of hydrogen technologies and Intellectual Property aimed at the new hydrogen economy, which many believe will evolve alongside the oil economy and eventually overtake it. Currently, the prime technology is the Tandem Cell™, which converts light and water directly into hydrogen fuel, and for which Hydrogen Solar owns the world-wide exclusive rights. We also own rights to biological processes for generating hydrogen, and are actively seeking to acquire compatible technologies in hydrogen generation and storage.

In the News

Uppsala University

  • Artificial photosynthesis for future energy production - Some algae produce hydrogen from water with the help of solar energy. EU has allocated 1.8 million to a new network to be led by Uppsala University to seek a usable imitation that would not harm the environment. (PhysOrg; Feb. 21, 2005)

Brewer Light to Energy Research Projects

Light absorbing molecule by Brewer
Light absorbing molecule by Brewer
Supramolecular complexes created by Karen Brewer of Virginia Tech can convert solar energy into a fuel, such as hydrogen gas in a process has been called artificial photosynthesis.
  • Chemical Compound Turns Water to Hydrogen Gas- Supramolecular complexes created by Karen Brewer of Virginia Tech can convert solar energy into a fuel, such as hydrogen gas in a process has been called artificial photosynthesis.

Contact: kbrewer@vt.ed*u

University of New South Wales

UNSW
UNSW
Special titanium oxide ceramics harvest sunlight and split water to produce hydrogen fuel. Researchers at UNSW anticipate an energy-harvesting device with no moving parts within 7 years.

Contact: (remove "*")
- Januez Nowotny: nowotny@unsw.edu.a*u
- Chris Sorrell: c.sorrell@unsw.edu.a*u

University of Tokyo

American Computer Scientists Association

  • Solar-Hydrogen Maglev Rail System Conceived - Interstate maglev rail system would include solar panels along the tracks, which would generate hydrogen to run the transport vehicles, which would travel at 250 mph, carrying cars and people between metropolitan areas. 3x excess energy anticipated. (PESN; May 27, 2005)

'Enki'

  • Photocatalyst boost - Researcher shares his reasons why he thinks it will be possible to obtaining hydrogen from water using a non-solar light source within a cell. (enki's tblog; Oct. 2, 2004)

Kim Blake

Misc.

  • Molecule Harvests Water's Hydrogen- Researchers have developed a large molecule that can use sunlight energy to extract hydrogen from water, and then use that to move electrons more efficiently. (MIT Technology Review; Dec. 6, 2004)
  • Solar Hydrogen Photocatalyst - Nanoptek’s Solar Hydrogen Generator (SHG) produces hydrogen directly from water using only sunlight and a titania photocatalyst in a process known as photoelectrochemical (PEC) water dissociation, or photolysis. The manufacturing process is scalable, low cost, and requires less energy than other processes. (Green Car Congress; Jan. 16, 2008)
  • Splitting Water with Sunlight - Researchers from the German Max Planck Institute have developed a catalyst that utilizes light to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. It also stores the gases which can later be released separately. (PhysOrg; Sept. 25, 2007)
  • Solar Water Cracker - Clean Hydrogen Producers' system concentrates sunlight to heat a furnace to the point where it splits water into hydrogen and oxygen, which can be used to generate electricity. It combines the cost efficiency of wind farms with the advantage of being both predictable and adjustable thanks to hydrogen storage. (Green Car Congress; Aug. 17, 2007)
  • Global Photonic - GPEC is seeking to mimic the natural photosynthetic process whereby the chlorophyll in green plants is able to capture light energy (photons) and immediately convert that energy into a usable form for green plants. GPEC's hydrogen fuel production technology is based on this phenomenon, whereby photonic energy is captured and efficiently converted to electrical energy. The electrical energy is used to drive down stream reactions that will efficiently split water into hydrogen and oxygen. GPEC calls this technology "Chemophyll™"
  • Solar Hydrogen Truck - Arizona high school project believed to be first ever solar-hydrogen truck in the world. The $10,000 prototype is not yet practical for continuous running, but proves a concept. (Arizona Republic; Oct. 1, 2004)
  • SolarHydrogenSystems.com - Canadian group sells fuel cells with input energy from solar PV cells.
  • Honda FCX Fuel Cell Car Powered by the Sun - Hydrogen produced from a 700 square foot solar array at a custom filling station is capable of supporting 200 miles per week -- the national average. Range 170 miles. Prototypes: $2 mil each. (LA Times; Aug. 29, 2004) [free subscription required to access]

More

If you know of a resource or technology or team that is not included above, feel free to post it here. (Click on the "edit" link to the right of the "more" heading.)

In the News

  • Professor demonstrates new hydrogen fuel system - A University of Nevada research team have created a photoactive hydrogen material with over a billion nanotubes, through an electrochemical process from applied ultrasonic waves. The material has the potential to produce hydrogen from water for as little as $1 per gallon equivalent by harnessing the sun's energy. (PhysOrg; Feb. 23, 2007)
  • Titania Nanotube Arrays Harness Solar Energy - Penn State researchers are finding new ways to harness the power of the sun using highly-ordered arrays of titania nanotubes for hydrogen production and increased solar cell efficiency. “Basically we are talking about taking sunlight and putting water on top of this material, and the sunlight turns the water into hydrogen and oxygen. With the highly-ordered titanium nanotube arrays, under UV illumination you have a photoconversion efficiency of 13.1%. (PhysOrg; January 25, 2006)

Comments

See Discussion page

See also

- Directory
- PESWiki home

GENERAL:
- Directory:Solar - index of resources
- PowerPedia:Solar Energy - Encyclopedic review of history and future
- Videos:Solar
MODALITIES:
- Directory:Concentrated Solar Power
- Directory:Solar:PhotoVoltaics | Directory:Home Generation:Solar PV
- Directory:Home Generation:Solar Heating
- Directory:Thin Film Solar
- Directory:Solar:Photosynthesis Imitation
- Directory:Solar Tower
- Directory:Floating Solar Chimney
- Directory:Space Based Solar Power
- Directory:Solar Sails
INFRASTRUCTURE
- Directory:Plastic Solar Cells
- Directory:Silicon - more efficient uses, alternatives, methods
- Directory:Black Silicon
- Directory:Synchronous Solar Heliostat
- Directory:Solar:Installation and Consultation
- Directory:Solar:Largest
APPLICATIONS:
- Directory:Solar:Chargers
- Directory:Solar:Vehicles
- Directory:Solar Hydrogen
- OS:Solar Ethanol - distiller design
- Directory:Solar Pavement - black-body absorption of the asphalt

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