Principle of light electrochemical hydrogen production Similar to solar photovoltaic power generation technology, the photoelectric chemical energy produced by photovoltaic semiconductor materials is used to decompose water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen directly, which is an ideal way to store solar energy in chemical fuels.
In 1971, Fujishima and Honda obtained hydrogen by using titanium dioxide electric aurora to help electrolysis water, and began a practical study on the electrochemical hydrogen production of light. The typical optical electrochemical decomposition solar cell is composed of a light anode and a cathode. Light anode is usually light semiconductor material, by light excitation can produce electron hole pair, light anode and the electrode (cathode) composed of photoelectric chemical pool, in the presence of electrolyte in the light anode after absorption in the semiconductor belt generated by the electron flow through the external circuit to the cathode, the hydrogen ions in the water from the cathode receive electrons to produce hydrogen. Semiconductor optical anode is the most important factor affecting the efficiency of hydrogen production. The semiconductor light absorption limit should be moved as far as possible to the visible light, reducing the recombination between the light carriers and increasing the life of carriers. The most research of the light anode material is TiO2.
TiO2 as a light anode, light corrosion resistance, good chemical stability.
The Pecsys project is jointly carried out by the three EU The English name of the Pecsys project is technologydemonstration of large-scale photo-electrochemical system for solar hydrogenproduction. The project was carried out by a German research center focusing on the research of complex materials and energy transformation, the Berlin Helmholtz Materials and Energy Research Center (HZB) on January 1, 2017. The project is funded by the EU Research Center's ' Outlook 2020 ' program, which invests € 2.5 million.
In addition to the HZB Research Center, the Jülich Research Center in Germany, the University of Uppsala in Sweden, the Swedish Solibro Research AB Study Center, and the Italian Consiglio Nazionale delle Richere and 3SUN two research centers.
Target: 6 months and 6% efficiency In recent years, the technical research of photovoltaic chemical hydrogen production in Europe has made great progress, but unlike photovoltaic technology, photovoltaic hydrogen generation has not been able to put technology into large-scale manufacturing, the current market price of photovoltaic hydrogen is 8 euros per kilogram of hydrogen. The aim of the project is therefore to showcase a running PV-EC system that measures at least 10 square meters, making solar hydrogen production at least 6% efficient and at least 5 euros per kilogram of hydrogen produced at a minimum of g/h.
The system is expected to operate continuously under outdoor conditions, with a loss of less than 10% compared to the initial efficiency after six months.
Integrated devices The development of the equipment was completed by the photovoltaic film and Nanotechnology Team (Pvcomb), a major research team at the HZB Research Center. In the course of development, we will test photovoltaic cells based on different materials (such as silicon and sulfur compounds), series batteries based on metal halide perovskite and electric catalysts and membranes, and develop seals and protective layers, aiming to amplify the experimental scale of 25CM2 equipment and eventually develop integrated equipment that can operate stably in extreme environmental conditions.
During the mid-term phase, the project team will gross position a 10-square-metre system installed in the German Jülich and 3SUN Italy.
The project is expected to make a strong difference in the technical and economic benefits of the system for the public and manufacturing companies, making photovoltaic chemical hydrogen technology a good alternative to conventional fuel supply and improving the competitiveness of European photovoltaic and electrolyzer manufacturers, and will be a breakthrough upgrade for the development of photovoltaic chemical hydrogen technology worldwide. In addition to the Pecsys project, there are many scientific research projects in Europe and America, such as the NREL laboratory in the United States, which has made progress in reducing the cost of molecular catalysts.
It is believed that the technology will be commercialized soon. At present, China's first wind power hydrogen production industry application project hydrogen production station has begun construction, which for China's large-scale wind-up problem will be an effective solution.
Although the current photoelectric chemical hydrogen production project can not be built in China, but I believe in the rapid development of technology, large-scale production will soon be realized, the photovoltaic industry will also usher in a vigorous development. The latest technology of photoelectric hydrogen production! The cost of photovoltaic hydrogen production in the EU should be slashed
