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Solar Hydrogen Production |
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Hydrogen is produced
from clean solar thermal energy. Unlike the current industrial
method, which generates hydrogen from methane and produces
significant carbon dioxide greenhouse gas, our technology has not such
emissions. |
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| Parabolic Trough collectors
are used to generate electricity
using a conventional steam turbine power plant. Solar thermal power plants, using parabolic troughs
collectors, are one of the
lowest cost solar power technology available today. The cost of electricity from
these power plants is approximately $0.10 to $0.12 per kWh,
and with improvements, is expected to drop to $0.04 to $0.05 per kWh.
The
electricity produced is used to drive a high-temperature
electrolysis process, using a Solid Oxide Electrolyzer (SOEC). The Solid
Oxide Electrolyzer Cell, is essentially a Solid Oxide Fuel
Cell in regenerative mode. It can be used for the direct
electrolysis of H2O to produce hydrogen and
oxygen. |
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High temperature electrolysis is more efficient than
traditional electrolysis because some of the energy needed
is supplied as heat, and the electrical energy needed is
significantly reduced. |
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The SOEC system uses yittria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) solid electrolytes, with
gadolinia doped ceria (GDC) as the material for the cathode. GDC is much less
expensive than the platinum, which is typically used in most
hydrogen electrolyzers. Also, ceria is an effective electrocatalyst for H2
production in solid oxide fuel cells.
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Solar Methanol Production |
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Solar Methanol |
