Developing Hydrogen Fuel from the Sun

The research team of University of Colorado Boulder, United States, developing hydrogen fuel using sunlight. How that is done is to split water into its elements hydrogen and oxygen.

An artist's conception of a commercial hydrogen production plant that uses sunlight to split water in order to produce clean hydrogen fuel. (Picture from: http://www.livescience.com/)

They build a tower as high as a few hundred meters. On it there is a large number of mirrors reflecting sunlight, thus forming a heat system. Temperature of heat generated in the tower reaches 1,350 degrees Celsius. The heat is sent into the reactor tube which contains chemical compounds known as metal oxides. Then came the release of oxygen atoms and changing its composition. That led to the formation of compounds to look for a new oxygen atoms.

The team showed, when the steam is generated and boiling water in the reactor tube is added, oxygen molecules will stick to the metal oxide. Then liberate hydrogen molecules to assemble into hydrogen gas. To obtain steam, sunlight collected in the tower will heat the water to boiling.

Hydrogen fuel from Sunlight and Water. (Picture from:  http://storiesbywilliams.com/)

One innovation in this system is the absence of the transfer of temperature. All dllakukan process at the same temperature, and can be run by closing or opening the steam valve. "We have designed something very different here and other methods, and honestly something that was never thought before," said Professor Alan Weimer, a member of a team.

Through this new method the amount of hydrogen fuel cell produces electricity depends entirely on the amount of metal oxide or a combination of iron, cobalt, aluminum, and oxygen. Moreover, and how much steam is introduced into the system. The researchers envision going to build a large reactor tube and fill it with a metal oxide material. Then pile up with each other.

Indeed, a system that works to produce hydrogen gas will require a high tower. Each tower has a reactor to collect concentrated sunlight from the presence of a mirror in the roof. This research funded by the National Science Foundation, and the results were published on August 2, 2013 in the Science journal. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | LIVESCIENCE | ROSALINA | KORAN TEMPO 4318]

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