Techniques for photocatalytic hydrogen generation
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsTalia S. Gershon, Supratik Guha, Teodor K. Todorov, Theodore G. van Kessel
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Abstract
Techniques for photocatalytic hydrogen generation are provided. In one aspect, a hydrogen producing cell is provided. The hydrogen producing cell includes an anode electrode; a photocatalytic material adjacent to the anode electrode; a solid electrolyte adjacent to a side of the photocatalytic material opposite the anode electrode; and a cathode electrode adjacent to a side of the solid electrolyte opposite the photocatalytic material. A solar hydrogen producing system including at least one solar concentrating assembly having the hydrogen producing cell, and a method for producing hydrogen using the hydrogen producing cell are also provided.
Claims20
A hydrogen producing cell, comprising:
- an anode electrode;
- a photocatalytic material adjacent to the anode electrode;
- a solid electrolyte adjacent to a side of the photocatalytic material opposite the anode electrode, wherein the solid electrolyte comprises multiple layers of varying density and porosity;
- and
- a cathode electrode adjacent to a side of the solid electrolyte opposite the photocatalytic material, wherein the cathode electrode, the solid electrolyte, the photocatalytic material, and the anode electrode are configured as a stack of layers disposed one on top of another with the photocatalytic material separating the solid electrolyte from the anode electrode.
A solar hydrogen producing system, comprising:
- at least one solar concentrating assembly having i) a solar concentrator optic and ii) a hydrogen producing cell, wherein the hydrogen producing cell comprises an anode electrode, a photocatalytic material adjacent to the anode electrode, a solid electrolyte adjacent to a side of the photocatalytic material opposite the anode electrode, wherein the solid electrolyte comprises multiple layers of varying density and porosity, and a cathode electrode adjacent to a side of the solid electrolyte opposite the photocatalytic material, wherein the cathode electrode, the solid electrolyte, the photocatalytic material, and the anode electrode are configured as a stack of layers disposed one on top of another with the photocatalytic material separating the solid electrolyte from the anode electrode, and
- wherein the solar concentrator optic is positioned relative to the hydrogen producing cell to direct incident sunlight onto the anode electrode of the hydrogen producing cell.
A method for producing hydrogen, the method comprising the steps of:
- introducing water vapor to a hydrogen producing cell having an anode electrode, a photocatalytic material adjacent to the anode electrode, a solid electrolyte adjacent to a side of the photocatalytic material opposite the anode electrode, wherein the solid electrolyte comprises multiple layers of varying density and porosity, and a cathode electrode adjacent to a side of the solid electrolyte opposite the photocatalytic material, wherein the cathode electrode, the solid electrolyte, the photocatalytic material, and the anode electrode are configured as a stack of layers disposed one on top of another with the photocatalytic material separating the solid electrolyte from the anode electrode;
- directing concentrated sunlight onto the hydrogen producing cell which provides a source of heat and visible radiation to operate the hydrogen producing cell such that electron-hole pairs are generated in the photocatalytic material and used to split the water vapor into hydrogen ions and oxygen gas;
- applying a potential between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode of the hydrogen producing cell which, via a concentration gradient in the solid electrolyte, transports the hydrogen ions through the solid electrolyte to the cathode electrode;
- reducing the hydrogen ions to hydrogen gas at the cathode electrode;
- and
- extracting the hydrogen gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.