Why, what and how to do hydrogen generation using solar energy?
Why:
1) global warming,
2) Today’s energy shortage and environment pollution are the two issues
that we are facing,
3) Alternate sources of energy when looked upon, that should also be clean
4) As a renewable and clean source, solar energy has gained significant
attention in recent years for the high demand for low energy at a
competitive cost and with zero emissions.
5)
Introduction
Literature survey,
Procedure
What we do
History of H2:
1) Hydrogen gas was first isolated by Henry Cavendish in 1766 and
later recognized as a constituent of water by Lavoisier in 1783.
2)The production of hydrogen and oxygen by the electrolytic
decomposition of water has been practiced since the year 1800,
when the process was first discovered by Nicholson and Carlisle.
About H2:
1) Hydrogen (H) is the simplest of atoms, consisting of one proton and
one electron also called a protium. As atoms, hydrogen is very
reactive and prefers to join into molecular pairs (H 2).
2) Hydrogen is not a primary source of energy; rather it is an energy
carrier much like electricity. Therefore, energy is required to extract
hydrogen from substances like natural gas, water, coal, or any other
hydrocarbon.
3) Hydrogen becomes a liquid below its boiling point of −253 °C (20 K)
at atmospheric pressure.
4) Hydrogen has the highest energy content per unit mass than any
fuel making it especially valuable when traveling into space.
Obviously, the most important virtue of using hydrogen as a fuel is its
pollution free nature. When burned in air, the main combustion product is
water with O2 in a fuel cell to directly produce electricity; the only
emission is water vapor.
decarbonization trend that has accompanied the evolution of energy
sources for mankind.
Due to hydrogen’s thermal conductivity and low density the gas is being
used to cool many large thermal electrical power generators.
Hydrogen is used in a wide variety of applications:
• Chemicals
- Ammonia and fertilizer manufacture
- Synthesis of methanol
- Sorbitol production
- General pharmaceuticals and vitamins
• Electronics
- Polysilicon production
- Epitaxial deposition
- Fiber optics
• Metals
- Annealing/heat treating
- Powder metallurgy
• Fuels
- Petroleum refinement
- Liquid rocket fuel
- Some use in fuel cells
• Food and float glass
- Fats/fatty acids
- Blanketing
The value of produced hydrogen depends on various factors
such as the local solar irradiation, ambient temperature, wind
speed.
The greatest value of hydrogen should be obtained in region of
high solar irradiation and low ambient temperature.
The governing parameters for hydrogen production using solar
energy include: PV panel’s output power and temperature, rate
of hydrogen generation, power consumed by the compressor.
The temperature of the surface of the PV panels impact its
performance adversely, thus low ambient temperatures or a
cooling system will aid it’s working.
Work = volt x coulombs