Solar power used to create hydrogen fuel from seawater

[Judi Lynn]

By: PTI | Published: March 19, 2019 12:03 PM

Previous studies attempting to split seawater for hydrogen fuel had run low amounts of electric current, because corrosion occurs at higher currents.

Stanford scientists have devised a way to generate hydrogen fuel from seawater using solar power, an advance that may help pave the way for a novel sustainable source of energy. The findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrate a new way of separating hydrogen and oxygen gas from salt water.
The technology could also be used for purposes beyond generating energy. Since the process also produces breathable oxygen, divers or submarines could bring devices into the ocean and generate oxygen down below without having to surface for air. Existing water-splitting methods rely on highly purified water, which is a precious resource and costly to produce.

Theoretically, to power cities and cars, “you need so much hydrogen it is not conceivable to use purified water,” said Hongjie Dai, professor at Stanford University in US. Hydrogen is an appealing option for fuel because it does not emit carbon dioxide, Dai said. Burning hydrogen produces only water and should ease worsening climate change problems.

Researchers showed proof-of-concept with a demo, but the researchers will leave it up to manufacturers to scale and mass produce the design. As a concept, splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen with electricity – called electrolysis – is a simple and old idea: a power source connects to two electrodes placed in water.

More:
https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/science/solar-power-used-to-create-hydrogen-fuel-from-seawater/1520938/

[safeinOhio]

1. Our future can become a hydrogen/hemp economy

with this technology.