nabraxas Posted June 16, 2007 (edited) The area of solar panels required to cover all Australia's energy needs is equivalent to a square that is only 40km wide. The special titanium dioxide ceramics that the two University of NSW researchers are working with can be used to split water by electrolysis into its component gases, hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen, of course, is a rich energy source. The process is powered by solar energy, gathered by conventional photovoltaic cells. Put these elements together with enough efficiency and you would have the capacity to generate almost limitless supplies of energy - all produced from sunlight and water. It would be the cheapest, cleanest and most abundant energy source ever developed. When hydrogen is used as a fuel (for examples in cars with fuel cells), the main waste products are heat and water (not carbon dioxide as when fossil fuels are combusted). "This is potentially huge, with a market the size of all the existing markets for coal, oil and gas combined," says Nowotny, who with Sorrell is leading the solar hydrogen research project at the UNSW Centre for Materials and Energy Conversion. The team is thought to be the most advanced of any in the world in developing the cheap, light-sensitive materials that will be the basis of the technology. Titanium dioxide's ability to split water was discovered many years ago by Japanese researchers Akira Fujishima and Kenichi Honda, who won the the 2004 Japan Prize for their work. The UNSW team has been steadily re-engineering and refining the ceramic formulation and structure to make it more effective for this purpose. And they are getting close. "Based on our research results, we know we are on the right track and with the right support we now estimate that we can deliver a new material within seven years," says Nowotny. Once they reach that point, he says it will be a simple engineering exercise to make an energy-harvesting device with no moving parts and emitting no greenhouse gases or pollutants. Sorrell says Australia is ideally placed to take advantage of the enormous potential of this new technology: "We have abundant sunlight, huge reserves of titanium and we're close to the burgeoning energy markets of the Asia-Pacific region. But this technology could be used anywhere in the world. It's been the dream of many people for a long time to develop it, and it's exciting to know that it is now within such close reach." The Centre for Materials Research in Energy Conversion, University of New South Wales, was established in 1998 to promote research in technologies and devices for clean energy and environmental monitoring. More info: Bob Beale Public Affairs Adviser, Office of the Dean, Faculty of Science, University of NSW E-mail: [email protected] Background on solar hydrogen * 1.6 million individual households equipped with 10m x 10m solar hydrogen panels would meet all of Australia's energy needs. * Hydrogen generated from water using solar energy constitutes a clean source of energy as neither its production nor its combustion process produces greenhouse or pollutant gases. Hydrogen produced by existing conventional methods emits carbon dioxide at the production stage. * When this technology matures it would allow Australia to be a leader in solar technology, becoming part of an OPEC of the future. Australia is ideally placed to commercialise this technology as it has abundant sunlight. * This technology ultimately will reduce Australia's total reliance on coal, gasoline and natural gas, providing energy security. * Titanium dioxide is plentiful and cheap. Titania ceramics also have many other applications, including water purification, anti-viral and bactericidal coatings on hospital clothing and surfaces, self-cleaning glasses, and anti-pollution surfaces on buildings and roads. * As sources of fossil fuels disappear, the race is on to be the world's leading provider of hydrogen. The US Government recently committed an extra US$1.2 billion to hydrogen research. Japan has launched a 20-year research program that is sending satellites into space in the hope that it can harvest solar energy and send it back to the earth by laser onto cells of titanium dioxide (TiO2). The European Commission has instituted an intense R&D program in pursuit of solar hydrogen. Iceland aims to be the world's first hydrogen economy. http://www.future.org.au/news_2004/december/titanium.html Edited June 16, 2007 by nabraxas Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderIdeal Posted June 17, 2007 * As sources of fossil fuels disappear, the race is on to be the world's leading provider of hydrogen. The US Government recently committed an extra US$1.2 billion to hydrogen research. Japan has launched a 20-year research program that is sending satellites into space in the hope that it can harvest solar energy and send it back to the earth by laser onto cells of titanium dioxide (TiO2). The European Commission has instituted an intense R&D program in pursuit of solar hydrogen. Iceland aims to be the world's first hydrogen economy. it's all about money isn't it. good news though, hopefully. they'll lose a fair amount of energy beaming lasers down from space though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderIdeal Posted June 17, 2007 (edited) double post. Edited June 17, 2007 by ThunderIdeal Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
teonanacatl Posted June 17, 2007 yeah these are the photo anodes i been saying they could use for invivo generation of H2 and O2 for H powered car. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Endrogen Posted June 17, 2007 That article was from 2004.. i wonder how the technology is coming along. Sounds pretty exciting, i've read that current solar panels are getting upto %40 percent efficiency. Makes me wonder what kind of impact it will have on the economy if these alternatives get the backing they deserve. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
teonanacatl Posted June 18, 2007 the greater the efficiancy the greater the photo corrosion is, this destroys the semiconductor surfaces. I havent heard of 40% but anything is possible. They will havta start recycling the material or we will have lots of solar cell trash Im curious if the cells can provide enough energy to make new solar panels, they do have input from sun so thermodynamics is ok Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Endrogen Posted June 18, 2007 http://www.physorg.com/news99904887.html How quickly do they corrode? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
teonanacatl Posted June 19, 2007 40% is a lot wonder how they worked that out, will look into it when i get a chance. I dont know how long it takes, only that the more effective they are the quicker it corrodes, though photocathodes have benifits in that its harder to form the reduction products, hydrides. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
