Hydrogen Solar technology uses sun light too create hydrogen. Tandem cell: Sunlight passes through two photo-catalytic cells in a series. The front cell absorbs the high energy ultraviolet and blue light in sunlight, using nano crystalline metal oxide thin films. The longer wavelength light in the green and red region is absorbed in the Graetzel Cell producing an electrical potential. The two cells are connected electrically and together provide the potential to split the water molecules in the electrolyte.
The Tandem cell array produces hydrogen from sunlight and water and stored the hydrogen in a tank; the hydrogen is then used to produce electricity through the use of fuel cell stacks.
Hydrogen from Bio Mass produces two products: pure water and hydrogen that can be used to produce electricity,.
Hydrogen can also be produced from coal. Coal can be converted to methane and then reformed into hydrogen that can power a fuel cell stack to produce electricity. More advanced technologies like IGCC have the potential to create a syngas that can be reformed into hydrogen and then electricity. FuelCell Energy uses ultra clean DFC fuel cells and natural gas reform technology to produce 1.2 MW for Pepperidge Farms. In 2006, Fuelcell Energy was awarded $36.2 million to develop a coal-based, multi-megawatt solid oxide fuel cell-based hybrid system. The system will use Solid oxide fuel cell technology, a process to convert coal to coal gas, and a 50 percent efficiency to convert energy contained in coal to grid electrical power. FuelCell may consider submitting the project too FutureGen. Another company, Siemens Power Generation is building a highly efficient fuel cell hybrid power plant that will product megawatts class power plant. The goal of the research project is to get a 70 percent of fuel energy to electricity conversion percentage. The system will be a hybrid high temperature SOFC system. “In solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), an electrochemical reaction converts fuel energy directly and very efficiently into electricity and heat.” In 2007, FuelCell Energy sold a 5.1 MW system (DFC 1500MA) to South Korea and partners with POSCO Power. The system meets strict greenhouse gas reduction targets. FuelCell Energy says, “Supplying our fuel cell products to Korea’s top utility companies is a clear demonstration of how utilities around the world can employ our ultra-clean fuel cell power to economically generate baseload power while helping support greenhouse gas reduction goals.”
The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) has 11 renewable energy projects to produce 100 MW of renewable energy: 7.9 MW FuelCell Energy and Enbridge system, 29.9 MW landfill gas project by EMCOR, 19.6 MW fuel cell project by Elemental Power Group.
Why generate electricity twice, first, the electricity for electrolysis and then electricity by fuel cell? Hydrogen provides a way to store energy from renewable sources of energy. Nanoptek Corporation will produce hydrogen directly from sunlight and water. Nanoptek uses a titantia crystal lattices acting as a photoactive well that drives hydrogen production. The system operates without electricity and without natural gas. Nanoptek says, “a modest installation of our solar hydrogen generators would provide enough hydrogen to run a 10 kw generator set 24/7.” This technology has potential for countries like China and Africa bring cheap power to these countries.
In a hydrogen system millions of end users would connect their fuel cells into local, regional, and national hydrogen energy webs. If 25 percent of the cars were fuel cell 20 kW, they would provide more power than all of he power plants in the country. “When the end users also become the producers of their energy, the only role remaining for existing electrical utilities is to become virtual power plants that manufacture and market fuel cells, bundle energy services and coordinate the flow of energy over the existing power grids.” Restructuring the power grid will be necessary, “conning thousands, and then millions, of fuel cells to main grids will require sophisticated dispatch and control mechanisms to route energy traffic during peak and no peak periods.” Electric Power Research Institute provides this capability. “Using renewable resources and technologies to produce the hydrogen and creating distributed generation energy webs that can connect communities all over the world could lift billions of people out of poverty.” The cost of fuel cells will plumet and become accessible either by purchase or lease. The fuel cells will provide power for every neighborhood and village in the developing world. Energy = content as proliferated the web and provide cheap and free information will produce cheap or free power.