Principle An electrical power source is connected to two electrodes, or two plates (typically made from some inert metal such as platinum or stainless steel) which are placed in the water. Hydrogen will appear at the cathode (the negatively charged electrode, where electrons enter the water), and oxygen will appear … Continue reading
Category Archives: Energy
Solar Cells 44.7% Efficient
Press Release September 23, 2013 The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Soitec, CEA-Leti and the Helmholtz Center Berlin jointly announced today having achieved a new world record for the conversion of sunlight into electricity using a new solar cell structure with four solar subcells. Surpassing competition after only … Continue reading
Solar Batteries
June 21, 2013 SMA Solar, Germany’s largest solar company and the world’s largest maker of inverters, a device to feed solar-generated energy into the electricity grid, announced the introduction of a new battery set to store surplus daytime solar energy for up to three hours of nighttime use. The new … Continue reading
Applications
A multi-billion-dollar hydrogen industry currently exists in the United States, serving a myriad of hydrogen end-use applications; however, about 99 percent of that hydrogen currently is used in chemical and petrochemical applications. Of the end uses, the largest consumers are oil refineries, ammonia plants, chlor-akali plants, and methanol plants. Some … Continue reading
Storage
Because hydrogen gas has such a low density, and because the energy requirements for hydrogen liquefaction are high, efficient hydrogen storage generally is considered to be among the most challenging issues facing the hydrogen economy. For current chemical applications, storage issues are not so critical, because the large producers of … Continue reading
Distribution
Centrally produced hydrogen must be transported to markets. The development of a large hydrogen transmission and distribution infrastructure is a key challenge to be faced if the United States is to move toward a hydrogen economy. A variety of hydrogen transmission and distribution methods are likely to be used. Larger … Continue reading
Production
Hydrogen production processes can be classified generally as those using fossil or renewable (biomass) feedstocks and electricity. The technology options for fossil fuels include reforming, primarily of natural gas in “on-purpose” hydrogen production plants, and production of hydrogen as a byproduct in the petroleum refining process. Electrolysis processes using grid … Continue reading
Supply of Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. Yet, there is effectively no natural hydrogen gas resource on Earth. Hydrogen gas is the smallest and lightest of all molecules. When released, it quickly rises to the upper atmosphere and dissipates, leaving virtually no hydrogen gas on the Earth’s surface. … Continue reading