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The dual-bed hydrogen production process as being developed by the Florida Solar Energy Center. Process study

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/674690· OSTI ID:674690
;  [1]
  1. Energetics, Inc., Columbia, MD (United States)

Clovis Linkous of the Florida Solar Energy Center is developing a dual-bed hydrogen production process. The idea is to break the water splitting process into two separate chemical reactions, each with roughly {1/2} the electrochemical potential of direct water dissociation. This enables the dual-bed process to utilize a much broader range of sunlight photons than conventional photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems. However, it requires twice as many photons per unit of hydrogen produced. The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate and quantify the trade-offs presented by the dual bed process and determine if it holds economic potential as a hydrogen production technology. The capital cost of a /solar-based water dissociation system is roughly proportional to the solar collection surface area. Thus, the economics rely on how much hydrogen can be produced per unit of solar insolation.

Research Organization:
Sentech, Inc., Bethesda, MD (United States); Energetics, Inc., Columbia, MD (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
FC36-96GO10170
OSTI ID:
674690
Report Number(s):
DOE/GO/10170--T9; ON: DE99000525
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English