Process for photosynthetically splitting water
Abstract
The invention is an improved process for producing gaseous hydrogen and oxygen from water. The process is conducted in a photolytic reactor which contains a water-suspension of a photoactive material containing a hydrogen-liberating catalyst. The reactor also includes a volume for receiving gaseous hydrogen and oxygen evolved from the liquid phase. To avoid oxygen-inactivation of the catalyst, the reactor is evacuated continuously by an external pump which circulates the evolved gases through means for selectively recovering hydrogen therefrom. The pump also cools the reactor by evaporating water from the liquid phase. Preferably, product recovery is effected by selectively diffusing the hydrogen through a heated semipermeable membrane, while maintaining across the membrane a magnetic field gradient which biases the oxygen away from the heated membrane. This promotes separation, minimizes the back-reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, and protects the membrane.
- Inventors:
-
- Oak Ridge, TN
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 865188
- Patent Number(s):
- 4476105
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01D - SEPARATION
B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01J - CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- process; photosynthetically; splitting; water; improved; producing; gaseous; hydrogen; oxygen; conducted; photolytic; reactor; contains; water-suspension; photoactive; material; containing; hydrogen-liberating; catalyst; volume; receiving; evolved; liquid; phase; avoid; oxygen-inactivation; evacuated; continuously; external; pump; circulates; gases; means; selectively; recovering; therefrom; cools; evaporating; preferably; product; recovery; effected; diffusing; heated; semipermeable; membrane; maintaining; magnetic; field; gradient; biases; promotes; separation; minimizes; back-reaction; protects; field gradient; semipermeable membrane; gaseous hydrogen; permeable membrane; improved process; active material; magnetic field; liquid phase; material containing; recovering hydrogen; splitting water; product recovery; producing gaseous; evolved gases; receiving gas; /423/95/
Citation Formats
Greenbaum, Elias. Process for photosynthetically splitting water. United States: N. p., 1984.
Web.
Greenbaum, Elias. Process for photosynthetically splitting water. United States.
Greenbaum, Elias. Sun .
"Process for photosynthetically splitting water". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/865188.
@article{osti_865188,
title = {Process for photosynthetically splitting water},
author = {Greenbaum, Elias},
abstractNote = {The invention is an improved process for producing gaseous hydrogen and oxygen from water. The process is conducted in a photolytic reactor which contains a water-suspension of a photoactive material containing a hydrogen-liberating catalyst. The reactor also includes a volume for receiving gaseous hydrogen and oxygen evolved from the liquid phase. To avoid oxygen-inactivation of the catalyst, the reactor is evacuated continuously by an external pump which circulates the evolved gases through means for selectively recovering hydrogen therefrom. The pump also cools the reactor by evaporating water from the liquid phase. Preferably, product recovery is effected by selectively diffusing the hydrogen through a heated semipermeable membrane, while maintaining across the membrane a magnetic field gradient which biases the oxygen away from the heated membrane. This promotes separation, minimizes the back-reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, and protects the membrane.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1984},
month = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1984}
}