Solar fuels: Status and perspectives

Journal Article · Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992 · Solar Energy (Journal of Solar Energy Science and Engineering); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0038-092X(92)90001-Q· OSTI ID:7169447

Serpone, N; Lawless, D; Terzian, R ^[1]

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1. Concordia Univ., Montreal, Quebec (Canada)

Utilization of water as an inexhaustible supply of a fuel (hydrogen) was predicted over a century ago by Jules Verne in The Mysterious Island. Since the oil crisis of 1973, considerable progress has been made in the search for alternative energy supplies. Although the water splitting process to generate simultaneously hydrogen and oxygen has been demonstrated (albeit the process is inefficient) by utilization of light energy, the technology is not mature enough to seriously bring it to pilot-plant demonstration. Much fundamental research remains to be done. The present paper examines the present status and looks at the perspectives of the technological progress, particularly in the high temperature thermochemical and photochemical fields with emphasis in the utilization of solar quantum and thermal photons.

• OSTI ID: 7169447
• Journal Information: Solar Energy (Journal of Solar Energy Science and Engineering); (United States), Vol. 49:4; ISSN 0038-092X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
08 HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
CATALYSIS
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
ELECTROLYSIS
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
MARKET
PHOTOCHEMICAL ENERGY STORAGE
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
CHEMISTRY
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY STORAGE
LYSIS
STORAGE
140505* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photochemical
Photobiological
& Thermochemical Conversion- (1980-)
080101 - Hydrogen- Production- Electrolysis
080102 - Hydrogen- Production- Thermochemical Processes