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Cheap And Easy Technique To Produce Hydrogen From Visible Light Is Almost Ready

Posted August 18, 2007 12:06 PM

From ScienceDaily Headlines:

There is a revolution in solar hydrogen on the horizon. The prospect for the wide spread use of hydrogen as a portable energy carrier is dependent on finding a clean, renewable method of production. A research group headed by a professor of electrical engineering is "only a couple of problems away" from developing an inexpensive and easily scalable technique for water photoelectrolysis - the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen using light energy -- that could help power the proposed hydrogen economy.

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Guru

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#1

Re: Cheap And Easy Technique To Produce Hydrogen From Visible Light Is Almost Re

08/19/2007 1:47 PM

"only a couple of problems away"

Apparently splitting water into H2 & O is easy. keeping them seperate, once split, is a major problem.

Now what is the second problem? Any ideas.

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Guru
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#2
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Re: Cheap And Easy Technique To Produce Hydrogen From Visible Light Is Almost Re

08/19/2007 3:30 PM

The development is interesting, but is similar to all the other developments that have come before it. 12.9% theoretical maximum efficiency (currently 1.5%, which is the second highest rate achieved with this type of material). Even at maximum theoretical efficiency, the area required to produce the current to split Hydrogen from water is enormous. They may be able to get the price down but the area required to produce any useful power for this purpose is just, huge.

Anyone ever think we are just pushing the same old flawed ideas over and over.

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