Solar water splitting under natural concentrated sunlight using a 200 cm(2) photoelectrochemical-photovoltaic device

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2020-04

Authors

Vilanova, A. (Author) Other; Dias, P. (Author) FEUP; azevedo, j. (Author) FEUP; Wullenkord, M. (Author) Other; Spenke, C. (Author) Other; Lopes, T. (Author) FEUP; Adélio Mendes (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Journal of Power Sources

Vol. 454

ISSN: 0378-7753

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

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Scopus - 9 Citations

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Scientific classification

CORDIS: Technological sciences > Engineering > Chemical engineering

FOS: Engineering and technology > Chemical engineering

Associated Projects

HopeH2 - Dispositivo tandem PEC-PV eficiente, estável e escalável para geração de hidrogénio solar

PECDEMO - Photoelectrochemical Demonstrator Device for Solar Hydrogen Generation

LEPABE - Financiamento Plurianual 2020-2023 da Unidade de I&D LEPABE - Laboratório de Engenharia de Processos, Ambiente, Biotecnologia e Energia

SunStorage - Recolha e armazenamento de energia solar

SunFlow - Armazenamento de energia solar em baterias redox de caudal

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00R-TRJ

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2020.227890

Abstract (EN): This work reports a 200 cm(2) PEC-PV device that comprises four 50 cm(2) PEC cells coupled in a modular array and optimized for continuous operation under concentrated sunlight. The developed module is the second largest PEC-PV device ever reported and the first tested under natural concentrated sunlight (up to 12.8 kW m(-2)). Demonstration tests were conducted outdoor in a continuous operation mode, over four days and using highly stable hematite photoelectrodes. When assembled with four multi-PE windows, each comprising eight small nanostructured photoelectrodes connected in parallel, the module generated a stable current density of ca. 2.0 mA cm(-2 )at 1.45 V, resulting in an average hydrogen production rate of 5.6 x 10(-5) g(H2) h(-1) cm(-2) (based on the net active area). A maximum current density of ca. 4.0 mA cm(-2) was reached during J-V measurements (before the dark current onset potential). It was observed that when hematite photoelectrodes are subjected to gradually higher solar irradiances the generated photocurrent follows a logarithmic saturation behaviour. This work provides important insights for demonstrating the viability of solar-driven water electrolysis by presenting a PEC-PV device that answers to the main challenges of large-scale photoelectrochemical hydrogen production.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 13