4 ms·
I recall from many years ago a photocatalytic process that used Iron/Iron-Oxide in a CSP solar setup. The solar tower superheated the water, splitting it; the O
by mikro2nd 5y ago
I recall from many years ago a photocatalytic process that used Iron/Iron-Oxide in a CSP solar setup. The solar tower superheated the water, splitting it; the O2 was absorbed by the Fe, leaving the H2 to be harvested; then the FeO2 was heated in a second pass to drive the O2 off, leaving the Fe to be reused. The whole thing sounded ingenious, and I wonder what became of the whole scheme. ISTR that there were some losses due to H2 and O2 recombining, but it sounded attractive in not needing a separation membrane as the OP article describes.
- pfdietz 5y agoThe temperatures involved are very high (~2000 C), which creates a host of problems (reradiation of energy, creep and degradation of materials). This also means only direct sunlight can be captured; flat panel collectors like ordinary PV modules also collect sunlight that has been diffused by clouds and atmospheric scattering.
- lambdasquirrel 5y agoAlso, where would you get the Fe from? Seems like you’d substituting Fe for C, but Fe is rarely ever found in free form in nature.