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Cheap Catalyst Could Turn Sunlight, Water Into Fuel (4 posts)

  1. truthmover
    Administrator

    MIT chemists say the catalyst, used in conjunction with cheap photovoltaic solar panels, could lead to inexpensive, simple systems that use water to store the energy from sunlight.

    Like a reverse fuel cell, it splits water into oxygen and hydrogen. By recombining the molecules with a standard fuel cell, the O2 and H2 could then be used to generate energy on demand.

    It's important to note that Nocera's breakthrough is in making it cheaper and simpler to split water by electrolysis. Expensive machines have long been able to do the same thing, but only by using iridium alloys or exotic nanoparticles.

    The new catalyst is remarkable because its made of common materials and can operate at room temperature and normal pressure. Without the need to heat and pressurize the water, the energy needs and cost of running the process overall are much lower. And that could make a standard solar array on a home a viable source of electricity for creating all the hydrogen a household would need.

    http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/07/reverse...

    Posted 16 years ago #
  2. JennySparks
    Member

    Sounds promising but I remain dubious...

    Posted 16 years ago #
  3. chrisc
    Member

    Yeah, I also have little faith in a techo fix coming to the rescue of industrial capitalism...

    Someone I know is involved with this project, it's been going for years, not sure where they have got to so far...

    http://www.hydrogensolar.com/

    Posted 16 years ago #
  4. nornnxx65
    Member

    well, i remain optimistic and hopeful (but of course, i'm just a romantic fool who thinks 9/11 was an inside job). Breakthrus like this keep happening at an increasing pace- In the 1800's there was not much change at all- many significant developments in the 1900's- now in the first part of the 2000's, stuff is happening all the time- wonder why, and where it's going?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerating_change

    Posted 16 years ago #

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