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Description
The HERA project has an ambition to bring knowledge on the “solar hydrogen” production & storage closer to the users and, via technological optimization, translate it to a product. This goal will be achieved by integrating lab-scale studies with system-oriented experimental examinations, yet unapplied to the compounds/composites proposed in HERA. The current systems for the “solar hydrogen” production consume excessive amount of energy, to overcome the oxygen kinetic-related overpotential, and cannot provide enough power in an economically feasible way. Also, they do not include the storage option for the produced hydrogen. Therefore, the main HERA’s goal is to construct a kinetically enhanced PEC device that will provide the absorption of the produced H2 in the cathode material. The proposed setup will also allow for the on demand release of the absorbed gas. The photooxidation reaction will be the driving force of the planned architecture. It will involve other than water oxidation processes that are expected to provide enough electrons for the water reduction, hydrogen formation and its subsequent absorption by the cathode. The latter will be realized by application of metal hydrides as a hydrogen storage medium. In HERA, we will focus on the investigation of A2B7- and AB-type alloys, in view of their versatility for the PEC hydrogen production and storage. The research will to go far beyond single case examples and cover systematic investigations of multi-substituted compositions, underlying the relationship between the fundamental material properties and functionalities in the studied photoelectrochemical architectures. We expect that HERA achievements will contibute to breakthroughs in the field of design and applications of the environment-friendly and economically viable renewable energy-based technologies.
Summary of project results
The HERA project has an ambition to bring knowledge on the “solar hydrogen” production & storage closer to the users and, via technological optimization, translate it to a product. This goal will be achieved by integrating lab-scale studies with system-oriented experimental examinations, yet unapplied to the compounds/composites proposed in HERA. The current systems for the “solar hydrogen” production consume excessive amount of energy, to overcome the oxygen kinetic-related overpotential, and cannot provide enough power in an economically feasible way. Also, they do not include the storage option for the produced hydrogen. Therefore, the main HERA’s goal is to construct a kinetically enhanced PEC device that will provide the absorption of the produced H2 in the cathode material. The proposed setup will also allow for the on demand release of the absorbed gas. The photooxidation reaction will be the driving force of the planned architecture. It will involve other than water oxidation processes that are expected to provide enough electrons for the water reduction, hydrogen formation and its subsequent absorption by the cathode. The latter will be realized by application of metal hydrides as a hydrogen storage medium. In HERA, we will focus on the investigation of A2B7- and AB-type alloys, in view of their versatility for the PEC hydrogen production and storage. The research will to go far beyond single case examples and cover systematic investigations of multi-substituted compositions, underlying the relationship between the fundamental material properties and functionalities in the studied photoelectrochemical architectures. We expect that HERA achievements will contibute to breakthroughs in the field of design and applications of the environment-friendly and economically viable renewable energy-based technologies.
The Hera project focus was on establishing a novel hydrogen production system capable of directly co-processing solar energy and water (sea water as well) onto photoanodes panel to provide hydrogen energy-rich intermetallic. The project was divided into 4 Work Packages assigned to specific parts for execution, namely production and optimization of materials, components and interfaces, their extensive structural, instrumental, spectroscopic and kinetic characterization and finally their integration, initially to modules and at the final stage into demonstrator.
The objective of the WP1 was to screen, design, develop and optimize novel materials: photoactive electrodes, intermetallic and their innovative architectures for improved and efficient hydrogen generation. The WP1 taks were carried out by : (i) constructing more efficient architectures and functionalized electrodes able to drive water reduction towards production of hydrogen, (ii) engineering defects to tailor surface properties and improve the selectivity of the reduction process, (iii) designing co-catalysts to affect the diffusion layer electric properties, (iv) determination of potentially advantageous dopants, (V) producing innovative catalyst supports and by producing a series of new AB5-type hydrogen storage materials. Next steps involved a number of investigations on structure-conversion correlations in view of further elaboration of the whole system. The WP2 has been proceeded by a combinatorial photo-electrochemical , optical, structural spectroscopic and time-resolved investigations done by UW, UiO and InPhoCat. WP3 was then devoted to materials assembly and measurements in more build-up structures. All Partners were engaged in optimization, adjustment and measurements to give a guideline for WP4, construction of the demonstrator. Finally, the WP4 focus was to engineer and run the demonstrator to prof-the concept of the Hera project. This challenge was undertaken and consequently realized over the whole project run by the InPhoCat. The InPhoCat manufactured the PEC-MH demonstrator designed for operation with photoanodes and cathodes prepared by the UW and UiO partners. The geometry and dimensions were chosen based on the prior laboratory tests done in Partners facilities with respect to requirements and desired results described in the project.
As the goddess of Hera was providing with wealth, prosperity and fertility the Hera project was aimed to provide the hydrogen abundance from the sun by simple transformation of solar light into valuable for human being hydrogen energy, supporting the development of societies. In Hera project we strongly believe that innovations do not happen by asking a question “Why?” but rather “Why not?”. Therefore, the Hera project intention was to bring unconventional solution in designing and applications of environmentally safe and economically viable, renewable energy-based technologies closer to users. Namely, photoactive materials and architectures with enhanced performances, were integrated in a unique setup to build a tandem device able to drive the solar energy conversion to hydrogen fuel. As such, HERA aim was to deliver sustainable alternatives to fossil-based technologies for powering and at the same time propose a novel solution for the currently energetically and technologically demanding process of the feedstock hydrogen production. To accomplish this challenge researchers from University of Warsaw, University of Oslo and InPhoCat were jointly brainstorming to build a demonstrator which would be able to operate outdoor, under natural sun light conditions and transform the dispersed/captured solar energy through system of photoanodes, intermetallic cathodes to hydrogen that subsequently was stored within intermetallic component and released in function of needs. As a result, the demonstrator owing a panel of 8 photoanodes and 4 intermetallic cathodes had been carefully constructed by InPhoCat and joint action of Partners. The test carried out by InPhoCat proved the concept of the project of photo-assisted operation of the PEC-MH device under illumination of natural sunlight, even though photo-assisted charging was still assisted by an external bias. Having all components and all the know-how of Partners under one roof (demonstrator), the gains of Hera project may spread ahead and deliver the goods promised by the goddess of Hera.
Summary of bilateral results
The scientific cooperation and exchange of knowledge between UW and UIO allowed to assembly skills and know-how from two branches of the same tree – field of energy. UW was responsible for production of energy while UIO for its storage and reuse. The role of InPhoCat was to find a way to “kill two birds with one stone”, to build a demonstrator proving it is possible to produce, in-situ store and release on demand the produced energy, which successfully did.The cooperation of Partner 2 (InPhoCat) with the Norwegian Partner covered a wide range of exchange of scientific experiences as part of the project implementation. The excellent coordination and good planning of the Norwegian Partner’s activities resulted in a joint review publication. Numerous online meetings, phones conversations and constructive discussions among all Partners allowed for the refinement of the prototype’s construction work, including the optimization of the flow cell with its main components (cathode, photoanode). Joint activities enabled, among others, the registration and protection at the European level of two industrial designs in the European EUIPO database: a photoelectrochemical flow cell and a cathode holder for a photoelectrochemical cell, respectively. InPhoCat plans to continue further cooperation (Partner 1 and Partner 2), which will is expected to enhance the Hera gains in the development of innovative solutions of strategic importance in the field of fuels and energy storage;