Solar-Powered Hydrogen Production from Seawater by IIT Madras

Novel system also uses carbon-based support material as electrodes and cellulose-based separators, thus more efficiency and less corrosion.

Here’s an article posted in The Hindu

According to the article,

• IIT Madras researchers have developed a solar-powered hydrogen generation system using seawater.
• The system can produce hydrogen at a rate of 100 liters per day, which is enough to power a small car for 100 km.
• The system uses a combination of solar energy, seawater, and a catalyst to generate hydrogen.

This is an amazing innovation that can truly change the world of green hydrogen. This system will surely gain importance in the near future. But why? What makes it different from other similar systems?

Here’s why:

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1. Cost-Effective: The use of alkaline seawater instead of pure or fresh water, along with the cellulose-based separator reduces the cost of electrolysis, making seawater electrolysis a more viable option for large-scale hydrogen production
   
2. Energy Efficiency: The electrolyser can directly use photovoltaic-derived voltage to split seawater, eliminating the need for additional energy sources and reducing energy losses
   
3. Scalability: The technology is designed to be simple and scalable, making it suitable for large-scale commercial applications
   
4. Corrosion Resistance: The use of carbon-based support materials for electrodes eliminates the possibility of corrosion, which is a significant issue in traditional metal-based electrolysis systems
   
5. High Efficiency: The electrolyser achieved an overall seawater splitting voltage of 1.73 V at 10 mA/sq.cm, demonstrating high efficiency in hydrogen production
   
6. Reduced Freshwater Consumption: By using seawater instead of fresh water, this method alleviates the pressure on scarce freshwater resources, making it a more sustainable option

These advantages make this method a promising solution for large-scale, cost-effective, and sustainable hydrogen production using seawater and solar energy.

Interestingly, we have some other posts related to this content:

Generating Hydrogen Fuel from Seawater Using Solar Power – Stanford’s Innovation: Researchers at Stanford develop method to produce hydrogen fuel from seawater, offering alternative to fossil fuels using solar power.