Photo: Envato
In a breakthrough for clean energy technology, Australia’s national science agency has unveiled a novel solar-powered reactor that generates green hydrogen.
The system, developed at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation’s (CSIRO) Newcastle Energy Centre, is a “beam-down” solar reactor.
Unlike conventional solar thermal setups that concentrate sunlight onto the top of a tower, this design reflects the light downward onto a ground-level platform.
“We’re not yet at industrial scale, but we’ve demonstrated strong reactivity under relatively moderate conditions, and with further refinement, it could match electrolysis in both performance and cost,” said Dr Jin-Soo Kim, Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO and the project lead, in a statement.
Sunlight fuels hydrogen
While solar panels are common on Australian rooftops, about 75 percent of the country’s energy comes from fuel-based sources, especially in heavy industry and transport. These sectors are difficult to electrify, prompting researchers to explore alternative clean energy solutions. One promising pathway is green hydrogen, which can be a low-emission fuel for industries where direct electrification is impractical.
Green hydrogen production usually involves electrolysis, a process that divides water into hydrogen and oxygen through electricity. Nonetheless, the process of electrolysis continues to require a lot of energy and is expensive. To tackle this issue, CSIRO researchers are creating new, more efficient and scalable methods for industrial applications.
CSIRO has showcased an innovative approach to generating green hydrogen via concentrated solar energy and metal particles, with backing from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). A beam-down solar reactor has been developed at the Newcastle Energy Center, representing a significant innovation.
The design differs from traditional solar thermal systems, which focus sunlight at the top of a tower. Instead, it reflects sunlight downwards onto a ground-level platform, akin to the effect of a magnifying glass but on a larger scale. A field of heliostats reflects sunlight onto a tower, which redirects it into a solar reactor. There, intense heat drives a reaction that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen.
Solar reactor milestone
The production of green hydrogen using CSIRO’s new beam-down solar reactor relies on a key material: doped ceria, a modified form of the naturally occurring mineral ceria.
Doped ceria, designed to take in and give off oxygen at reduced temperatures, facilitates a two-step thermochemical process for splitting water. The substance emits oxygen atoms when it is heated by concentrated solar energy. Upon the introduction of steam, the particles take in oxygen from water molecules, releasing hydrogen gas. This hydrogen can then be captured for fuel or industrial applications. The doped ceria is reusable, making the process both efficient and sustainable.
The system marks the first demonstration-scale test of the material in a solar hydrogen reactor. The beam-down design of solar thermal systems differs from traditional designs in that it reflects sunlight onto a receiver located on the ground, which faces upwards, rather than directing sunlight to receivers that face downwards. This increases flexibility for performing chemical reactions at high temperatures and accommodates a broader array of research applications, such as metal refining.
According to a statement by CSIRO, the system has effectively showcased the complete thermochemical hydrogen production cycle, spanning from solar input to hydrogen output, and has achieved potential efficiencies exceeding 20 percent in the solar-to-hydrogen conversion.
The organization states that due to the increasing worldwide demand for clean fuels, this innovation sets Australia up to become a leader in green hydrogen production and emissions reduction in hard-to-abate sectors.
Source: msn
