Numerical 3D Model of a Novel Photoelectrolysis Tandem Cell with Solid Electrolyte for Green Hydrogen Production

Giosuè Giacoppo, Stefano Trocino, Carmelo Lo Vecchio, Vincenzo Baglio, María I. Díez-García, Antonino Salvatore Aricò and Orazio Barbera ()
Additional contact information
Giosuè Giacoppo: CNR-ITAE, Via Salita S. Lucia Sopra Contesse 5, 98126 Messina, Italy
Stefano Trocino: CNR-ITAE, Via Salita S. Lucia Sopra Contesse 5, 98126 Messina, Italy
Carmelo Lo Vecchio: CNR-ITAE, Via Salita S. Lucia Sopra Contesse 5, 98126 Messina, Italy
Vincenzo Baglio: CNR-ITAE, Via Salita S. Lucia Sopra Contesse 5, 98126 Messina, Italy
María I. Díez-García: Departament de Química Física i Institut Universitari d’Electroquímica, Universitat d’Alacant, Apartat 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
Antonino Salvatore Aricò: CNR-ITAE, Via Salita S. Lucia Sopra Contesse 5, 98126 Messina, Italy
Orazio Barbera: CNR-ITAE, Via Salita S. Lucia Sopra Contesse 5, 98126 Messina, Italy

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 4, 1-12

Abstract: The only strategy for reducing fossil fuel-based energy sources is to increase the use of sustainable ones. Among renewable energy sources, solar energy can significantly contribute to a sustainable energy future, but its discontinuous nature requires a large storage capacity. Due to its ability to be produced from primary energy sources and transformed, without greenhouse gas emissions, into mechanical, thermal, and electrical energy, emitting only water as a by-product, hydrogen is an effective carrier and means of energy storage. Technologies for hydrogen production from methane, methanol, hydrocarbons, and water electrolysis using non-renewable electrical power generate CO 2 . Conversely, employing photoelectrochemistry to harvest hydrogen is a sustainable technique for sunlight-direct energy storage. Research on photoelectrolysis is addressed to materials, prototypes, and simulation studies. From the latter point of view, models have mainly been implemented for aqueous-electrolyte cells, with only one semiconductor-based electrode and a metal-based counter electrode. In this study, a novel cell architecture was numerically modelled. A numerical model of a tandem cell with anode and cathode based on metal oxide semiconductors and a polymeric membrane as an electrolyte was implemented and investigated. Numerical results of 11% solar to hydrogen conversion demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed novel concept.

Keywords: photoelectrochemical tandem cell; hydrogen production; hematite photoanode; numerical model; solid electrolyte membrane; metal oxide semiconductor (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/4/1953/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/4/1953/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:4:p:1953-:d:1070208

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().