{"id":15178,"date":"2014-11-06T20:39:13","date_gmt":"2014-11-06T18:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/add-energy.ro\/engineers-at-stanford-and-chemists-borrow-a-technique-from-the-petrochemical-industry-to-store-solar-power\/"},"modified":"2014-11-06T20:39:13","modified_gmt":"2014-11-06T18:39:13","slug":"engineers-at-stanford-and-chemists-borrow-a-technique-from-the-petrochemical-industry-to-store-solar-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/add-energy.ro\/en\/engineers-at-stanford-and-chemists-borrow-a-technique-from-the-petrochemical-industry-to-store-solar-power\/","title":{"rendered":"Engineers at Stanford and chemists borrow a technique from the petrochemical industry to store solar power"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tToday,<\/span> pure hydrogen<\/span> (or<\/span> H2<\/span>) is a<\/span> major<\/span> chemical product<\/span> derived<\/span> generally<\/span> from natural gas<\/span>.<\/span> Tens of millions of<\/span> tons of<\/span> hydrogen<\/span> are produced each<\/span> year;<\/span> industrial<\/span> hydrogen<\/span> is<\/span> important<\/span> in petroleum refining<\/span> and the production of<\/span> fertilizers.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tThomas<\/span> Jaramillo<\/span>,<\/span> professor of chemical engineering<\/span> and<\/span> associate<\/span> researcher<\/span> Jakob<\/span> Kibsgaard<\/span> want to use<\/span> electrolysis<\/span> to produce<\/span> H2<\/span> from water<\/span> and<\/span>,<\/span> in this process<\/span>, store<\/span> solar energy,<\/span> all shown<\/span> on<\/span> the University website<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tElectrolysis<\/span> learned<\/span> in school<\/span> is simple<\/span>: introduce<\/span> two<\/span> metal electrodes<\/span> in water<\/span>, and when<\/span> electricity is<\/span> passed through<\/span> these electrodes<\/span>, they<\/span> as a catalyst<\/span>, transforming the<\/span> <\/span>molecules in <\/span><\/span>water<\/span> in bubbles<\/span><\/span> of hydrogen and<\/span> oxygen gas<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tPlatinum<\/span> is the best<\/span> catalyst for<\/span> hydrogen production<\/span> by water electrolysis<\/span>.<\/span> But to<\/span> do<\/span> electrolysis<\/span> industrially<\/span> to be found<\/span> first<\/span> electrode<\/span> cheaper.<\/span> "<\/span>We tried to make<\/span> pure hydrogen<\/span> in the most efficient<\/span> way possible<\/span> without using<\/span> precious metals<\/span>," said<\/span> Jaramillo<\/span>.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tIn the<\/span> German<\/span> scientific journal<\/span> – Angewandte<\/span> Chemie<\/span>,<\/span> Jaramillo<\/span> and<\/span> Kibsgaard<\/span> describe<\/span> a <\/span>inexpensive<\/span> <\/span>catalyst<\/span><\/span>, durable<\/span> and effective<\/span>,<\/span> which could take<\/span> the platinum place<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tTheir ambitions<\/span> go beyond<\/span> just<\/span> using<\/span> electrolysis<\/span> to replace<\/span> current market<\/span> demand<\/span> of <\/span>hydrogen<\/span>.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tCurrently<\/span>, there is no<\/span> effective way to<\/span> store<\/span> solar energy<\/span> on<\/span> a large scale.<\/span> Researchers at<\/span> Stanford<\/span> believe that<\/span> electrolysis<\/span> could turn<\/span> water tanks<\/span> in batteries<\/span> for storing<\/span> solar energy.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tDuring the daytime<\/span>, electricity<\/span> from<\/span> solar<\/span> cells<\/span> may<\/span> be used to<\/span> convert water into<\/span> hydrogen<\/span> and oxygen<\/span>,<\/span> and the<\/span> recombination<\/span> of these<\/span> gases would<\/span> generate electricity<\/span> that may<\/span> be used<\/span> during the night.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tElectrolysis<\/span> uses<\/span> electricity<\/span> to separate<\/span> forming<\/span> chemical bonds<\/span> with<\/span> water.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tSeparation of<\/span> chemical bonds<\/span> of<\/span> water<\/span> produces a<\/span> hydrogen<\/span> ion<\/span> –<\/span> a proton<\/span> with<\/span> an electron<\/span> to<\/span> balance<\/span> it<\/span>.<\/span> A<\/span> good<\/span> H2<\/span><\/span>proton catalyst<\/span>  give<\/span> space<\/span> to stick<\/span> until it<\/span> joins with<\/span> an electron<\/span> to form<\/span> a hydrogen<\/span> on the catalyst surface<\/span>, and later<\/span> to merge with<\/span> a<\/span> neighboring<\/span> hydrogen atom<\/span>, forming<\/span> eventually<\/span> pure hydrogen<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe secret<\/span> is to find<\/span> a catalyst<\/span> with a<\/span> good<\/span> viscosity<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\t"<\/span>If the<\/span> binding is<\/span> too weak<\/span>, the ions<\/span> do not stick<\/span>," says<\/span> Thomas<\/span> Jaramillo<\/span>.<\/span> "<\/span>And if<\/span> the binding<\/span> is too<\/span> strong<\/span>, they are not<\/span> free.<\/span>"<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tPlatinum is<\/span> perfect, but<\/span> expensive.<\/span> Last year<\/span>,<\/span> engineers<\/span> have<\/span> discovered that<\/span> an alternative<\/span> Stanford<\/span> molybdenum sulphide<\/span>,<\/span> a catalyst<\/span> widely used<\/span> in<\/span> petrochemical<\/span> processing<\/span>,<\/span> some of the<\/span> sulfide<\/span> with<\/span> the appropriate<\/span> properties<\/span> to serve<\/span> as a<\/span> cheap solution<\/span>,<\/span> but effective<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe teacher<\/span> explained that<\/span> petrochemical<\/span> processing<\/span> has similarities<\/span> with<\/span> electrolysis.<\/span> That's because<\/span> oil<\/span> feed<\/span> stocks<\/span> such as<\/span> oil sands<\/span> contain<\/span> a significant proportion<\/span> of<\/span> heavy<\/span> molecules<\/span>.<\/span> Oil<\/span> refineries<\/span> use<\/span> of catalytic<\/span> reactions<\/span> involving<\/span> hydrogen<\/span> to<\/span> separate the<\/span> heavy<\/span> molecules<\/span> into<\/span> lighter<\/span> molecules<\/span>,<\/span> such<\/span> as gasoline<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tSimilarly<\/span>,<\/span> electrolysis<\/span> involves<\/span> the separation of<\/span> molecules<\/span> of<\/span> water or<\/span> breakage of<\/span> chemical bonds<\/span> thereof<\/span>.<\/span> As the<\/span> engineers at<\/span> Stanford<\/span> have tried<\/span> to improve<\/span> their<\/span> discovery<\/span>, they found<\/span> a better way<\/span> to produce<\/span> hydrogen<\/span> from water<\/span> inspiration from<\/span> the petrochemical industry.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tOil processing<\/span> often involves<\/span> cleaning<\/span> sulfur from<\/span> fuels<\/span> to reduce<\/span> acid rain.<\/span> During this<\/span> cleaning process<\/span>,<\/span> a portion of<\/span> the sulfur atoms<\/span> are incorporated<\/span> in the composition of<\/span> the catalysts<\/span> involved<\/span> in the processing of<\/span> petroleum<\/span>, increasing<\/span> the activity of these<\/span> catalysts.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tThus<\/span>,<\/span> engineers<\/span> have been<\/span> added<\/span> to the<\/span> sulfur atom<\/span> of molybdenum<\/span> phosphide<\/span> called<\/span> a catalyst<\/span> known<\/span> to<\/span> speed up the<\/span> production<\/span> property of<\/span> hydrogen<\/span>.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tAdding<\/span> sulfur<\/span> atom<\/span> created a new<\/span> catalyst<\/span> –<\/span> molybdenum<\/span> phosphosulfide<\/span>,<\/span> which<\/span> was more effective<\/span> at<\/span> producing<\/span> hydrogen<\/span> than its predecessor.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n

\tThe new<\/span> catalyst<\/span> is more durable<\/span>,<\/span> extremely important<\/span> quality<\/span> in an<\/span> industrial process in which<\/span> the electrode<\/span> must work<\/span> out<\/span> daily<\/span> without<\/span> spoiling<\/span>, like<\/span> platinum.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tCatalysts<\/span> developed by<\/span> Kibsgaard<\/span> and<\/span> Jaramillo<\/span> have<\/span> a major advantage<\/span>.<\/span> As<\/span> the electrodes<\/span> are<\/span> very<\/span> stable<\/span>,<\/span> with a yield<\/span> close to that of<\/span> platinum<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tNow<\/span>, the research team<\/span> is trying to improve<\/span> the new<\/span> catalyst.<\/span> For example<\/span>,<\/span> want to bring<\/span> metal<\/span> to<\/span> small<\/span>,<\/span> nano<\/span>-scale<\/span> to<\/span> efficiently<\/span> catalyze<\/span> the reaction.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tOther<\/span> initiatives include<\/span> its integration into<\/span> prototypes<\/span> for future<\/span> energy storage<\/span> systems<\/span>.<\/span> The idea<\/span> would be to use<\/span> electrolysis<\/span> of water<\/span> to store<\/span> solar energy<\/span> during the day,<\/span> as<\/span> pure hydrogen<\/span> and then<\/span>,<\/span> at night<\/span>,<\/span> to<\/span> recombine<\/span> hydrogen and oxygen<\/span> into water<\/span>,<\/span> producing<\/span> electricity<\/span> in this process<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\tJaramillo<\/span> said the<\/span> preliminary<\/span> results of the experiment<\/span> and<\/span> scientific paper<\/span> can be<\/span> implemented in<\/span> clean energy<\/span> strategies<\/span>, but they<\/span> are based<\/span> on ideas<\/span> borrowed from<\/span> the petrochemical industry.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\t"It is interesting<\/span> to make<\/span> such connections<\/span> between<\/span> these areas<\/span> totally different<\/span>," concludes<\/span> Professor<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n

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\n\t\tTo register your Company as ADD ENERGY PARTNER , please access   \"register_now_2\"<\/a><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span> <\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t \n<\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Today, pure hydrogen (or H2) is a major chemical product derived generally from natural gas. Tens of millions of tons of hydrogen are produced each year; industrial hydrogen is important in petroleum refining and the production of fertilizers.   Thomas Jaramillo, professor of chemical engineering and associate researcher Jakob Kibsgaard want to use electrolysis … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,374,33,349,250,31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-clima-si-mediul-inconjurator","category-climate-and-the-environment-3","category-informatii-din-presa-internationala","category-international-press","category-news","category-stiri-utile-noutati"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/add-energy.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15178","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/add-energy.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/add-energy.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/add-energy.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/add-energy.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15178"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/add-energy.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15178\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/add-energy.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/add-energy.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/add-energy.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}