Integrated solar-driven high-temperature electrolysis operating with concentrated irradiation

Lin，Meng1,2; Suter，Clemens1; Diethelm，Stefan3; Van herle，Jan3; Haussener，Sophia1

2022-09-21

10.1016/j.joule.2022.07.013

Joule   Impact Factor & Quartile

2542-4351

2542-4351

High-temperature electrolysis for reducing HO (and CO) to H (and CO) converts concentrated solar energy into fuels and chemical feedstock. We invented an integrated reactor concept comprising a solar cavity receiver for reactant heating, a solid oxide electrolyzer (SOE) stack for water electrolysis, and concentrated photovoltaic (PV) cells for the SOE stack's electricity demand. A numerical model compared thermoneutral and endo/exothermal operation of the SOE stack. Without heat recovery, we predicted a maximum solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency of 19.85% (assuming 20% PV efficiency and 20% heat losses in the solar cavity receiver) and preferentially endothermal operation. Heat recovery further improved the performance. We demonstrated a 2.5 kW (17% electrical and 83% thermal input) reactor, incorporating a commercial 16-cell Ni/YSZ/LSM SOE stack into a double-helical solar cavity receiver, with 3.33% STH efficiency (assuming 20% PV efficiency). The experimentally supported analysis indicates that endothermal operation increases the performance and predicts STH efficiencies encouraging intensified research and technology development.

computational modeling concentrated solar solar high-temperature electrolysis solar hydrogen solid oxide electrolysis

SCI

English

Others

Seventh Framework Programme[621173];Seventh Framework Programme[FP7/2007–2013];

Chemistry ; Energy & Fuels ; Materials Science

Chemistry, Physical ; Energy & Fuels ; Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

WOS:000865323300013

CELL PRESS

2-s2.0-85138170661

Scopus

1.Laboratory of Renewable Energy Science and Engineering,École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne,Lausanne,1015,Switzerland
2.Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518055,China
3.Group of Energy Materials,École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne,Sion,1951,Switzerland

Lin，Meng,Suter，Clemens,Diethelm，Stefan,et al. Integrated solar-driven high-temperature electrolysis operating with concentrated irradiation[J]. Joule,2022,6(9):2102-2121.

Lin，Meng,Suter，Clemens,Diethelm，Stefan,Van herle，Jan,&Haussener，Sophia.(2022).Integrated solar-driven high-temperature electrolysis operating with concentrated irradiation.Joule,6(9),2102-2121.

Lin，Meng,et al."Integrated solar-driven high-temperature electrolysis operating with concentrated irradiation".Joule 6.9(2022):2102-2121.