Producing hydrogen from water and sunlight

Scientists believe they can produce an endless amount of hydrogen energy from water using sunlight.

Scientists at the University of Colorado (USA) use a series of mirrors to focus sunlight into a tower of tens of meters high. The tower will be heated to about 1,350 degrees Celsius, hot enough to release hydrogen from water vapor with the help of a metal oxide compound.

Model of hydrogen production plant from water by sunlight.

"We have designed a completely new technology that is different from previous methods ," said Professor Alan Weimer, head of the research. 'Separating hydrogen from water with solar energy is the holy cup of a sustainable economy based on hydrogen'.

Scientists explain the principle of the hydrogen gas plant they designed, similar to the process of using a magnifying glass to create fire.

'We can focus sunlight until it is extremely hot to produce chemical reactions. While we can produce a hotter heat of more than 1,350 degrees Celsius, we want these reactions to still occur at the lowest level. Because high temperatures can cause thermal expansion to damage reactors and chemical materials , 'said Professor Alan Weimer.

The amount of hydrogen produced is entirely dependent on the amount of metal oxide compounds (including iron, cobalt, aluminum and oxygen) and steam. A hydrogen production system requires a large number of towers and each tower is surrounded by many spherical mirrors.

Last year, British scientists also announced they had found a way to produce gasoline from the air. The company Air Fuel Synthesis in Teesside has created a gasoline fuel filter system from CO2 and steam.