Descripción del proyecto
Fotosíntesis artificial con energía solar para las industrias químicas
Las industrias químicas necesitan ayuda para integrar fuentes de energía renovables en sus procesos. El proyecto PHOTOSINT, financiado con fondos europeos, tiene por objeto producir hidrógeno y metanol de forma sostenible utilizando solo luz solar, aguas residuales y CO2. El proceso se basa en la fotosíntesis artificial con energía solar e incorpora nuevos materiales catalíticos para mejorar la eficiencia del proceso. En PHOTOSINT se pretende maximizar la eficiencia energética concentrando e iluminando la superficie del semiconductor para mejorar los índices de conversión para uso industrial. También se quiere integrar células fotovoltaicas de perovskita para suministrar tensión eléctrica externa. El equipo de PHOTOSINT evaluará la viabilidad de ampliar las tecnologías de energías renovables, utilizando metanol e hidrógeno en motores, empleando una pila de combustible de membrana de intercambio de protones de alta temperatura para la generación de electricidad, y utilizando hidrógeno como combustible alternativo en hornos de fundición, a fin de reducir las emisiones de CO2.
Objetivo
The PHOTOSINT project presents solutions to the challenges chemical industries are facing in integrating renewable energy sources into their processes. The project will deliver sustainable processes to produce hydrogen and methanol as energy vectors using only sunlight as an energy source and wastewater and CO2 as feedstocks, making the industries more auto-sufficient. The pathway is based on solar-driven artificial photosynthesis, and aims to develop new catalytic earth-abundant materials and modifications of existing ones to improve catalytic processes. Design parameters of the PEC cell will be tuned to maximize solar to fuel (STF) efficiency. Moreover to improve the conversion for industrial implementation, PHOTOSINT will develop a novel way to concentrate and illuminate the semiconductor surface to maximize overall energy efficiency. Perovskite solar PV cells will be integrated to harvest the light to supply the external electrical voltage.
PHOTOSINT is an ambitious project due to precedents in research conducted to date and the low production rate of the desired products. For integrating sunlight energy into the industry, the catalyst will be studied, and then the best one/s will be implemented in prototypes. The obtained results will be used for making scale-up in pilots with tandem PEC cells. These steps are necessary to assess the industrial scale-up feasibility, promoting the increased competitiveness of renewable process energy technologies and energy independence. MeOH and H2 will be tested in engines. Also, an HTPEM fuel cell will be used for electricity generation, and hydrogen will be tested as an alternative fuel for energy generation instead natural gas in melting furnaces avoiding CO2 emissions.
Ámbito científico
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processeswastewater treatment processes
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectrical engineeringpower engineeringelectric power generation
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsfossil energynatural gas
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryalcohols
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsfuel cells
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinador
41300 LA RINCONADA SEVILLA
España