Descripción del proyecto
Pasos hacia la comercialización de combustibles solares líquidos
La energía solar ha sido empleada durante decenios para desencadenar reacciones químicas dirigidas a producir combustibles. Sin embargo, la tecnología todavía tiene mucho camino que recorrer antes de que pueda ser rentable y escalable para aplicaciones industriales. El proyecto financiado con fondos europeos Sun-To-X utilizará, en primer lugar, la energía solar y la humedad ambiental para producir hidrógeno. Seguidamente, con la energía solar concentrada, favorecerá que el hidrógeno reaccione para generar un combustible líquido no tóxico y energéticamente denso denominado Hydrosil, que se empleará directamente en los sectores del transporte y la energía y que únicamente produce agua como residuo. Esta innovación rupturista podría eliminar muchas barreras que obstaculizan el empleo de combustibles líquidos con cero emisiones.
Objetivo
The Sun-to-X project will contribute to European Commission targets for clean energy for all and circular economy by developing a system for the conversion of solar energy into storable chemical fuel. While the concept of solar-to-chemical fuels has been around for decades, the technology has been limited by the economic viability and scalability of the technology.
The Sun-to-X project focuses on using solar energy to produce a carbon-free, non-toxic, energy-dense, liquid fuel - Hydrosil, with very good long-term stability, which is applicable in the transport and energy sectors. We will firstly produce hydrogen as chemical intermediate through a photoelectrochemical device. This will then be converted to Hydrosil through a thermochemical reaction.
The novelty of our proposal lies in the following three key aspects:
1. Overcoming the known practical challenges of high-performance photoelectrochemical fuel production by using membrane photoelectrode assemblies which can operate with solar energy using only ambient humidity as the water supply
2. Developing reactors for and demonstrating the renewable production of Hydrosil for the first time, using a thermochemical process (using concentrated solar light)
3. Demonstrating a completely decarbonised energy cycle with liquid fuels
In addition, we will demonstrate the applicability of Hydrosil towards the transition to a circular economy, by using it for the valorisation of waste plastics.
Ámbito científico
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsliquid fuels
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energysolar energy
- natural scienceschemical sciencesphysical chemistrythermochemistry
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicssustainable economy
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Convocatoria de propuestas
Consulte otros proyectos de esta convocatoriaConvocatoria de subcontratación
H2020-LC-SC3-2019-NZE-RES-CC
Régimen de financiación
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinador
1140 Bruxelles / Brussel
Bélgica