2021 EECS Photocatalytic Water Splitting
Yongjin Ma, an International Center Sponsored Affiliate, and Peng Zhou, Research Fellow for Electrical Engineering, install a photocatalytic water splitting system for directly producing hydrogen fuels from water and sunlight outside of Engineering Research Building 2 on North Campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI on September 21,2021.
The system consists of two modules: a solar tracker module and photocatalytic water splitting module. The solar tracker orients a Fresnel lens toward the Sun, which can minimize the angle of incidence between the incoming sunlight and Fresnel lens. Reducing this angle can greatly increase the amount of solar energy collected.
The photocatalytic water splitting module is a chemical reaction device which consists of a photocatalyst wafer, water and reaction chamber. The photocatalyst wafer can use the concentrated solar light to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen is a known clean fuel which can be widely used in the chemical industry and fuel cell-based applications including automobiles and ships.
Photo: Robert Coelius/University of Michigan Engineering, Communications & Marketing
2021 EECS Photocatalytic Water Splitting
Yongjin Ma, an International Center Sponsored Affiliate, and Peng Zhou, Research Fellow for Electrical Engineering, install a photocatalytic water splitting system for directly producing hydrogen fuels from water and sunlight outside of Engineering Research Building 2 on North Campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI on September 21,2021.
The system consists of two modules: a solar tracker module and photocatalytic water splitting module. The solar tracker orients a Fresnel lens toward the Sun, which can minimize the angle of incidence between the incoming sunlight and Fresnel lens. Reducing this angle can greatly increase the amount of solar energy collected.
The photocatalytic water splitting module is a chemical reaction device which consists of a photocatalyst wafer, water and reaction chamber. The photocatalyst wafer can use the concentrated solar light to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen is a known clean fuel which can be widely used in the chemical industry and fuel cell-based applications including automobiles and ships.
Photo: Robert Coelius/University of Michigan Engineering, Communications & Marketing