Solar Hydrogen Project

Group Update

9th June 2009

Solar Hydrogen Project: Minutes 1. General review:

Weizmann UK Meeting (6/7th July). Attendance: individual registration (at £50) will be required. KH to see if there is assistance for students to attend/discounts for a large order. Action: KH

Ashden Awards Meeting: poster for photochemistry not found; re-print for meeting. Action: SD. Posters required by 9am 10/6/09.

Blackboard resource for Solar Programme: links not working at present; material from the team members once these have been mended. Action: BT/Project Team.

Actions: the following progress against these was reported:

WO3 deposition for multi-well plate H2 sensor (SD/BT/FZ): FZ reported no further developments from UniSurrey.

KH will contact Paul Russell (Teeside Uni) for possible collaboration in coating technologies. Action: KH

Team to investigate other collaborators for other coating/deposition technologies. Action: Project Team

Solar simulator: visit Wed 3rd June. The urgency for a solution has been raised with LOT Oriel.

Doctor blading application of materials: i) awaiting date for collection of doctor blade machine from Hydrogen Solar Action: SD. ii) progress made on sourcing a squeegee. Will complete purchase this week. Action: FZ.

Identify and get quotation for a muffle furnace for treatment of large area (cavity: 20 x 20 x 20 cm) samples. Action: SD.

Dissemination of results: further meetings of interest were presented:

HySyDays: abstract (BT) submitted.

Abstract for WHEC submitted.

“Photoelectrochemistry” abstract to be written and submitted to Electrochem09. Action: SD.

Continue to identify hydrogen-related conferences and other forums. Action: ALL.

Solar Hydrogen Project: Minutes

2. Progress and Actions: progress and actions for the next week follows.

BT: LED arrays have been tested; intensity data for each was presented; the small array was ideal for growth studies; the large array was too intense and will require some additional control. Algal growth kinetics study started; cross-flow filtration: a unit will be loaned to the group, with option to purchase if successful. Need to check operation of pO2 probe; evaluate ion chromatography; chase up progress on patent application: Action BT.

FZ: work on connections to bioreactor continued, with progress hampered by lack of interest from vendors and Sartorius. Action: FZ to progress with workshop; establish whether a centrifugal pump will affect algae.

PG: Project methodology approved: work on model has started; Action: start investigation H2 storage.

PB: require vitreous carbon disc electrodes, need to identify a suitable vendor. Action: PB. Electrochemical cell identified and modified.

SD: email to Neil Alford and Nic Harrison written but not sent! Meeting held with Alex Bismarck: atmospheric plasma system appears suitable for film deposition tests. Action: Draw up plan for experiments.

Continue to support development of model with database of key materials parameters.

Other Actions: identify (and purchase) system for calibrating/determining spectral variation of light sources (e.g. StellarNet).

Actions/Tasks carried over: surface engineering: surface texturing and fabrication with Cabral group. Set up meeting.

CC: revised COMSOL simulation to proper convergence and obtained similar results. Run simple calculation of bubble formation in reactor. Quotation for quartz received. Action: complete costing for Ti components, nitrile sheet (gaskets) and fluid connections.

Solar Hydrogen Group Technician. KH reported that agreement had been reached for technical support (Paul Crudge) for the group (3-4 days per week). This will run for 3 months in the first instance, to establish procedures and effectiveness. We will have to organise design work to make the most of Paul’s availability: prioritise work on reactors (1. BT vertical reactor; 2. CC photoelectrochemical reactor). Workshop jobs will still have to be submitted in the same way. Paul will be involved in the regular meetings.

3. Next Meeting: Tuesday 9th June at 16:00; Room 252. Please inform KH beforehand if you are unable to attend. Presentation material (suggest 1-2 pages, unless more are required) to be submitted to SD by 15:00 on the day, for Powerpoint presentation.

Solar Hydrogen Project: PG

• Meeting with SD arranged to discuss methodology.

• Summary of process has been produced

Solar Hydrogen Project: CC

Part Detail Source Size Quantity CostWindow Quartz window GPE

Scientific2.5x120x120 3 369.60

Seal Nitrile sheet, white RS 1.5x1500x500 1 29.25O-ring 4.1mm ID 50 2.39

Diffuser PTFE rod white RS 5x1000 5 8.66Bolt hexagon head high tensile steel

BZPRS M8 x 100mm 50 16.79

Washer plain A2 s/steel RS M8 100 1.99plain A2 s/steel RS M4 250 1.63

Nut hexagon full nut high tensile steel BZP

RS M8 100 4.49

Screw A2 s/steel cross self-tapping RS No.8 x 12.7mm 100 6.17Pumping L/S 2 channel peristaltic pump ColeParmer 1000ml/min 1 218.00

Tygon chemical tubing L/S 25 x 50ft 1 75.00PVDF barb to male NFT adapter 1/8” NFT x ¼” 20 37.58PVDF Y-connector ¼” 10 26.65

Titanium Screw Pro-bolt M4 x 45mm 20 68.80Washer M4 40 47.60Nut M4 40 52.80Wire Advent? 1mm x 5m 1 57.00

1024.40

Part Detail Source Size Quantity CostReactor Leemark 3 2706.00

SubTotal

3730.40

+VAT 559.56TOTAL 4289.96

PEC Reactor Parts List

Part Quantity (1 set) Cost ($) (for 2 set) Cost ($) (for 3 sets)

Base 1 751 900

Top 1 770 918

Spacer 3 1483 1879

Plates 3 600 700

TOTAL 3604 4397

Delivery

4 weeks

Current exchange rate £1 = $1.53

Reactor – eMachineShopPTFE (PVDF not specified)

WORKSHOP6 weeks?

LEEMARK£902 each for 3 reactors4 weeks

Solar Hydrogen Project: SD

• Ashden Awards: poster sent to Victoria H

• Solar Simulator: one thing after another!

• Muffle furnace: Elite Thermal Systems– BCF 11/15: 220x220x310 mm; ~£1700– BCF 11/8: 180x190x235 mm; ~£1160

• Electrochem 09• Photoelectrolysis Meeting: arranged for

Friday 12th June

Solar Hydrogen Project: SD

• Photoelectrochemical measurements:– Started work on EPFL Fe2O3. Full set of

experiments:– Dark:

• CV • Impedance

– Illuminated:• Photocurrent (dc and ac)• Photocurrent spectroscopy• Impedance (?)

Solar Hydrogen Project: SD

-2.5E-05

0.0E+00

2.5E-05

5.0E-05

7.5E-05

1.0E-04

-0.5 -0.25 0 0.25 0.5 0.75 1

Potential vs qre / Volts

Ph

oto

curr

ent

den

sity

/ A

cm-2

dc Photocurrent ac Photocurrent

Ir Deposition

O2 H2

Solar Hydrogen Project: PB

4mx980mmx25mm 2000mmx700mmx10mm

Suppliers: ScrewFixAerial PlasticsJewsonB&QHome Base

Corotherm Thinwall Polycarbonate Sheet Clear

Prices range from:£92 - £545 per pack of 5or £19 - £28 per sheet

Description: Polyvent 300 2.0M Flat ChannelProduct Details:Code: 30200Description: Polyvent 300 2M Flat ChannelBrand: BrandColour: WHITEMaterial: PVCDimensionsLength: 2Width: 0.308Height: 0.29

Polyvent 300 Flat Channel Connector Polyvent 300 Round To Rectangular

Polyvent 300 Elbow Bend / Plenum

http://www.polypipe.com/polypipe/controller?action=VENTS-ViewCategory&categoryID=7467

Various commercially available design systems

Design on progress

Hi Fessehaye;Please find attached some results I have secured on your requirements.They are preliminary, and I am sure some annealing would further enhance the WO3 content.Can you also let me know about your group and your line manager, so that I can speak to Ravi and arrange how to proceed, if you think the films I have grown are acceptable?Kind RegardsDamitha

UniSurrey feasibilty study Results

C. Matei Ghimbeu et al, Thin Solid Films 515 (2007) 5498–5504

Room-temperature Raman spectra of (a) as-deposited WO3 film at 350 °C (1 ml/h for 1 h) and (b) annealed at 500 °C for 2 h in air.

EDX spectrum of a WO3 film deposited at 350 °C (1 ml/h for 1 h) and annealed at 500 °C for 2 h in air.

C. Matei Ghimbeu et al, Thin Solid Films 515 (2007) 5498–5504

C. Matei Ghimbeu

C. Matei Ghimbeu et al