GREEN HYDROGEN FROM SEA WATER

Creating green hydrogen by the electrolytic separation of salty seawater is a novel and sustainable process. Nevertheless, the many contaminants in saltwater make it difficult for typical electrolysis systems to remain stable over time.

Two electrodes in the electrolysers, each covered with catalysts that enable the current to travel through the water, are the foundation of the electrolysis process. When the gases are split from the water on opposite sides, a membrane divides them into hydrogen and oxygen.

To complete this procedure without damaging the electrodes or encountering corrosion issues brought on by the various components of saltwater, the water must be completely clean. The issue is not resolved by using highly selective electro-catalysts or polyanion coatings to thwart chloride ion corrosion.

Magnesium and calcium ions in seawater also interact with the catalyst to generate byproducts that might block membranes, and the electrolyser's effectiveness is decreased by all these negative effects.

Chinese scientists of the Nanjin Technical University have created a method for electrolyzing saltwater without first desalinating it, which resolves the related side-reaction and corrosion issues.

To get around these problems, the team soaks the electrodes in a concentrated potassium hydroxide electrolyte solution, and a porous membrane aids in separating the electrolyte solution from saltwater.

The membrane, which is composed of affordable, fluorine-rich, waterproof, breathable, and anti-biofouling PTFE, stops liquid water but allows water vapor to pass through.

The researchers created a demonstration unit with 11 electrolysis cells to show how useful the technology is. They tested it using saltwater from Shenzhen Bay.

With a production rate of 386 liters of hydrogen per hour, this system ran steadily and faultlessly operated for more than 130 days.

In real-world application circumstances, this equates to a current density of 250 milliamps per square centimeter for more than 3200 hours.

Moreover, there were no indications of corrosion on the electrodes, indicating that the membranes were 100% successful in obstructing dangerous instrument ions. Now, scientists are evaluating electrolytes other than potassium hydroxide as well as other materials for electrodes and catalysts to increase the system's efficiency.

They argue that their invention can extract essential materials like lithium from water while simultaneously producing hydrogen. The method might be used for purposes other than producing hydrogen, such depolluting industrial effluent, which would significantly lessen its negative effects on the environment and water quality.

At time of writing this article, the University of Adelaide (Australia) also announced the same breakthrough with a slightly different conclusion but headed in the same direction.

Are we going to see a flurry of scientific inquiry in this once very futuristic field?

Inland Surfing And Energy

In the man-made surfing lake ‘The Wave’, in Gloucestershire, England, construction will soon begin on a solar and energy storage array.

It will create more energy than it consumes annually thanks to the solar system, making it totally carbon neutral. It will be finished by June 2023, at which point it should start producing electricity. While the installation currently consumes 2.25 million kWh annually, it is anticipated to produce 3 million kWh in its first year of operation.

To finance the development, the firm that runs The Wave obtained a commercial loan and $1.45 million in financing from the European Regional Development Fund Growth Program, in addition to matching funds in the form of a commercial loan from South Gloucestershire Council.

Nick Hounsfield, the creator of The Wave, stated: "From the beginning, we declared we would use 100% renewable energy – it would have been so terrible for us to be using fossil fuels to power our waves, so contributing to climate change and the acidification of the seas.”

When the intelligent minds in Britain begin to reflect ethically, they are really ticking all the necessary boxes.

Hats off to the Easter Compton guys!