Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production Using Solar Cells

Photocatalytic hydrogen production via a novel system that combines high-energy and low-energy radiation sources to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The system employs a specially designed window that directs both UV and IR components of solar radiation onto a photocatalyst, enabling the simultaneous absorption of high-energy UV radiation for water splitting and the utilization of low-energy IR radiation to enhance reaction kinetics. The system achieves continuous hydrogen production through a continuous flow of water through the photocatalyst while maintaining optimal operating conditions.

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Solar hydrogen production system that enables efficient and cost-effective hydrogen generation through photocatalytic water splitting. The system comprises a vertically arranged photoreactor with internal tubes containing photocatalysts, where concentrated sunlight is absorbed by the tubes and distributed to the photocatalysts. The system incorporates a novel solar reflector design that maximizes internal surface area while minimizing secondary reflector requirements. The system integrates a thermal energy generation unit with a demister to produce water vapor, which is then directed into the photoreactor. The system achieves higher hydrogen production rates compared to conventional photocatalytic systems through optimized tube geometry and concentrated sunlight absorption.

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A photovoltaic power generation coupled with photocatalytic hydrogen production system that achieves enhanced energy conversion efficiency through a novel integrated approach. The system comprises a photovoltaic power generation unit, a photocatalytic hydrogen production unit, and a gas collection system. The photovoltaic power generation unit is equipped with a photovoltaic cell array, while the photocatalytic hydrogen production unit is equipped with a photocatalyst layer. The gas collection system comprises a gas flow meter, gas storage tank, and gas-liquid separator. The photovoltaic cell array absorbs solar radiation, which is then converted into electrical energy. The photocatalytic hydrogen production unit absorbs infrared radiation and converts it into hydrogen gas. The gas flow is directed to the gas-liquid separator, where it is separated from the photovoltaic cell array. The separated gas is then stored in the gas storage tank for potential use in hydrogen production. This integrated system enables the efficient conversion of solar radiation into both electrical energy and hydrogen, thereby achieving enhanced energy conversion efficiency compared to traditional photovoltaic systems alone.

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A photoelectric cell for hydrogen production through enhanced photocatalytic water splitting utilizing silicon carbide (SiC) electrodes. The cell features a SiC layer with controlled doping, where the doping concentration and purity are optimized to achieve sufficient charge carrier lifetime. The SiC layer is fabricated through a novel process that preserves the intrinsic properties of SiC while enabling efficient charge carrier generation. The resulting SiC electrode exhibits improved photocatalytic activity compared to conventional glass-based electrodes, enabling more efficient water splitting and hydrogen production.

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Pan-ultraviolet photoconcentrator for hydrogen production through photocatalytic decomposition of water, utilizing concentrated UV light to enhance photocatalytic efficiency. The system employs a reaction tank with integrated UV-emitting components, a reflective wall, and a power adjustment unit. The UV light is concentrated through reflective components to focus the energy onto the reaction tank, where water decomposes into hydrogen and oxygen through photocatalytic decomposition. The concentrated light source is controlled by the power adjustment unit to optimize the photocatalytic process.

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Photocatalytic hydrogen production through semiconductor-based water splitting utilizing shaped nanoscale semiconductors immobilized on transparent membranes. The system integrates a transparent container with a pressurized water source, a pressurized electron donor source, and a membrane containing shaped semiconductor particles with embedded seeds. The particles are arranged in a controlled arrangement within the membrane, where they photocatalyze water to produce hydrogen, oxygen, and depleted water. The membrane can be periodically replaced to maintain optimal performance, enabling continuous hydrogen production through photocatalytic water splitting.

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A photocatalytic hydrogen production system that enhances solar water splitting efficiency through a novel heat management architecture. The system comprises a concentrating heat collection component that captures and distributes sunlight to the photocatalytic reaction zones, while a thermoelectric power generation mechanism is integrated below the reaction zones. This configuration enables the system to achieve higher photocatalytic efficiency by optimizing heat management and energy conversion between the concentrated sunlight and the reaction zones. The system employs a semiconductor-based thermoelectric generator that operates between the concentrated sunlight and the reaction zones, providing a closed-loop energy conversion mechanism that enhances the overall photocatalytic performance.

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Solar hydrogen production method through photocatalytic water splitting utilizing a novel photocatalyst that enhances light response, separation efficiency, and electron-hole pair dynamics. The photocatalyst enables efficient hydrogen evolution through continuous and long-duration production, overcoming traditional limitations of solar-to-hydrogen conversion methods. The photocatalyst's enhanced light response capability, superior separation efficiency, and optimized reaction conditions enable high-performance hydrogen production while minimizing energy requirements.

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Photocatalytic water splitting device for producing hydrogen through controlled illumination of water. The device comprises a transparent surface reaction unit and a concentrator assembly that focuses concentrated solar energy onto the reaction unit. The concentrator's reflective surface enhances light absorption while maintaining structural integrity. The reaction unit contains a photocatalytic material that converts water into hydrogen under controlled illumination conditions, with the device achieving efficiencies of up to 100 times concentrated sunlight.

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Solar photocatalytic hydrogen production fuel cell power generation system utilizing photocatalytic hydrogen production and fuel cell technology for efficient and reliable hydrogen production. The system integrates a photocatalytic reactor, gas turbine, and fuel cell to produce high-purity hydrogen while utilizing excess oxygen from the fuel cell. The system employs a molecular sieve membrane gas separator to separate hydrogen from the exhaust gas, ensuring safe operation and preventing hydrogen explosion. The system also incorporates a gas turbine to generate electricity from the exhaust gas, enabling comprehensive energy recovery.

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A household solar concentrating photovoltaic-photothermal-hydrogen production system integrates solar concentrator, photovoltaic photothermal module, and electrolytic water hydrogen production module to provide green hydrogen and oxygen gas and heat energy for cooking. The system comprises a parabolic reflective surface and a total reflection cone in the concentrating module, which concentrate solar energy onto the photovoltaic cell while maintaining high efficiency. The photovoltaic cell generates electrical energy, which is then fed into the hydrogen production module to electrolyze water and produce hydrogen and oxygen. The system also incorporates a heat exchange system to utilize waste heat from the photovoltaic cell, enabling efficient energy conversion and utilization.

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Hydrogen production apparatus that efficiently separates and refines hydrogen from water through a novel photocatalytic system. The apparatus employs a dual-conversion optical system that separates sunlight into visible and ultraviolet components, with the ultraviolet component being converted to visible light. The visible light is then directed to the photocatalyst, where water decomposition occurs, while the ultraviolet component is converted to visible light. This dual-conversion approach enables the photocatalyst to harness a broader spectrum of sunlight, including infrared components, to enhance hydrogen production efficiency.

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A photocatalytic hydrogen production device that achieves efficient hydrogen separation while minimizing external heating requirements through a novel dual-stage gas separation system. The device employs a photocatalytic reactor with integrated gas handling, where protective gas is delivered through a separate delivery system while hydrogen and oxygen are separated through a molecular membrane gas separator. The device incorporates an integrated heat management system that utilizes a heat-absorbing material within the photocatalytic reactor to maintain operating temperatures without the need for external heating equipment. This design enables the separation of hydrogen and oxygen while maintaining optimal operating conditions, thereby overcoming the limitations of conventional one-step photocatalytic hydrogen production methods.

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A solar-driven photoelectric-thermochemical hydrogen production system that maximizes solar energy utilization through frequency division of the solar spectrum. The system employs a concentrator assembly to enhance solar intensity, a frequency division assembly to split the spectrum, a photovoltaic-waste heat utilization device to capture and convert waste heat into electrical energy, a photoelectrolysis device to produce hydrogen through electrolysis, and a thermochemical reaction device to convert waste heat into hydrogen through photocatalytic and pyrolytic reactions. The system achieves higher energy conversion efficiency by using the full spectrum of solar radiation, including UV light, and converting it into clean hydrogen through a combined photoelectric and thermochemical process.

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A solar photocatalytic hydrogen production device that integrates a solar heating system with a compact photocatalytic reactor. The device comprises a solar heating system that includes a heat collection portion and a liquid storage tank, where the heat collection portion is connected to the liquid storage tank through a heat transfer fluid circulation path. The solar heating system is specifically designed to efficiently utilize solar energy to generate heat, which is then used to activate the photocatalytic reaction in the reactor compartment. This integrated design enables the production of hydrogen through photocatalytic decomposition while achieving higher efficiency and device compactness compared to traditional photocatalytic systems.

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Photocatalyst for hydrogen generation, water splitting system, and method for hydrogen production that enables efficient water decomposition using visible light. The photocatalyst comprises a semiconductor material that absorbs visible light and a metal cyanometallate supported on the semiconductor. The metal cyanometallate transfers electrons to holes generated in the semiconductor, facilitating water oxidation and oxygen production. This photocatalyst system achieves solar energy conversion efficiency of 5% or higher through enhanced light utilization compared to conventional photocatalysts.

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Off-grid photovoltaic hydrogen production system that optimizes energy conversion from renewable sources to hydrogen while enhancing overall system efficiency. The system integrates photovoltaic power generation, electrolysis of water, and hydrogen storage through a hierarchical control architecture that dynamically regulates energy flow between these components. The system monitors and analyzes energy consumption patterns across multiple energy sources, predicting and managing power fluctuations to maximize energy conversion. This architecture enables the efficient production of hydrogen from renewable energy sources while maintaining reliable power supply and hydrogen storage.

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Transparent solar cell-based photoelectrochemical cell system that enables simultaneous power generation and hydrogen production through a single transparent solar cell architecture. The system comprises a transparent solar cell as the photoanode, a photocathode layer, and a transparent electrode layer. The transparent solar cell functions as both the photoanode and photocathode, while the photocathode layer provides the necessary hydrogen production capability through water decomposition. This integrated architecture enables continuous energy generation through sunlight while simultaneously producing hydrogen through photocatalytic water splitting. The system achieves a transmittance of 60% or more in the visible spectrum, making it suitable for building-integrated energy systems.

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A solar hydrogen production system that integrates solar energy generation, seawater desalination, and photocatalytic hydrogen production through a novel optical system. The system comprises a Fresnel lens, spectroscope, solar power generation device, reaction chamber, honeycomb activated carbon, gas storage device, and fresh water collection device. The Fresnel lens collects concentrated solar energy, while the spectroscope selectively separates UV and IR light. The solar power generation device drives the system, while the reaction chamber utilizes a photocatalytic catalyst to convert seawater into hydrogen. The system achieves high efficiency by utilizing the spectroscope's selective transmission of UV and IR light.

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Integrated photoelectrochemical hydrogen production module that enables efficient and economical hydrogen production through a novel combination of semiconductor photocatalysts and solar-powered electrolysis. The module comprises a solar cell panel with two separate gas generation spaces, where the solar cell's electrodes are connected to the panel's electrodes. The solar cell's ion exchange membrane enables selective gas exchange between the two gas generation spaces. This design eliminates the need for separate photovoltaic and electrolytic cells while maintaining high efficiency through optimized gas exchange and electrolyte management.

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