EEVblog Electronics Community Forum
Electronics => Power/Renewable Energy/EV's => Topic started by: cdev on January 22, 2018, 03:52:55 am
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Artificial Photosynthesis as a Frontier Technology for Energy Sustainability
Energy Environ. Sci., The Royal Society of Chemistry 2013, DOI: 10.1039/c3ee40534f
Abstract
Humanity is on the threshold of a technological revolution that will allow all human structures across the earth to undertake photosynthesis more efficiently than plants; making zero carbon fuels by using solar energy to split water (as a cheap and abundant source of hydrogen) or other products from reduced atmospheric carbon dioxide. The development and global deployment of such artificial photosynthesis (AP) technology addresses three of humanity’s most urgent public policy challenges: to reduce anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, to increase fuel security and to provide a sustainable global economy and ecosystem. Yet, despite the considerable research being undertaken in this field and the incipient thrust to commercialization, AP remains largely unknown in energy and climate change public policy debates. Here we explore mechanisms for enhancing the policy and governance profile of this frontier technology for energy sustainability, even in the absence of a global project on artificial photosynthesis.
Keywords: artificial photosynthesis, solar fuels, solar energy, renewable energy, sustainability, nanotechnology
Download at https://ssrn.com/abstract=2235961
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There is already the option to use PV and electric production of H2. So the artificial Photosynthesis would only be good if really cheap. With the likely needed tubing this is not very likely. In addition PV could be used to electricity too - so separating the energy collecting cells and H2 conversion has additional benefits.
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From what I can remember from studying natural photosynthesis years ago it's not very efficient, on the order of 1 - 2 % incoming radiant energy to chemical bonds. So beating it not necessarily impressive or useful. As Kleinstein says it also has to beat the incumbent solar panels which are at industrial scale pricing now. The devil is in the details of how it can scale outside the lab and does it require ultra-expensive and delicate catalysts.