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Title: Solar photolysis of water
Abstract:
Hydrogen is produced by the solar photolysis of water in a first photo-oxidation vessel with a transparent wall in the presence of a water soluble photo-oxidizable reagent and an insoluble hydrogen recombination catalyst. Simultaneously oxygen is produced in a second photo-reduction reactor with a transparent wall in the presence of an insoluble photo-reduction reagent catalyst. When spent, the solution from the first reactor is fed into the second reactor. A reaction occurs in the dark in which the redox reagents are regenerated, and the regenerated photo-oxidation reagent solution is recycled to the first reactor. The photo-oxidation reagent is preferably a europium salt, and the first reactor also contains a hydrogen recombination catalyst such as platinum supported on glass beads. The photo-reduction catalyst is a bifunctional reagent catalyst including a transition metal salt such as a manganese oxychloride salt covalently bonded to the surface of a high area support such as glass fibers, together with a hydroxyl or chlorohydroxyl decomposition catalyst of high area.
Other info: Inventors: Fletcher, James C. Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space (La Canada, CA, US) Ryason, Porter R. (La Canada, CA, US) Application Number: 658132 Filing Date: 1976-02-13 Publication_date: 1977-08-30 Assignee: Primary Class(es): 204/157.5 204/157.52, 204/905, 422/186 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Other References: Heidt et al., Science, vol. 117, Jan. 23, 1953, pp. 75-76. | |