The Ultimate Power Bank:
Photocatalytic hydrogen production from sunlight.
AIM:
Harnessing solar power to drive technological innovation helping the nation achieve its goal of transitioning from non-renewable fuels and move towards sustainable cleaner energy.
The Technical Bit
Hydrogen Production Reactor:
- Photocatalytic hydrogen production is achieved using sunlight driven prototype photocatalytic hydrogen generator.
- Producing 6.1 L of H2 in 8 hours (760 mL of H2 per hour).
- Catalysis: Nanostructured porous Carbon Nitride Polymers.
Micro PEM fuel cell:
- Stack of 5 cells with bipolar plate made up of 5 mm thick graphite material.
- Weighing 160 g, 2 mm thick copper plates used as current collector.
Targeting Towards:
Tandem assembly of H2 production unit with PEM fuel cell envisages to produce 3-5 W as a packaged product (stored in Type IV canisters) and extendable up to short stack (50-100 W for 20 minutes).
The Pursuit: A Sustainable Model for Renewable Power Generation
- Lighting up the nation: From green H2 to electricity generation
- Integration of a novel micro PEMFC to the H2 production reactor
- Value-added fine chemicals production from biomass is a bonus!
- Indigenous development of new material, catalyst, and components of fuel cell
Unlocking India's Green H2 Mission
The energy crisis and ever-threatening climate crisis urged us to work on this promising way of hydrogen production through photocatalytic water splitting. The stability and chemical flexibility of having different organic groups in carbon nitrides triggered us to work on these cost-effective organic semiconductor materials for sustainable hydrogen production.
Dr. Kamalakannan Kailasam
Principal Investigator, INST
As the world explores sustainable energy options, Green H2 is emerging as a global favourite. As the cost of the electrolyser and dependence on conventional energy have been a huge hurdle, this technology overcomes both by harnessing solar power for H2 production using cost-effective reagents. Solar powered H2 production is the key to empower our Nation's Energy Self-sufficiency goal.
