A Closer Look at Direct Solar Water Splitting

As the consequences of the climate crisis become ever more apparent, the need for renewable energy sources has become more urgent. To address the variability of such energy sources, hydrogen is often touted as a possible energy carrier. Photoelectrochemical water splitting is a completely renewable and emission free technique that could be used to generate hydrogen, however the semiconducting photocatalysts used are not yet viable. In order to develop new materials, a detailed understanding of the situation at the surface of the photocatalyst is essential. Near ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) is utilised to allow the surfaces of existing photocatalysts, such as metal oxides, to be characterised during the water splitting reaction at ambient pressures. As a result, both chemical and electronic information can be found while conducting measurements in situ. Further, operando studies are carried out by coupling a solar simulator to the near ambient pressure cell (NAP-cell).

The EU Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) estimates the number of Engineers and Scientists in the Fuel Cells area in Europe to grow from 2 000 in the year 2012, to 17400 in 2020, and over 50 000 by 2030. To the benefit of the UK economy, the CDT in Fuel Cells and their Fuels targets this challenge by offering a structured training programme for doctoral researchers. The CDT will deliver significant cutting edge R&D results that will help move fuel cell and hydrogen (FCH) technologies further towards commercialisation. The CDT will deliver in the areas of

- basic sciences: electrochemistry and characterisation, modelling, catalysis;

- materials sciences: materials and components for low temperature (PEFC) and high temperature fuel cells (SOFC); analysis of fuel cell and electrolyser degradation phenomena at various scales (nano-scale in functional layers up to systems level), including the development of accelerated testing procedures;

- systems engineering: design, components, optimisation and control for fuel cell systems, including hybrid fuel-cell-battery and gas turbine systems; integration of renewable energies into energy systems using hydrogen as a stabilising vector;

- fuel processing: direct use of various hydrocarbon fuels in fuel cell systems (methane, propane, natural gas, biogas, bio-syn-gas from gasification processes, ethanol etc.), hydrocarbon fuel processing and handling of fuel impurities;

- hydrogen production: by electrolysis and from hydrocarbon fuels, from biological processes, and by photochemistry; hydrogen storage and purification; development of low and high temperature electrolysers;

- socio-economics: health issues, public acceptance, economics, market introduction, innovation management; system studies on the benefits of FCH technologies to national and international energy supply.

Industry collaboration will build on the successes of the current CDT in Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and their Applications led by UoB. Industry partners include companies Intelligent Energy, ITM Power, ACAL, EADS, Johnson Matthey, TATA Motors, RRFCS/LG, EON UK, MIBA/Teer Coatings, MIRA, CENEX, and others. The existing CDT has shown that these partners will primarily profit from the training programme in that they receive cutting edge research results and have direct access to the graduating students. All 6 students who have finalised their thesis by 2013 have received offers from named industry partners. Other industry will profit in the mid-term as graduation numbers increase from 2013 onwards and the students venture out into the wider workplace. The total of 50 industry ready students from the existing Centre plus the 77 envisaged by this bid will create an impact by supplying industry leadership and creating UK economic growth.

The academic partners represent a critical mass in student training in the field and are responsible for 15 and more annual PhD graduates in the UK. The reinforcement of a structured education for PhD students will have a major impact on the availability of Human Resources to companies and research centres developing fuel cell products. The delivery of Safety related modules adds a vital element to the training programme. Safety issues today are often not well understood and this element will help ensure that hydrogen technologies are safe in the future and become everyday commodities.

The CDT will link directly with the EPSRC SUPERGEN Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Hub. The Hub will support students from other universities to attend CDT modules. This interaction will intensify the exchange between UK researchers in the field. The interaction with other European training initiatives (Summer Schools, curriculum development) will allow the further development of high quality training materials and grant the Centre students access to placements and exchanges with foreign institutions and industry.