Comparison of Solar Electrochemical, Thermal Hybrid Water Splitting

1 Comparison of Solar Electrochemical, Thermal Hybrid Water Splitting 

Electrochemical water splitting, generating H2 and O2 at separate electrodes, largely circumvents the gas recombination and high temperature limitations occurring in thermal hydrogen processes. Thus a hybrid of thermal dissociation and elec- 

However, these models did not incorporate solar heat effects on the electrolysis energetics as elaborated below. 

Unlike room temperature solar PV and photoelectrochemical electrolysis, the hybrid approach utilizes energy of the full solar spectrum, leading to substantially higher solar energy efficiencies. The IR radiation is energetically insufficient to drive conventional solar cells, and this solar radiation is normally discarded (by reflectance or as re radiated heat.) On the other hand, in the hybrid approach, as seen in Fig. 2 

I) 1 photoconverter / electrolyzer HaO spiit/time = Ih o = Ji-photA/F AJi-ptiotVi-phot = IhsoVh o 

I) 1 photoconverter/electrolyzer H20 split/time = Ih2o = Ji-photA/F AJi-photVi-phot = Ih2oVh2o 

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