Side by Side Schematic of the Floating Pv-Electrolyzer (IMAGE)

Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science

Side by Side Schematic of the Floating Pv-Electrolyzer

Caption

(Left) Photo of the stand-alone PV-electrolyzer prototype floating in a liquid reservoir of sulfuric acid. Photovoltaic cells positioned on top of the "mini rig" convert light into electricity that is used to power the membraneless electrolyzer submerged below. The generated H2 bubbles are harvested within the interior of the device as they float upwards, while O2 bubbles are allowed to vent to the atmosphere. (Right) Rendering of a hypothetical large-scale "solar fuels rig" operating on the open sea where it uses abundant sunlight to split seawater into H2, which is temporarily stored on the rig before being piped or shipped back to shore.

Credit

(Left) Jack Davis (Right) Justin Bui/Columbia Engineering

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Please use the credit line: (Left) Jack Davis (Right) Justin Bui/Columbia Engineering

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