'Major discovery' from MIT primed to unleash solar revolution
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Re: 'Major discovery' from MIT primed to unleash solar revolution
#2its not just electricity. decentralization is going to be the major hurdle of the 21st century. we may even get to the point of one world government before we realize how stupid and inefficient it is.
Re: 'Major discovery' from MIT primed to unleash solar revolution
#3awesome stuff though Kocera seems to be drinking a little too much of his own koolaid
Re: 'Major discovery' from MIT primed to unleash solar revolution
#4Decentralization of energy production will be revolutionary.
This particular article, on the other hand, makes no mention of the economic factors involved in the said processes. To top it off, there's been a sway of "amazing solar discoveries" recently and we'd be lucky to see a handful of them actually make it into the real world. That said, I'll believe it when I see it.
Re: 'Major discovery' from MIT primed to unleash solar revolution
#5Decentralization of energy production will be revolutionary. This particular article, on the other hand, makes no mention of the economic factors involved in the said processes. To top it off, there's been a sway of "amazing solar discoveries" recently and we'd be lucky to see a handful of them actually make it into the real world. That said, I'll believe it when I see it.
Regarding economics factors:
Requiring nothing but abundant, non-toxic natural materials, this discovery could unlock the most potent, carbon-free energy source of all: the sun.
Now we can split the water (H2 + O2) in a cheap efficient and highly manufacturing way http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/sci;1162018/DC2
Though It requires Platinum at the moment (Pt is not a cheap earth-abundant material).
Re: 'Major discovery' from MIT primed to unleash solar revolution
#6What's not clear to me from the article is, if the cheap easy catalyst makes oxygen gas from water, what's left over before we get the platinum involved, perhaps a bunch of hydrogen ions in solution? Something like 6xH20 -> O2 + 2xH30 or 2xH20 -> O2 + 2H+
Re: 'Major discovery' from MIT primed to unleash solar revolution
#7Decentralization of energy production will be revolutionary. This particular article, on the other hand, makes no mention of the economic factors involved in the said processes. To top it off, there's been a sway of "amazing solar discoveries" recently and we'd be lucky to see a handful of them actually make it into the real world. That said, I'll believe it when I see it.
Regarding economics factors: Requiring nothing but abundant, non-toxic natural materials, this discovery could unlock the most potent, carbon-free energy source of all: the sun. Now we can split the water (H2 + O2) in a cheap efficient and highly manufacturing way http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/sci;1162018/DC2 Though It requires Platinum at the moment (Pt is not a cheap earth-abundant material).
Although they would require very small amounts (I think). I am pretty sure catalytic converters in cars and other industrial devices use tiny amounts of Pt, and they aren't a real cost burden.
Re: 'Major discovery' from MIT primed to unleash solar revolution
#8What's not clear to me from the article is, if the cheap easy catalyst makes oxygen gas from water, what's left over before we get the platinum involved, perhaps a bunch of hydrogen ions in solution? Something like 6xH20 -> O2 + 2xH30 or 2xH20 -> O2 + 2H+
Acidic water?
Re: 'Major discovery' from MIT primed to unleash solar revolution
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
Regarding economics factors: Requiring nothing but abundant, non-toxic natural materials, this discovery could unlock the most potent, carbon-free energy source of all: the sun. Now we can split the water (H2 + O2) in a cheap efficient and highly manufacturing way http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/sci;1162018/DC2 Though It requires Platinum at the moment (Pt is not a cheap earth-abundant material).
Although they would require very small amounts (I think). I am pretty sure catalytic converters in cars and other industrial devices use tiny amounts of Pt, and they aren't a real cost burden.
Actually, catalytic converters are pretty expensive, and their theft is on the rise. I know someone who had his car stolen in Oakland. The police found the car, but the catalytic converter was sawed off. Supposedly they run a couple hundred $ minimum.
Re: 'Major discovery' from MIT primed to unleash solar revolution
#10According to wikipedia, electrolysis is currently around 65% efficient, with a theoretical cap somewhere around 90%. So this could help, but it's not going to be an order of magnitude improvement.
Also, storing large quantities of (I assume pressurized) gas has got to be expensive. The nice thing about liquids is that you can store them in a vat, or a dammed up canyon.
I didn't rtfa, its probably cool tech, but hardly a revolution. Good luck guys.