Solar-Hydrogen
for Australia’s Energy Future
Leigh Sheppard
Solar Energy Technologies
School of Natural Sciences
The University of Western Sydney
WHO DO YOU KNOW?
List 1
Thomas Edison
Archimedes
Marie Curie
Leonardo da Vinci
Galileo
Charles Darwin
Isaac Newton
Albert Einstein
Louis Pasteur
Daniel Bernouilli
WHO DO YOU KNOW?
List 2
William Gates III
Warren Buffett
Carlos Slim Helu
Lawrence Ellison
Ingvar Kamprad
Karl Albrecht
Mukesh Ambani
Lakshmi Mittal
Theo Albrecht
Amancio Ortega
WHO DO YOU KNOW?
List 1
List 2
Thomas Edison
Archimedes
Marie Curie
William Gates III
Warren Buffett
Carlos Slim Helu
Leonardo da Vinci
Galileo
Charles Darwin
Lawrence Ellison
Ingvar Kamprad
Karl Albrecht
Isaac Newton
Albert Einstein
Louis Pasteur
Mukesh Ambani
Lakshmi Mittal
Theo Albrecht
Daniel Bernouilli
Amancio Ortega
REASONS TO BECOME A
SCIENTIST
• Desire to learn and understand
– Challenge personal limitations
– Become knowledgeable of the world
• Sense of discovery and pioneering
– Always at the frontier
• Science allows you to touch peoples lives
– Understand problems and discover solutions
– Present and future
GLOBAL ENERGY DEMAND
ENERGY (kWh)
Western Europe, North America
Asia
Africa, Middle East
20.7%
Other
1.9 % *
1.4 %*
15.1%
174156
20.5%
1.9 % *
144516
119772
104028
1990
* Compound Annual Growth Rate
2000
2010
YEAR
2020
WORLD ENERGY SOURCES
87%
(2004 data)
GREENHOUSE
GAS
EMISSIONS
FOSSIL FUEL DOMINO EFFECT
IS THIS SUSTAINABLE ?
GLOBAL
ENERGY
DEMAND
FOSSIL
FUEL
RESERVES
FOSSIL
FUEL
COSTS
IS THIS ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ?
GLOBAL
ENERGY
DEMAND
FOSSIL
FUEL
CONSUMPTION
GREENHOUSE
GAS
EMISSIONS
NECESSARY TO INCREASE UTILISATION OF
SUSTAINABLE AND RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES
FOSSIL FUEL
CHARACTERISTICS
Advantages
Concentrated energy
Transportable
Storable
Easily utilised
FOSSIL FUEL
CHARACTERISTICS
Advantages
Disadvantages
Concentrated energy
Transportable
Storable
Easily utilised
Limited quantity
Pollution
Unequal distribution
Security uncertain
HYDROGEN vs. FOSSIL FUELS
Advantages of Hydrogen -
• Zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions
• Additional utilisation potential
• Improved distribution efficiencies
• Ecologically safer fuel
ISN’T HYDROGEN UNSAFE?
Hindenburg
Hydrogen bomb
In which car would you prefer to crash?
Time = 0 seconds
H2 Fuel
Gasoline Fuel
Time = 3 seconds
H2 Fuel
Gasoline Fuel
Time = 1 minute
H2 Fuel
Gasoline Fuel
Time = 1 minute 30 seconds
H2 Fuel
Gasoline Fuel
Time = 2 minutes 20 seconds
Gasoline Fuel
US HYDROGEN VEHICLE TRIALS
ECTOS-HYDROGEN STATION
VistOrka
Example of Pre-Commercial Filling Station
Compressor
Storage
Electrolyser
Energy
H2O
Dispenser
Icel. New Business Venture Fund, Reykjavik Energy, The National Power Company, Hitaveita
Sudurnesja, University of Iceland, The Technological Institute of Iceland, Fertilizer Plant, Reykjavik
Resources, Government of Iceland
AUSTRALIAN HYDROGEN BUS
TRIAL
“Buses currently contribute about 2.7
percent of road transport greenhouse
gas emissions. Replacing the entire
Australian bus fleet with hydrogenpowered buses would cut the carbon
dioxide being currently produced by
two million tonnes, the equivalent of
taking 500,000 cars off the road.”
Media Release
Minister for the Environment and Heritage
Senator the Hon. Ian Campbell
5 October 2004
HYDROGEN
Is not Clean When Produced
Current
H2
Technology
Sustainable
H2
Technology


From fossil fuels
(Natural Gas)
From renewable and H2O

CO2 Emissions

No CO2 Emissions
HYDROGEN ENERGY
WHAT ABOUT RENEWABLES?
(6000x annual
consumption)
Australian Sun
1 hour can power Australia
for a year!
4 days of can power the
world for a year!
3 TW
Tidal
(25x annual
consumption)
BASIC CONCEPT of
SOLAR-HYDROGEN
Photo–Electrochemical Generation of Hydrogen from Water
SUNLIGHT
HYDROGEN
GAS
H 2O
PHOTO-CATALYST
(TiO2)
ADVANTAGES
• Sustainable and environmentally friendly
• Direct solar to hydrogen conversion
• No H2/O2 separation required
• Stored fuel for use anywhere and anytime
WHAT IS TiO2
TiO2 is commonly known as:
• Titanium dioxide, titania, rutile
TiO2 is used in:
• Toothpaste, sunscreen, paint, food colourings
Why do we use TiO2?
• Cheap – few $ per kg
• Abundant – Australia is world production leader
• Properties can be widely manipulated
• Will not corrode – Survives for centuries
PHOTOSENSITIVE OXIDE
SEMICONDUCTORS
Materials Engineering – Imposition of Desired
Material Properties • Absorption of Sunlight
• Reactivity with Water
Commercial
TiO2
Catalysts
Processed
DEFECT ENGINEERING
Ideal TiO2
Ti4+ O2- Ti4+ O2- Ti4+ O2- Ti4+ O2- Ti4+ O2- Ti4+
O2-
O2-
O2-
O2-
O2-
O2-
Ti4+ O2- Ti4+ O2- Ti4+ O2- Ti4+ O2- Ti4+ O2- Ti4+
O2-
O2-
O2-
O2-
O2-
O2-
Ti4+ O2- Ti4+ O2- Ti4+ O2- Ti4+ O2- Ti4+ O2- Ti4+
O2-
O2-
O2-
O2-
O2-
O2-
Ti4+ O2- Ti4+ O2- Ti4+ O2- Ti4+ O2- Ti4+ O2- Ti4+
DEFECT ENGINEERING
Real (Defected) TiO2
Ti3+ O2- Ti3+ O2- Ti4+ O2- Ti4+ O2- Ti3+ O2- Ti3+
O2-
Ti
3
i
O2-
O-
O2-
O2-
Ti
4
i
O2-
Ti3+ O2- Ti4+ O- VTi4  O- Ti4+ O2- Ti3+ O2- Ti3+
O2Ti4+
O2-
M5+
O2-
O-
O2-

i
M
O2-
O2-
A- Ti3+ O2- Ti4+ O2- Ti3+ O2- A3- O- Ti4+
O2-
O2-
O2- Ti3+ O2- Ti3+
O2-
O2-
O2-
VO2  Ti3+ O2- Ti4+ O- M3+
SUMMARY
• Our standard of living is linked to energy supply
• Growing energy demand fed by fossil fuels
– CO2 emissions and climate change
• Solar-hydrogen offers a solution
– Sustainable and environmentally friendly
Thank you!
Please ask your questions