Study of a Thermochemical Route for H2 Production Using Solar Energy

A promising and environmentally friendly candidate to replace fossil fuels is hydrogen gas. It is usually produced by electrolysis but an alternative for hydrogen production is thermochemical cycles which have a low environmental impact and are economically viable especially when used with solar energy. Based on a survey of the literature it was decided to work with thermochemical cycles as they have a high yield compared to electrolysis. The disadvantage is the need for a high temperature in the reduction stage which is an endothermic process consuming a large amount of energy. The aim of this research was to demonstrate the feasibility of producing hydrogen from entirely renewable and inexhaustible sources in this case using solar energy which in turn would be applied to the dissociation of the water molecule (H2O) into hydrogen and oxygen molecules.