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Solar Fuels

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Electrochemical Science for a Sustainable Society

Abstract

Global demand for energy is increasing at a fast rate especially in develo** economies such as India, China, and Indonesia with heavy reliance on fossil fuels. The CO2 levels in the atmosphere have increased to over 400 ppm. This combined with increase in the intensity of other pollutants (NOx, SOx, CO, methane, particulate matter, etc.) in the atmosphere is a real concern for the environment. With the major objective of reducing concentration of greenhouse gases and other pollutants and to increase reliability and security of energy supply for a sustainable future, significant progress is being made in the development and deployment of technologies and processes around renewable energy with solar and wind playing a dominant role. However, solar energy is not available in high intensity all around the word and thus there is a need for transporting energy from one place to other. Solar fuels are energy carriers and means of transporting solar energy in the form of easily transportable fuels and these are generated by embedding solar energy in the form of heat or electricity or both in water, CO2, and fossil fuels. A number of different technologies and processes (electrolytic, solar thermal, solar thermochemical cycles, chemical loo**, solar assisted reforming of natural gas, solar assisted coal/biomass gasification, photo-electrochemical, and photo-biological) for the production of major solar fuels (H2, CO, syngas, methanol, and ammonia) are briefly discussed and reviewed in this chapter.

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Abbreviations

BSCF:

BaxSr1-xCoyFe1-yO3-δ

CAWE:

Carbon assisted water electrolysis

CCS:

Carbon capture and storage

CGO:

Gadolinia-doped ceria

CNG:

Compressed natural gas

CRS:

Central receiver systems

CSP:

Concentrated solar power

DME:

Dimethyl ether

DMR:

Dry-methane reforming

F–T:

Fischer–Tropsch

GHG:

Greenhouse gas

HHV:

High heating value

HT:

High temperature

ICE:

Internal combustion engine

LFR:

Linear Fresnel reflector

LHV:

Low heating value

LPG:

Liquefied petroleum gas

LSC:

LaxS1-xCoO3

LSCF:

LaxSr1-xCoyFe1-yO3-δ

LSCM:

Chromium doped lanthanum strontium manganite

LSM:

Lanthanum strontium manganite (LaxSr1-xMnO3-δ)

LST:

Lanthanum-doped strontium titanate

MAWE:

Methanol assisted water electrolysis

MCFC:

Molten carbonate fuel cell

NG:

Natural gas

PAFC:

Phosphoric acid fuel cell

PBI:

Polybenzoimidazol

PEM:

Polymer electrolyte membrane

PT:

Parabolic-troughs

PV:

Photovoltaic

R&D:

Research and development

RT:

Room temperature

ScSZ:

Scandia-stabilized zirconia

SFCN:

SmFe0.7Cu0.3-xNixO3-δ

SMR:

Steam-methane reforming

SOE:

Solid Oxide Electrolyte

SOFC:

Solid oxide fuel cell

YSZ:

Yttria stabilized zirconia

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. Daniel Roberts for reviewing this manuscript. This article is dedicated to the memories of Late Professor John O’M Bockris whose contribution to Electrochemistry, Solar Fuels, and Hydrogen Economy has been of immense significance for the betterment of this world.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIRO Energy, Private Bag 10, 3169, Clayton South, VIC, Australia

    S. P. S. Badwal, A. P. Kulkarni, H. Ju & S. Giddey

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  1. S. P. S. Badwal
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Correspondence to S. P. S. Badwal .

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  1. National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

    Kohei Uosaki

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Badwal, S.P.S., Kulkarni, A.P., Ju, H., Giddey, S. (2017). Solar Fuels. In: Uosaki, K. (eds) Electrochemical Science for a Sustainable Society. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57310-6_10

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