HYDROGEN PRODUCTION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING HYDROGEN

• US 20110214996A1
• Filed: 06/25/2010
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sata, Shunsuke, Yoshida, Akihito, Kaga, Masaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,632,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/633
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 13/0203 from inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/04 by decomposition of inorganic compounds, e.g. ammonia C01B3/0005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/55 Photoelectrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/36 Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis

Abstract

There is provided a hydrogen production device high in light use efficiency and capable of producing hydrogen with high efficiency.

The hydrogen production device according to the present invention includes a photoelectric conversion part having a light acceptance surface and a back surface, a first gas generation part provided on the back surface, and a second gas generation part provided on the back surface, in which one of the first gas generation part and the second gas generation part is a hydrogen generation part to generate H₂ from an electrolytic solution, another one thereof is an oxygen generation part to generate O₂ from the electrolytic solution, the first gas generation part is electrically connected to the back surface, and the second gas generation part is electrically connected to the light acceptance surface via a first conductive part.

Claims

1. A hydrogen production device comprising:

a photoelectric conversion part having a light acceptance surface and a back surface;

a first gas generation part provided on the back surface; and

a second gas generation part provided on the back surface, wherein

one of the first gas generation part and the second gas generation part is a hydrogen generation part to generate H₂ from an electrolytic solution, and another one thereof is an oxygen generation part to generate O₂ from the electrolytic solution, and

the first gas generation part is electrically connected to the back surface, and the second gas generation part is electrically connected to the light acceptance surface via a first conductive part.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein

the second gas generation part is provided on the back surface of the photoelectric conversion part via an insulation part.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein

the first conductive part includes a first electrode being in contact with the light acceptance surface, and a second conductive part being in contact with each of the first electrode and the second gas generation part.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein

the second conductive part is provided in a contact hole penetrating the photoelectric conversion part.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein

the number of the contact hole is one or more, and

a total cross-section area of the contact holes is 0.1% or more to 10% or less of an area of the light acceptance surface.

6. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a second electrode provided between the back surface of the photoelectric conversion part and the first gas generation part.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein

the photoelectric conversion part is provided on a translucent substrate.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein

the photoelectric conversion part has a plurality of photoelectric conversion layers each formed of a p-type semiconductor layer, an i-type semiconductor layer, and an n-type semiconductor layer.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein

the plurality of photoelectric conversion layers have different bandgaps.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein

the hydrogen generation part and the oxygen generation part include a catalyst for a reaction to generate H₂ from the electrolytic solution and a catalyst for a reaction to generate O₂ from the electrolytic solution, respectively.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein

at least one of the hydrogen generation part and the oxygen generation part has a catalytic surface area larger than an area of the light acceptance surface.

12. The device according to claim 10, wherein

at least one of the hydrogen generation part and the oxygen generation part is formed of a catalyst-supporting porous conductor.

13. The device according to claim 10, wherein

the hydrogen generation part includes a hydrogen generation catalyst containing at least one of Pt, Ir, Ru, Pd, Rh, Au, Fe, Ni, and Se, as a hydrogen generation catalyst.

14. The device according to claim 10, wherein

the oxygen generation part includes an oxygen generation catalyst containing at least one of Mn, Ca, Zn, Co, and Ir, as an oxygen generation catalyst.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein

the photoelectric conversion part is provided on a translucent substrate,

a plate is further provided over the first gas generation part and the second gas generation part so as to be opposed to the substrate, and

a space is provided between each of the first gas generation part and the second gas generation part, and the plate.

16. The device according to claim 15, further comprising a partition wall to separate a space between the first gas generation part and the plate and a space between the second gas generation part and the plate.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein

the partition wall contains an ion exchanger.

18. A method for producing hydrogen and oxygen, the method comprising the steps of:

setting the hydrogen production device according to claim 1 such that the light acceptance surface is tilted with respect to a horizontal surface;

generating hydrogen and oxygen from the hydrogen generation part and the oxygen generation part, respectively, by introducing the electrolytic solution from a lower part of the hydrogen production device to the hydrogen production device, and irradiating the light acceptance surface with sunlight; and

exhausting the hydrogen and oxygen from an upper part of the hydrogen production device.