Related article: Sparc Hydrogen progresses pilot plant development

The provisional patent application has been submitted by Sparc on the back of more than 12 months of work with the University of Adelaide investigating alternate substrates, coating methods and delivery systems within photocatalytic water-splitting (PWS) reactors.

Initial proof of concept has been achieved with an analogue photocatalyst material demonstrating the potential to improve the current methods for coating and delivery of particulate photocatalysts to achieve higher solar to hydrogen efficiencies and lower operating costs through increased durability and better handling.

The majority of this work has been completed at the University of Adelaide with funding from Sparc Technologies.

Sparc managing director Nick O’Loughlin said, “The lodgement of this provisional patent application is significant not just insofar as the technology’s potential to improve the cost and efficiency of photocatalytic water splitting systems, but also the synergies it demonstrates between Sparc’s coatings and polymers expertise being applied to uplift the value of its investment in Sparc Hydrogen.

“Results in the lab are very encouraging and given the nascent stage of the PWS industry there is strong potential to deliver a highly relevant and complementary platform technology protected by IP which is 100% owned by Sparc Technologies.”

Sparc Hydrogen’s utilisation of PWS technology is set apart from conventional approaches to produce green hydrogen. Crucially, PWS does not rely on renewable energy sources such as solar or wind farms, nor expensive electrolysers, to produce hydrogen from water. This addresses a fundamental issue in the nascent green hydrogen industry—the cost of renewable power.

Related article: New catalyst could advance green hydrogen production

Sparc Hydrogen’s pioneering technology employs a photocatalyst material and sunlight to produce ‘ultra-green’ hydrogen directly from water. Hydrogen produced from PWS can serve as a clean fuel or feedstock to decarbonise hard-to-abate industries.

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Sparc has also secured an in-principle agreement from the University of Adelaide to locate the plant at its Roseworthy Campus, and progressed the detailed design and engineering for the pilot-scale water splitting reactor.

Related article: Aussie breakthrough to slash green hydrogen costs by 40%

Each of these milestones represents material de-risking of the pilot plant development workstreams building on from the pre-FEED study and the successful prototyping work completed at the CSIRO Energy Centre in early April 2024.

In parallel, work continues in the laboratory to test and optimise Sparc Hydrogen’s photocatalytic water splitting reactor under a range of conditions using different photocatalyst materials. A decision to proceed with the pilot plant remains subject to Sparc Hydrogen board approval.

Sparc Technologies managing director Nick O’Loughlin said, “Sparc is delighted with the progress that the Sparc Hydrogen team has made over recent weeks and months with respect to key development workstreams for the pilot plant.

“In particular, formalising a relationship with Shinshu University providing a collaboration for the supply of their world-leading photocatalysts for testing in Sparc Hydrogen’s reactors, is a significant milestone.

“I would also like to thank the University of Adelaide for their ongoing support, as evidenced by the in-principle decision to locate the pilot plant at Roseworthy Campus.”

Related article: Sparc tests photocatalytic water splitting reactor at CSIRO

Shinshu University Professor Kazunari Domen commented, “Shinshu University is pleased to collaborate with Sparc Hydrogen on the research, development and field testing of a concentrated sunlight water splitting photocatalytic reaction system.

“Such reaction environments have not been tested at Shinshu University before, and we are very interested to see what kind of activity and reaction characteristics our photocatalyst will exhibit. The knowledge gained will be important for the scale-up of the reactor.”

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Related article: Sparc reveals ‘exceptional’ sodium ion battery results

QUT has delivered a second project milestone report which primarily describes the results of SIB half-cell battery testing and material characterisation for multiple samples of the chosen bio-waste material against a commercial benchmark. Electrochemical testing confirms consistently high reversible capacities and ongoing improvements in initial coulombic efficiencies (ICE) for the bio-waste derived anodes using the new processing method under development. These results have been benchmarked against commercial hard carbon materials under the same testing procedure.

Improving the capacity of hard carbon anodes is considered to be important for increasing the overall energy density of sodium-ion batteries, which is a key limitation to widespread use in mobility applications such as electric vehicles currently. Given the continuation of positive capacity results, Sparc is planning to accelerate its research and development in this area targeting further optimisation of process parameters and testing to demonstrate a broader suite of battery characteristics. Sparc is also in the process of completing a techno-economic analysis and is conducting testing of the hard carbon materials at an external laboratory.

Sparc Technologies executive chairman Stephen Hunt said, “Sparc is extremely pleased with these results from its research with QUT into the development of sustainable hard carbon anode materials for sodium ion batteries. The feedstock and process is demonstrating high capacity anode material which, subject to further testing and results, holds the potential to improve the energy density and carbon footprint of sodium-ion batteries.

Related article: Sparc tests photocatalytic water splitting reactor at CSIRO

“Sparc continues to see momentum building behind sodium-ion batteries as an alternative battery chemistry, driven by raw material availability and cost, and we remain well positioned as one of the only ASX listed companies actively targeting this growing field.”

The post Sparc pushes ahead with sodium ion battery R&D appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

The goal of the prototype testing is to advance the technology readiness level (TRL) of Sparc Hydrogen’s PWS reactor and provide valuable data and information for the subsequent piloting phase.

Related article: Sparc reveals ‘exceptional’ sodium ion battery results

Sparc Technologies executive chairman Stephen Hunt said, “Sparc is delighted to be working with our Sparc Hydrogen partners, The University of Adelaide, FFI and
Flinders University, to undertake this testing with the CSIRO, in what we believe to be a world leading demonstration of photocatalytic water splitting in a concentrated solar field.
Completion of this test work will be a significant milestone, not only for Sparc Hydrogen, but more widely for the advancement of photocatalytic water splitting, a next generation green hydrogen production technology which does not require capital intensive electrolysers nor solar or wind farms.”

Prototype testing of Sparc Hydrogen’s reactor in real world conditions is the culmination of nearly five years of research and development work conducted by the University of Adelaide and Flinders University. Laboratory proof of concept has been successfully established whereby several lab-scale reactor prototypes have been developed and tested under simulated solar concentration. This testing has shown a hydrogen production and efficiency benefit from exposing certain photocatalyst materials to concentrated light and heat. A high-power solar simulator has recently been acquired from the United States to continue to advance the laboratory work in parallel with prototyping and pilot plant development.

The CSIRO Energy Centre in Newcastle was identified as being an ideal facility to conduct the first on-sun testing of Sparc Hydrogen’s PWS reactor. The facility is home to Australia’s largest solar thermal research hub. The hub comprises a 30m-high solar tower surrounded by a 4,000sqm field of 451 locally manufactured custom designed mirrors (heliostats), as shown in Figure 1, and is capable of generating temperatures of up to 1,500 degrees Celsius. The hub provides a platform that allows Australian researchers to develop, test and commercialise technologies which incorporate concentrated solar.

Sparc Hydrogen has received funding of $28,688 through the CSIRO Kick-Start Program to contribute towards the costs of the prototype testing. Kick-Start is an initiative designed to support innovative Australian start-ups and small businesses in accessing CSIRO’s research expertise and capabilities to foster growth and development.

Design of the prototype reactor module is complete and construction, including for the balance of plant, has commenced. Sparc Hydrogen is aiming to commence set-up of the prototype at the CSIRO in late July 2023 with results to be gathered over a period of approximately four weeks. A second round of testing later in the year will be considered pending results.

Related article: Study confirms potential for Sparc Green Hydrogen process

The key aims of the prototype testing include:

• Advancing the TRL of Sparc Hydrogen’s PWS reactor from 4 to 51 which is one level closer to a commercially deployable product.
• Providing valuable data and information for pilot plant reactor design.
• To enable benchmarking of laboratory testing under simulated solar conditions with real world results.
• Further establishing Sparc Hydrogen as a world leading proponent of PWS technology and particularly as having a viable reactor to test new and better photocatalysts under development by leading research groups around the world.

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