Photo-electrolysis cell with semiconductor elements - incorporates photovoltaic junction between electrodes, suitable for producing hydrogen from water

摘要

An electrolysis cell in which the potential difference necessary for the electrolysis is provided by a photovoltaic conversion at the electrodes incorporates a receiver contg. an electrolyte of the Redox type suitable for producing a fuel, with a wall, a part of which is transparent or contains a light guide. Two electrodes are immersed in the electrolyte and are arranged so that the anode at least, constituted by an n-type semiconductor, has one face opposite that part of the wall. A diaphragm, permeable to ions, separates the respective surfaces of the electrodes where the reaction products are formed and divides the receiver into two compartments. A substrate forming a photovoltaic junction arranged as a sandwich with two conductor layers between the electrodes forms a unitary block fitted in an opening in the diaphragm and in fluid-tight contact with the edge of the opening, the contact being astride at the photovoltaic junction. The junction has a layer transparent to solar light and the electrode coupled with this transparent layer is itself transparent and is opposite a part of the wall transparent to solar light. The invention improves the overall yield of photoelectrolysis cells compared with hitherto. Losses due to passage of current in external connections are avoided since these are not required.