Evaluation of a CPV system with beam-splitting features for hydrogen generation

Production of hydrogen by electrolysis at a high efficiency has been always achieved by providing an electrolysis device with heat and electricity. The common trend is to use nuclear reactors to heat water to temperatures higher than 800C and to feed the electrolyzer with a voltage of more than 1 Volt, depending on the operating conditions. In this study, a photovoltaic system for hydrogen production at high temperatures is described. A thermodynamic based mathematical model is developed for the system. The model was used to estimate efficiency of the system and to demonstrate the effects of the optical efficiency and temperature of steam on the overall efficiency of the system.