2023-04-19 20:08:15
Science and technology
EPFL creates an artificial tree that produces heat and oxygen
EPFL researchers have designed a dish that generates heat, oxygen and hydrogen, with very high efficiency.
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Francisco Carvalho da Costa
Published
The parabola mimics the photosynthesis process of a real tree.
24 hours / Patrick Martin
Breakthrough into the world of science and technology on the Lausanne student campus. EPFL researchers have developed a solar reactor capable of converting water into heat, oxygen and large quantities of hydrogen.
If the structure blends in with the other satellite antennas present on the student site, it stands out in its category for its productivity: “Thanks to just over 9 liters of water, our “artificial tree” is capable of creating 8 kg of ‘oxygen and 1kg of hydrogen,’ explains Saurabh Tembhurne, founder of SoHHytec, the start-up that markets the product.
Alternative room heating
This invention will immediately benefit industries that use the raw materials produced by the machine. However, it cannot be ruled out that private individuals could also do well, in particular for the ambient heating of households: “the reactor is capable of keeping the heat produced and of reinjecting it into the network of a building thanks to a heat exchanger, says Saurabh Tembhurne. Our smallest model produces around 140kWh of energy per day in good weather.” In comparison, the average Swiss household consumes just over 13kWh of energy daily according to a study by the Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) dated 2021.
Since 2015, EPFL and SoHHytec have invested one and a half million francs for the development of the project, but the start-up has allocated additional funds of up to 5 million for the deployment of the product.
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