GC5200114 CHALLENGE #1
SUNNY H2 IN A BOTTLE
Efficient way of producing H2 from water using sun energy
RESPONSE DUE DATE: April 28, 2016
This topic is one of three topics proposed by the
Air Liquide Essential Molecules Challenge. The
Air Liquide Essential Molecules Challenge wants
to identify up to 3 winners among all entries
received for the three topics.
Timeline
Opening Challenge:
Opening Submission:
Submission deadline:
Announcement of winners:
December 10, 2015
January 6, 2016
April 28, 2016
September, 2016
Financials
Each winner of the Air Liquide Essential Molecules
Challenge will receive the Air Liquide Scientific Award
cash prize of €50,000 and will enter in an up to 4
years collaboration contract with Air Liquide experts
supported by a total financing of up to €500,000 to
develop the scientific proposal and to mature the
results into marketable technologies.
Manager: Jos Cenens, Ph.D.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1-216-283-3901
QUESTIONS?
Visit us at
https://ninesights.ninesigma.com/web/essentialmolecules-challenge/forum
REQUEST DESCRIPTION
NineSigma, in partnership with Air Liquide, invites participants to
submit proposals to design an efficient means of producing H2 from
water using solar energy. Successful submissions will allow high
volume production of hydrogen using solar energy and water.
BACKGROUND
The hydrogen molecule has many important uses in industry and will
play a key role as a clean, sustainable energy vector and effective
means of storing energy. On Earth, Hydrogen is mainly found in water
and organic compounds such as hydrocarbons and carbohydrates.
Currently, it is mainly produced from fossil fuels by high temperature
processes, the dominant technology being steam methane reforming.
Developing new H2-production processes based on renewable
feedstock and energies will be a key contribution to energy transition
and abatement of CO2.
The challenge is to produce hydrogen from water using solar energy.
Offices: Cleveland - USA, Tokyo - Japan, Leuven – Belgium, Melbourne – Australia, Seoul – South Korea
RFP format and graphics© Copyright 2015 NineSigma, Inc
GC5200114 CHALLENGE #1
KEY SUCCESS CRITERIA
Efficient way of producing H2 from water using sun energy
Air Liquide is looking for proposals following
these criteria:
● a process using solar energy as the primary
energy source;
● a process using water as feedstock;
● a process that does not release CO2 to the
atmosphere;
● a safe and cost effective process potentially
capable for highly efficient and large
production rates of H2.
POSSIBLE APPROACHES
Proposals might include, but are not limited to:
● Photocatalytic water splitting in systems
where hydrogen and oxygen are generated in
separated reactors;
● Combination of photovoltaic cell (PV) and
electrocatalyst coated electrode integrated or
semi-integrated with PV cell;
● Photobiological water splitting;
● Thermochemical cycle using solar energy
through processes at relatively moderate
temperatures (less than 700 °C).
APPROACHES NOT OF INTEREST
The following approaches are not of interest:
● Combination of photovoltaic cell (PV) with
commercial available electrolyzer;
● Slurry photocatalytic systems in single reactor
where generated hydrogen and oxygen gases
are mixed ;
● Processes that use expensive or not
abundant materials;
● Processes that use or lead to toxic byproducts.
ABOUT THE AIR LIQUIDE ESSENTIAL MOLECULES
CHALLENGE
The Air Liquide Essential Molecules Challenge
consists of three topics to which Participants may
submit proposals on the NineSights Challenge
website.
Participants in this competition vie for up to three
€50,000 cash prizes, i.e. the Air Liquide Scientific
Award.
In addition, Air Liquide has a total of €1,500,000
funding available for joint collaboration projects
with the Award winners. The objective of this
collaboration is to mature the scientific proposal
and to transform the scientific results into a
prototype process & equipment which will take
into account early industrial requirements.
NineSigma, Inc.
Page 2
Participants must complete the proposal and
submit by April 28, 2016. The proposal
submission will serve as the official entry in this
Challenge. The submission should contain a
non-confidential introduction to the respondent’s
approach,
background,
related
scientific
achievements and expertise.
RESPONDING TO THIS CHALLENGE
All entries must be submitted online after
January 6, 2016 at NineSights, the NineSigma
open innovation community, according to the
online instructions. Along with the main entry,
supporting documents may be submitted as well.
Entries from companies (small to large), research
institutes,
entrepreneurs, or inventors are
welcome. Appropriate entries will respond online
based on the template provided for this
Challenge, and address the following:
● Overview of the proposed technology;
● Development status (e.g. concept, proven in
lab conditions, TRL, etc…);
● Current or expected performance according to
criteria;
● Development plan to achieve the goal;
● Past achievements;
● Brief overview of the organization;
● Short CV of the Principle Investigator or Team
Leader.
By submitting a response, respondents agree to
Terms and Conditions and to submission
requirements, including confidentiality, selection,
and the review process.
Respondents agree to the submission terms
described in the response form.
Confidentiality
Respondents confirm that their submissions do
not contain any confidential information.
Selection / Review Process
Respondents acknowledge that Air Liquide
reserves the sole and absolute right and
discretion to award prizes as stated in the
challenge. The entry evaluation and award
determination will be made by a committee
composed of Air Liquide managers & experts as
well as two external scientists.
See Terms and Conditions (to be available on
January 6, 2016) for details.
Submission opens on January 6th, 2016.
Submission deadline by April 28th, 2016.
NineSights.com