DAC-FC: Transforming Unstable Renewable Energy into a Stable, Affordable, and Green Future!
🌱 What is DAC-FC?
DAC-FC stands for Direct Air Capture (DAC) combined with Fuel Cells (FC). Imagine a technology that not only produces green energy efficiently but also captures CO2 directly from the atmosphere. That’s exactly what we do at DAC-FC!
🌞 Harnessing the Power of the Sun and Wind
Our journey begins with solar cells and wind turbines, which are the frontline warriors in generating renewable energy. However, the energy produced is often unstable due to natural fluctuations in wind and sunlight.
💧 The Role of Electrolysis
To tackle this instability, each solar park or wind farm is equipped with an electrolysis unit. These units convert the unstable renewable energy into hydrogen gas, a stable and portable form of energy. This ensures we can utilize every last drop of natural power available, rain or shine.
🛤 From Natural Elements to Usable Energy: The Journey
- Initial Production: Solar parks and wind farms produce electricity.
- Electrolysis: The electricity is converted into hydrogen gas at the site.
- Pipeline and Cavern Storage: This hydrogen is then transported through pipelines and stored in underground caverns, serving as an energy reservoir. Pipelines act as day-to-day buffers, while caverns can store energy for weeks.
- DAC-FC Activation: When energy is needed, the hydrogen gas is converted back into electricity, heat, and water by the DAC-FC system. During this process, CO2 is also captured from the air.
🎯 Efficiency and Cost
- Electrolysis: Approximately 80% efficient
- DAC-FC: Around 70% efficient to electricity, with 25% of the input being usable heat, typically for winter heating needs.
- Hydrogen transport of energy ~1/8 price of electricity grid (CAPEX and OPEX)
💵 Affordable Green Energy
The cost of this energy is about twice that of regular renewable energy*, which is already among the cheapest forms of energy available. Yet, the system drastically cuts down both capital and operational expenses (CAPEX and OPEX), making it a highly economical choice in the long run.
🌍 Why DAC-FC?
- Stable Energy: No more blackouts or unreliable sources.
- Affordability: Costs are much lower than conventional green energy transportation methods.
- CO2 Capture: Actively combat climate change by capturing CO2 directly from the atmosphere.
- Location Flexibility: Produce energy exactly where it’s needed, typically in urban areas, thanks to the portability of hydrogen.
🔗 The Complete Picture
Combine all these elements, and you get DAC-FC—a revolution in green energy. This isn’t just technology; it’s a sustainable lifestyle that’s affordable and effective, perfect for our modern world.
*Solar photovoltaic and On-shore wind ~0.035 $/kWh, Off-shore wind ~0,09 $/kWh
Illustration Description: Renewable Energy Conversion to Hydrogen and Urban Usage
- Top Section: Features a wind turbine, representing a wind farm, with an adjacent electrolysis plant. This setup symbolizes the conversion of wind energy into hydrogen. Above the turbine, a graph displays the wind energy output over a week, showing fluctuations based on wind intensity.
- Below the Wind Turbine: A solar panel, indicative of a solar farm, paired with its electrolysis unit is depicted. A graph underneath showcases solar energy production for a week under various weather conditions: clear, partly cloudy, and overcast skies.
- Center to Right Section: The hydrogen produced from both wind and solar sources is channeled into a common pipeline. This pipeline, stretching towards an urban area, acts as a short-term buffer. Along the route to the city, an underground cavern is illustrated, indicating its role as a long-term hydrogen storage facility for weeks or months.
- DAC-FC System: The pipeline feeds into a DAC-FC system, which is shown converting approximately 70% of hydrogen energy into electricity. Additionally, the system produces about 25% of the input as district heating, +water, and CO2. The diagram also indicates the possibility of combining CO2 with hydrogen to synthesize proteins.
- Top Right Corner: Features a graph representing typical urban energy consumption, highlighting the relevance and efficiency of the DAC-FC system in meeting these energy needs.