Scientists develop artificial sun to generate clean fuel

A team of scientists in Germany have turned on what they call the world's largest 'artificial sun', in hopes of finding a source of clean fuel to fight climate change. In an experiment officially known as 'Synlight', scientists from the German Aerospace Centre, have developed a giant honeycomb-like structure with 149 film projector spot lights.

The massive structure generates heat about 10,000 times stronger than the intensity of sunlight received on earth. Also, focusing the light on to a single spot, can generate temperatures of around 3,500 degree Celsius. With this interesting experiment, scientists are hoping to device a way to manufacture hydrogen, which is considered to be a climate-friendly fuel source. In a world battling with global warming, climate change and diminishing fossil fuel reserves, hydrogen is the future, say experts. This is so because, hydrogen, unlike fossil fuels, do not add to global warming because it produces no carbon emissions when burned. The catch, however, is that hydrogen is not naturally available on earth. In order to harness hydrogen, we have to split water which is primarily composed of two parts of hydrogen, and oxygen. Scientists hope to mix this hydrogen with carbon monoxide to create a stable fuel that can be used in the aviation industry, and also for automobiles.

To run the show with this kind of fuel would require billions of tonnes of hydrogen, and of course electricity, because the process of splitting water—electrolysis—requires electricity. It is this step that scientists are trying to bypass by creating an artificial sun in a room. The Synlight apparatus, which simulates sunlight will be used to study how the abundant energy of the sun can be tapped to generate hydrogen from water and water vapour available in the atmosphere. In the long run, natural sunlight will be used instead of artificial light produced at the experiment.

At present, operating Synlight comes at a heavy cost. According to the team, four hours of operating the device consumes as much electricity as a four-person home in a year.