(Invited) Modeling Non-Steady-State Membrane Transport in Operating Solar Fuels Systems

Abstract

Membranes are key components in both liquid electrolyte and vapor fed solar fuel generators, blocking product crossover between cathodic and anodic regions while permitting charged species to be transported. The internal and external environments of membranes are not at steady state in use, however, which can dynamically influence their permeability to neutral and charged species. In this talk, some time-dependent aspects of membrane characteristics as revealed by computational-experimental investigations will be described. These include relaxations due to gas sorption in glasses, membrane permeability to CO2 reduction products during a diurnal cycle, and water losses in use because of evaporation. The computational models resulting from these studies are predictive, and provide insights that may assist with the design and optimization of solar fuels systems with stable performance.