Enye yezinkinga ezinkulu zamandla elanga futhi, ngokuvamile, amandla avuselelekayo isitoreji sayo sokusetshenziswa kamuva. Kokubili ukugcinwa kwazo kanye nokuthuthwa kwazo kuyizinkinga okufanele zixazululwe ukuze izinto ezivuselelekayo zithole ukuncintisana futhi zenze indlela yazo iqhubeke ezimakethe zomhlaba jikelele.
Ukuze kuncishiswe le nkinga yokugcina, iqembu labaphenyi abavela eChalmers University of Technology, eGothenburg (Sweden) kukhombisile ukuthi kungenzeka ukugcina amandla elanga ngqo kuketshezi lwamakhemikhali, ebizwa ngokuthi uhlelo lokushisa lwelanga lamangqamuzana. Kusebenza kanjani kahle?
Isitoreji samandla elanga
Njengoba ngike ngasho ngaphambili, ukugcina amandla elanga esiwakhiqizayo ukuze sisetshenziswe kamuva kuyinto enzima futhi kube ngumphumela wocwaningo olungayixazulula. Le ndlela yokusebenzisa uketshezi lwamakhemikhali ukugcina amandla elanga ikhombisa ukuthi ingafinyelelwa ngenxa yezibopho zamakhemikhali. Iphinde ivumele ukuthi ikhishwe lapho siyidinga ngokuya ngesidingo sethu samandla elanga.
Ohola ithimba labacwaningi balolu ketshezi nguSolwazi Kasper Moth-Poulsen futhi uchaze ukuthi ukuhlanganisa ukugcinwa kwamandla kwamakhemikhali namaphaneli elanga ashisayo ivumela ukuguqulwa kwamaphesenti angaphezu kwangu-80 elanga elingenayo.
Usebenza kanjani kahle uketshezi?
Lapho le molekyuli ewuketshezi ishaywa ama-photon wokukhanya avela emisebeni yelanga, ayakwazi ukushintsha ukuma nokugcina amandla. Lolu hlelo lwesitoreji luyakwazi ukuxhasa imijikelezo yokugcina engu-140 njengebhethri elijwayelekile. Futhi iyakwazi ukukhipha amandla ngokucekelwa phansi okunganakwa.
Iphrojekthi yocwaningo lwamanzi yaqala eminyakeni eyi-6 eyedlule futhi ishicilelwe kumagazini wesayensi i-Energy & Environmental, sibonga i-University of Chalmers. Ekuqaleni kophenyo, ukusebenza kahle kokuguqulwa kwamandla elanga bekungu-0,01% futhi i-ruthenium, into ebizayo, yadlala indima ebaluleke kakhulu kule nqubo. Ngokuthuthuka nokuthuthuka kwephrojekthi, Njalo lapho bekwenzeka ukufinyelela ohlelweni olukwazi ukugcina u-1,1% wokukhanya kwelanga okuwela njengamandla wamakhemikhali lokho kuhlala kungacashile kuze kube yisikhathi sokufunwa, okuyilapho ikhishwa khona. Lokhu ngukuthuthuka kwesici se-100. Ngaphezu kwalokho, i-ruthenium ithathelwe indawo yizinto ezishibhile ezisuselwa kukhabhoni.