A component-level model of polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysis cells for hydrogen production

Diaz, Daniela Fernanda Ruiz; Valenzuela, Edgar; Wang, Yun

doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2022.119398

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…This is because the ohmic overpotential rises linearly with current density, owing to the complete saturation of water and constant ionic resistance in the PEM. This linear rule is consistent with Ruiz Diaz et al 42 …”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 92%

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis at high current densities: Response time and gas‐water distribution

Bai,

Li,

Zhang

et al. 2023

AIChE Journal

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Understanding the distribution of oxygen in proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is crucial for improving electrolysis efficiency and gas removal. In this study, we developed a two‐dimensional (2D) transient model that couples the Euler–Euler multiphase model with electric potential equations to investigate two‐phase flow in PEMWE. Our simulation reveals that the system's response time initially decreases and then increases with current density, indicating longer response times at high current densities. Modifying the wetting properties of the porous transport layer (PTL) affects gas removal at low gas holdup, resulting in a maximum 15% decrease in gas holdup. However, at high gas holdup, the flow field in the channel predominantly governs bubble removal, making changes in PTL wetting properties less influential. With increasing gas production rate, an inverse gradient distribution of gas saturation appears, leading to uneven gas saturation and hindering efficient oxygen removal. This non‐uniform gas saturation adversely affects electrolysis performance.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 92%

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis at high current densities: Response time and gas‐water distribution

Bai,

Li,

Zhang

et al. 2023

AIChE Journal

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show abstract

“…Hydrogen will soon become one of the cleanest, non-toxic, and most sustainable energy carriers with this feature. Low-polluting and high-purity hydrogen and oxygen can be produced from water electrolysis compared with traditional hydrogen production methods such as alkaline water electrolysis, ammonia cracking, and fossil fuel reforming [1][2][3]. Hydrogen and oxygen from water electrolysis can be used directly in fuel cells and industrial applications.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

PEMEC performance evaluation through experimental analysis of operating conditions by response surface methodology (RSM)

Özdemir

Taymaz

Okumuş

et al. 2023

European Mechanical Science

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The optimum current value of the proton exchange membrane electrolysis cell (PEM-EC) mainly depends on various operational factors, such as temperature, operating pressure, water flow rate, and membrane water content. Therefore, this study aims to maximize performance related to the current of PEM-EC by determining the optimal operating conditions of the PEM electrolysis cell having a 9 cm² active layer. In this regard, response surface methodology (RSM) and central composite design (CCD) were applied using Design-Expert (trial version) software to identify the optimal combination of operating variables such as temperature, pump speed, and cell voltage. Temperature, pump speed, and cell voltage were the independent variables to have ranged from 40-80 °C, 1-8, and 1.8-2.3 V, respectively. Also, the individual and combined effects of operational parameters on cell performance will be included in this study by ANOVA (analysis of variance). The optimal parameters are 80 °C, 1, and 2.3 V, respectively, temperature, pump speed, and cell voltage corresponding to the maximum current output of PEM-EC. This RSM tool found that the maximum current was 16.778 A. In addition, it was concluded that the most influential parameter on cell performance was the cell voltage, followed by the temperature.

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“…Numerical simulation is a powerful tool that allows the study and quantifying of all the mentioned phenomena [4]. This can be done on different levels, from zero-dimensional models [5,6] to more complex three-dimensional ones. Multi-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) models belong to the last class, allowing the simulation of the interaction of the heat/fluid/current transport and the distribution of each variable, thus complementing experiments for difficult to measure quantities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Three-Dimensional CFD Simulation of a Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysis Cell

et al. 2023

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The energy shift towards carbon-free solutions is creating an ever-growing engineering interest in electrolytic cells, i.e., devices to produce hydrogen from water-splitting reactions. Among the available technologies, Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolysis is the most promising candidate for coping with the intermittency of renewable energy sources, thanks to the short transient period granted by the solid thin electrolyte. The well-known principle of PEM electrolysers is still unsupported by advanced engineering practices, such as the use of multidimensional simulations able to elucidate the interacting fluid dynamics, electrochemistry, and heat transport. A methodology for PEM electrolysis simulation is therefore needed. In this study, a model for the multidimensional simulation of PEM electrolysers is presented and validated against a recent literature case. The study analyses the impact of temperature and gas phase distribution on the cell performance, providing valuable insights into the understanding of the physical phenomena occurring inside the cell at the basis of the formation rate of hydrogen and oxygen. The simulations regard two temperature levels (333 K and 353 K) and the complete polarization curve is numerically predicted, allowing the analysis of the overpotentials break-up and the multi-phase flow in the PEM cell. An in-house developed model for macro-homogeneous catalyst layers is applied to PEM electrolysis, allowing independent analysis of overpotentials, investigation into their dependency on temperature and analysis of the cathodic gas–liquid stratification. The study validates a comprehensive multi-dimensional model for PEM electrolysis, relevantly proposing a methodology for the ever-growing urgency for engineering optimization of such devices.

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A component-level model of polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysis cells for hydrogen production

Cited by 8 publications

References 38 publications

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis at high current densities: Response time and gas‐water distribution

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis at high current densities: Response time and gas‐water distribution

PEMEC performance evaluation through experimental analysis of operating conditions by response surface methodology (RSM)

Three-Dimensional CFD Simulation of a Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysis Cell

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