Thin liquid/gas diffusion layers for high-efficiency hydrogen production from water splitting

Mo, Jinjun; Kang, Zhenye; Yang, Gaoqiang; Retterer, Scott T.; Cullen, David A.; Toops, Todd J.; Green, Johney B.; Zhang, Fengyuan

doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.05.154

Cited by 115 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…The layers are also known as gas diffusion layers (GDLs) or liquid/gas diffusion layers (LGDLs) . The complex profile of PTL requirements is described in detail by numerous authors . The PTL must enable: Electrical contact between the CL and the BPP, which requires a low through‐plane electrical resistance of the PTL bulk and a low interfacial resistance in the contact areas. Thermal conductivity for effective thermal management. Efficient gas/water transport to facilitate transport and the uniform distribution of reactants (liquid water) and products (gaseous hydrogen and oxygen) between the CL and the BPP. Mechanical stability and smooth surface topography to avoid damaging the CL and membrane during assembly and operation, especially when operating in high differential pressure mode. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The development of PTL for PEM electrolyzers is the subject of numerous studies in literature . On the anode side, three concepts are mainly used:…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2) Perforated sheets . Thin perforated titanium sheets prepared using lithographical methods were recently introduced as a PTL for PEM electrolysis . The thickness of the sheets was 25 μm and the pore diameter was adjusted in the range of 100–800 μm.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Manufacturing of Large‐Scale Titanium‐Based Porous Transport Layers for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Electrolysis by Tape Casting

et al. 2019

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Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysis is an ideal method for the direct conversion of regenerative energy into hydrogen. A key component of PEM electrolysis stacks is the porous transport layer (PTL), which is usually comprised of titanium to withstand the harsh conditions of water splitting. This present study investigates the potential of tape casting as a means of mass producing titanium transport layers in a cost-effective way. Gasatomized and hydrogenation-dehydrogenation titanium powders are used as starting materials. A systematic study is conducted to find processing parameters, which can demonstrate the potential of tape casting as a means of manufacturing large-scale porous transport layers for PEM electrolyzers. For proof of concept, the dimensions of the porous transport layer are scaled up to 470 Â 470 mm 2 (at a thickness of 300 μm) and the component is successfully operated in an industrial electrolyzer under realistic conditions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The development of PTL for PEM electrolyzers is the subject of numerous studies in literature . On the anode side, three concepts are mainly used:…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Manufacturing of Large‐Scale Titanium‐Based Porous Transport Layers for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Electrolysis by Tape Casting

et al. 2019

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“…The improvement in performance is again attributed to lower interfacial contact resistance, as the Ti surface between the pores is flat. 43 BPPs should have sufficient electrical and thermal conductivity. Often a flow field based on a channel structure, typically in the mmrange, is used to distribute the reactant water evenly over the active area and remove product gases and waste heat.…”

Section: Materials and Componentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Critical Review—Identifying Critical Gaps for Polymer Electrolyte Water Electrolysis Development

Babic

Suermann

Büchi

et al. 2017

J. Electrochem. Soc.

397

347

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Although polymer electrolyte water electrolyzers (PEWEs) have been used in small-scale (kW to tens of kW range) applications for several decades, PEWE technology for hydrogen production in energy applications (power-to-gas, power-to-fuel, etc.) requires significant improvements in the technology to address the challenges associated with cost, performance and durability. Systems with power of hundreds of kW or even MWs, corresponding to hydrogen production rates of around 10 to 20 kg/h, have started to appear in the past 5 years. The thin (∼0.2 mm) polymer electrolyte in the PEWE with low ohmic resistance, compared to the alkaline cell with liquid electrolyte, allows operation at high current densities of 1-3 A/cm 2 and high differential pressure. This article, after an introductory overview of the operating principles of PEWE and state-of-the-art, discusses the state of understanding of key phenomena determining and limiting performance, durability, and commercial readiness, identifies important 'gaps' in understanding and essential development needs to bring PEWE science & engineering forward to prosper in the energy market as one of its future backbone technologies. For this to be successful, science, engineering, and process development as well as business and market development need to go hand in hand. In 2015, the global primary energy consumption was 153 PWh, 1 corresponding to an average rate of energy conversion of 17 TW. About 30% (∼6 TW) of this is used for electricity generation, which yields around 2.8 TW of electrical power (24 PWh per year). Around two thirds of the electricity is generated from fossil fuels, hydropower contributes 16%, nuclear power 11%, and other renewables (such as solar and wind) only 6.7%.1 Solar (photovoltaics) and wind power have a combined installed capacity of about 660 GW (in 2015).2 Electricity supply based on a significant share of these "new renewables" is associated with large discrepancies between supply and demand, owing to the intermittent nature of these primary energy sources. Hence, solutions for the grid-scale storage of electricity need to be developed and implemented. The electrochemical splitting of water (electrolysis) is a clean and efficient process offering interesting prospects to store large amounts of excess electricity in form of chemical energy ('power-to-gas' concept). 3,4 The produced hydrogen and oxygen can be used to regenerate electricity in periods of low production and high demand or serve as clean transportation fuel for fuel cell electric vehicles. Therefore, water electrolysis is a key technology in future sustainable energy scenarios, since hydrogen as an energy 'vector', i.e., as a universal energy carrier, could promote the decarbonization of the energy economy, or even become its backbone in the context of a 'hydrogen economy'.5 Moreover, the produced hydrogen can be used to methanate CO 2 from suitable sources, such as biogas plants, to produce synthetic natural gas (SNG), which can be injected and stored in the natural gas network. 6...

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“…The new two-phase model is developed to investigate the effects of LGDL thickness and PEM thickness on the cell performance and efficiency. As the effect of two-phase transport is developed in our group [57][58][59]. In addition, for a fixed LGDL thickness, there will be a sudden change in voltage and efficiency as the current density increases.…”

Section: Effects Of Lgdl Thickness and Pem Thicknessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling of two-phase transport in proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cells for hydrogen energy

Han

Kang

et al. 2017

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

Self Cite

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Multiphase transport inside a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cell (PEMEC) plays an important role in its performance and design. Most PEMEC modeling studies so far have mainly focused on its electrochemical performance prediction and analysis, and fundamental understanding of the effect of multiphase transport on the cell performance is still lacking. In this study, a two-phase mathematical model is developed to investigate the transport properties inside liquid/gas diffusion layers (LGDLs) and to explore their effects on the PEMEC voltage and efficiency. Sudden changes in the PEMEC voltage and efficiency are captured for the first time as the current density reaches a limiting value, and the limiting current density is greatly impacted by the LGDL contact angle, porosity, and thickness. In addition, the liquid water distribution and cell performance in PEMECs with different important operating and physical parameters are examined and discussed in detail. Increasing the LGDL porosity or/and decreasing its surface contact angle will improve the PEMEC performance especially at the high current density. The thickness changes of the LGDL and membrane also have significant impacts on the cell voltage and efficiency. The model can effectively examine two-phase transport properties and provide useful information for design optimization of a PEMEC.

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Thin liquid/gas diffusion layers for high-efficiency hydrogen production from water splitting

Cited by 115 publications

References 49 publications

Manufacturing of Large‐Scale Titanium‐Based Porous Transport Layers for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Electrolysis by Tape Casting

Manufacturing of Large‐Scale Titanium‐Based Porous Transport Layers for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Electrolysis by Tape Casting

Critical Review—Identifying Critical Gaps for Polymer Electrolyte Water Electrolysis Development

Modeling of two-phase transport in proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cells for hydrogen energy

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