In this experimental work we present a novel electrolyzer system for the production of hydrogen and oxygen at high pressure levels without an additional mechanical compressor. Due to its control strategies, the operation conditions for this electrolyzer can be kept optimal for each load situation of the system. Furthermore, the novel system design allows for dynamic long-term operation as well as for easy maintainability. Therefore, the device meets the requirements for prospective power-to-gas applications, especially, in order to store excess energy from renewable sources. A laboratory scale device has been developed and high-pressure operation was validated. We also studied the long-term stability of the system by applying dynamic load cycles with load changes every 30 sec. After 80 h of operation the used membrane electrode assembly (MEA) was investigated by means of SEM, EDX and XRD analysis.
Hochdruck PEM-Elektrolyse
(2017)
The technology of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysis provides an efficient way to produce hydrogen. In combination with renewable energy sources, it promises to be one of the key factors towards a carbon-free energy infrastructure in the future. Today, PEM electrolyzers with a power consumption higher than 1 MW and a gas output pressure of 30 bar (or even higher) are already commercially available. Nevertheless, fundamental research and development for an improved efficiency is far from being finally accomplished, and mostly takes place on a laboratory scale. Upscaling the laboratory prototypes to an industrial size usually cannot be achieved without facing further problems and/or losing efficiency. With our novel system design based on hydraulic cell compression, a lot of the commonly occurring problems like inhomogeneous temperature and current distribution can be avoided. In this study we present first results of an upscaling by a factor of 30 in active cell area.
This work deals with the preparation and investigation of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) electrodes, which are obtained using gas diffusion layers coated with graphene related material (GRM) serving as a catalyst support for platinum nanoparticles. PEMFC electrocatalysts have been prepared by pulsed electrochemical deposition of platinum particles from hexachloroplatinic acid. Prior to GRM decoration with platinum, the graphene structures are functionalized by oxygen plasma treatment. This leads to oxygen containing functional groups on the GRM outer surface, providing an improved hydrophilic behavior, thus favoring the Pt deposition process. Membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) with the so prepared electrodes are investigated in-situ in our fuel cell test system. Polarization plots (in-situ cell performance) using these MEAs have been tested under different operational conditions.