Neue konstruktive und prozeßtechnische Konzepte für die Wasserstoff‐Gewinnung durch Elektrolyse

Abstract

AbstractNew design and process engineering concepts for production of hydrogen by electrolysis. Electrolytic production of hydrogen has attracted particular interest in connection with expansion of nuclear generating capacity in France, Belgium, Canada, and Japan as a means of balancing load, and for developing countries with hitherto untapped hydroenergy resources it provides a means of supplying fertilizers with any need for oil imports. However, the present state of the art of water electrolysis leads to excessively high production costs owing to excessively high investment costs and to high an energy consumption, far above the thermodynamically calculated energy requirements: reduction of production costs will require satisfaction of opposing demands for raising the space‐time yield of electrolyzers by increased current density while simultaneously lowering the energy consumption by reducing the cell potential. This contribution describes measures intended to save 20 to 30% in energy requirements; the production costs will fall by about 20 to 25%.