Overview of alkaline water electrolysis modeling

Abstract

Green hydrogen production via alkaline water electrolysis has the capability to greatly reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and support the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable energy system. The use of modeling in the development and optimization of alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) systems can help in enhancing the performance of the electrolysis process, ultimately enabling the green hydrogen production at a lower cost and with a smaller carbon footprint. This article provides a comprehensive overview of numerous research studies on AWE systems that have been carried out in recent years. The goal is to provide readers a thorough understanding of the phenomena involved in modeling AWE electrolyzers, serving as a starting point for further exploration and highlighting significant considerations for developing more effective physical models of AWE. The review also summarizes models that focuses on electrochemical effects, mass transfer, heat transfer, and the two-phase flow effect, as well as the software used to implement the models and current research trends in this field.