Size design strategy for scaling up alkaline water electrolysis stack integrated with renewable energy source: A multiphysics modeling approach

Abstract

Large-capacity hydrogen production systems are crucial for promoting green hydrogen development. However, the scaling-up of electrolysis stacks through larger electrode areas or additional electrodes may increase the bubble coverage effect and shunt current effect, leading to efficiency degradation. Therefore, a quantitative model that considers interrelated factors is needed to optimize the size design during the scaling-up process. This paper presents a stack-level multiphysics model that describes the electrochemical and two-phase flow processes within the stack. The model is validated experimentally, with a relative error of the current–voltage (IV) curve within 4%. Based on the model, the energy efficiency-reaction current density (ER) curves of different stacks are analyzed and used to provide performance optimization strategies for stacks coupled with renewable energy sources (RES). The findings demonstrate that in on-grid mode, the small cell design leads to a hydrogen production rate increase of over 6%, driving a trend towards miniaturization of cell areas. In addition, during off-grid operation, the hydrogen production variations among different designs can exceed 4% due to performance differences under heavy and light loads. Therefore, optimizing electrolyzer performance requires considering power source fluctuations and conducting specialized computational optimizations based on specific scenarios. In summary, this paper proposes optimization strategies of size design for scaling up electrolysis stacks to improve stack performance, with the goal of driving the advancement of green hydrogen.