Water Electrolysis and Pulsed Direct Current

Abstract

The present study examined the effects of pulsed direct current (dc) on the performance of water electrolysis for hydrogen generation. The laboratory effort consisted of a series of tests using the Fm01‐LC electrolytic cell, manufactured by ICI Chemicals and Polymers, and rated at 38 g of . Using a 10 weight percent sulfuric acid solution, the electrolytic cell performance was examined using nonpulsed dc, to determine the cells base‐line performance and pulsed dc. The pulsed dc test runs were carried out using a square pulse for seven frequencies, ranging from 10 Hz to 40 kHz, and four duty cycles of 10, 25, 50, and 80%. The hydrogen generation rate was used instead of current in order to facilitate an accurate comparison. For the range of tested parameters, the results demonstrated that the nonpulsed dc operation required the least electrical power.