Water electrolyzer for renewable energy systems

V N Kuleshov,D V Blinov,S V Kurochkin,A A Fedotov,E E Sleptsova,N V Kuleshov,I E Zhmurko,A A Gavriluk,F.-J Lin,A.M Foley,Y Sun,A Kler,C.-I Chen,D Sidorov,K Suslov,N Voropai,P Lombardi

doi:10.1051/e3sconf/202128905004

Abstract

The article is devoted to the features of the alkaline water electrolyzers use in power plants with a hydrogen energy storage systems based on renewable energy sources. The technology of nickel–cobalt electrodes electrochemical formation according to a printed 2–dimensional sketch is proposed. A new technique for the synthesis of diaphragms with a zirconium hydroxide hydrogel as a hydrophilic filler is considered. The current–voltage characteristics of an electrolytic cell located inside outer containment shell, designed for pressures up to 160 atm, are investigated.

Highlights

The article is devoted to the features of the alkaline water electrolyzers use in power plants with a hydrogen energy storage systems based on renewable energy sources
The lack or absence of electrical energy from the primary source is compensated by a system of fuel cells that convert the chemical energy of the reaction between stored hydrogen and oxygen back into electrical energy
The advantages of alkaline water electrolizers (AWE) are the absence of platinum group metals in the catalyst compositions, the lower cost of diaphragm materials in comparison with polymer electrolyte membranes, and the possibility of cold start at negative temperatures

Summary

Features of water electrolyzers for renewable energy systems

Power plants with a hydrogen energy storage systems (HESS), including based on renewable energy sources (RES), are one of the most promising areas for the development of world energy [1]. The water electrolyzer generates hydrogen (and oxygen) from the excess electrical energy of the primary source. Modern industrial AWE electrolyzers do not provide the necessary purity of the generated gases at a minimum (less than 25% of the nominal capacity) and maximum generation of electrical energy by the primary source. The use of industrial AWE in HESS leads to significant losses of electrical energy, which sharply reduces the energy efficiency of HESS as a whole. Another drawback is that the pressure at the outlet of the AWE is limited to 10–30 atm, which is insufficient for most hydrogen storage systems. For the successful implementation of AWE electrolyzers in HESS, it is necessary to expand the range of capacities, reduce energy consumption and increase the working pressure directly at the outlet of the electrolyzer [3]

Electrodes for AWE

Polymer – based diaphragms for AWE

Findings

Conclusions