Inlet Water Temperature Research Articles

Operating characteristics of an adsorption chiller with heat and mass recovery scheme for low-grade heat source

Waste heat recovery from data center is regarded as one of the most promising application of adsorption refrigeration in the future. To better understanding of the system, the operating characteristics, including temperature, pressure and heat exchange capacity, of the adsorption chiller for such low-grade heat source should be revealed. Unfortunately, they have not been detailedly reported yet. In this paper, lab experiments on a silica gel-water adsorption chiller prototype with heat and mass recovery scheme are implemented. The results show that this chiller can achieve 3.17 kW of average cooling power and 0.482 of coefficient of performance under the conditions of 60 °C hot water inlet temperature, 30 °C cooling water inlet temperature and 22 °C chilled water inlet temperature. The temperature and pressure characteristics reveal that adsorbent bed desorption phase results in the worsening of the deviation from ideal cycle when compared to its adsorption phase. Hence, the heat and mass transfer performance of bed in desorption phase is prioritized to be enhanced. The analysis on heat exchange capacity indicates that mass recovery operation is more beneficial to the adsorption reaction. The optimal heat recovery time is found to be 24 s while the heat recovery efficiency is 0.711.

Theoretical and experimental study on total heat recovery of condensing gas boiler flue gas by gas engine-driven compression heat pump

How to improve the utilization efficiency of natural gas and achieve the goal of carbon reduction has gradually become the focus of people’s attention. The exhaust temperature of the condensing gas boiler is between 50℃ and 80℃, which still contains some heat that is not used, so it is necessary to recover this part of the heat. This paper mainly studies the total heat recovery and utilization of waste heat from low-temperature flue gas of condensing gas boiler. In the research field of gas boiler flue gas waste heat recovery, the use of gas compression heat pump to recover gas boiler flue gas waste heat is still very few. Based on the principle of reducing the cold source temperature, a low-temperature flue gas recovery scheme of a gas engine-driven compression heat pump coupled condensing gas boiler is proposed. The low-temperature chilled water produced by gas engine-driven compression heat pump is used to recover flue gas waste heat from condensing gas boiler and gas engine, which can improve the utilization efficiency of natural gas and eliminate the “white smoke phenomenon” simultaneously. In addition, the waste heat of flue gas is used as the low-temperature heat source of gas engine-driven compression heat pump to ensure the stable operation of the heat pump in the low-temperature environment. The flue gas waste heat recovery technology has been improved compared with other flue gas waste heat recovery technologies in terms of primary energy utilization efficiency, system stability, corrosion resistance of flue gas heat exchangers, and investment recovery cycle. The experimental results show that when the water inlet temperature of the flue gas heat exchanger is 15℃, the overall power of the unit can reach 645 kW, and the final exhaust temperature is below 25℃. The overall primary energy utilization rate of the GEHP&CB can reach 110 %, which is 10 %∼20 % higher than that of the condensing gas boiler. The payback period of the increased initial investment is 1.4 heating seasons. Due to the improvement of natural gas utilization efficiency significantly reduces natural gas consumption and pollutant discharge.

Performance Analysis of a New Cascade Waste Heat Recovery System With a Wider Range of Applications

Abstract This paper proposes a new cascade waste heat recovery system with low power consumption and the ability to recover waste heat in a wider temperature range, namely, the absorption–compression coupled heat pump system. Simulations were conducted to reveal the effects of generator inlet and outlet water temperatures, supply hot water inlet and outlet water temperatures, and intermediate temperature on system performance. The results demonstrate that the coefficient of performance and exergy efficiency of the new system increase with an increase in generator outlet water temperature. The coefficient of performance and exergy efficiency of the new system decrease with an increase in supply heating water outlet water temperature. The coefficient of performance of the new system decreases with an increase in supply heating water inlet water temperature, while the exergy efficiency increases with an increase in supply heating water inlet water temperature. As the intermediate temperature increases, the coefficient of performance of the new system shows an increasing trend, and the exergy efficiency shows a decreasing trend. In addition, compared to the single-effect absorption heat pump system, the new system can recover heat at lower heat source temperatures, and compared to the compression heat pump system, it can reduce electricity consumption.

Experimental and simulation study on a new gradient waste heat recovery system with a wider application range

This paper proposes a cascade sustainable waste heat recovery technology with low power consumption and the ability to recover waste heat in a wider temperature range, namely, the Absorption-Compression Coupled Heat Pump System. Experiments and simulations were conducted to reveal the effects of different factors on system performance. The results demonstrate that the coefficient of performance and exergy efficiency of the new system increase with an increase in generator outlet water temperature. The coefficient of performance of the new system decreases with an increase in supply heating water inlet water temperature, while the exergy efficiency increases with an increase in supply heating water inlet water temperature. As intermediate temperature increases, the coefficient of performance of new system shows a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, the total heating shows a trend of first increasing and then stabilizing, and the exergy efficiency shows a decreasing trend. Compared to single-effect absorption heat pump system, the new system can recover heat at lower heat source temperatures, and compared to compression heat pump system, it can reduce electricity consumption. Finally, by comparing with experimental data, it was found that the proposed model has good reliability, with a comprehensive error within ±7 %.

Retrofitting of a solar cooling and heating plant by employing PCM storage and adjusting control strategy

A solar cooling and heating plant with a 1000 l hot water storage tank has been operated since 2018. Two main problems were observed: (1) a fluctuating operation of the absorption chiller due to a high number of stat-up and shut-down procedures; (2) high electricity consumption caused by a low solar fraction SFn of 50.9% during the cooling period. In 2021, the solar plant was retrofitted by employing a shell and tube heat exchanger based on a PCM melting at 64 °C and by adjusting the control strategy. The system performance was evaluated and compared before and after retrofitting based on the operational data in 2021 and 2022. The total number of switch-on times of the chiller shrank by 33.5% and the operation time was increased by 65% in 2022 due to the stable hot water inlet temperature. Contributing to the high heat storage capacity of the PCM storage, more solar thermal energy was utilized and the average SFn reached 75.6% during the cooling period in 2022, leading to a 24.4% reduction in the total electricity consumption compared to 2021.

Characteristics and Application Analysis of a Novel Full Fresh Air System Using Only Geothermal Energy for Space Cooling and Dehumidification

To effectively reduce building energy consumption, a novel full fresh air system with a heat source tower (HST) and a borehole heat exchanger (BHE) was proposed for space cooling and dehumidification in this paper. The cooling system only adopts geothermal energy to produce dry and cold fresh air for space cooling and dehumidification through the BHE and HST, which has the advantage of non-condensate water compared to BHE systems integrated with a fan coil or chilled beam. Based on the established mathematical model of the cooling system, this paper analyzed the system characteristics, feasibility, operation strategy, energy performance, and cost-effectiveness of the proposed model in detail. The results show that the mathematical model has less than 10% error in estimating the system performance compared to the practical HST–BHE experimental set up. Under the specific boundary conditions, the cooling and dehumidification capacity of this system increases with the decrease in the air temperature, air moisture content, and inlet water temperature of the HST. The optimal cooling capacity and the system COP can be achieved when the air–water flow ratio is at 4:3. A case study was conducted in a residential building in Shenyang with an area of about 1800 m2. It was found that this system can fully meet the cooling and dehumidification demand in such a residential building. The operation strategy of the cooling system can be optimized by adjusting the air–water flow ratio from 4:3 to 3:2 during the early cooling season (7 June–1 July) and end cooling season (3 August–1 September). As a result, the average COP of the cooling system during the whole cooling season can be improved from 6.1 to 8.7. Compared with the air source heat pump (ASHP) and the ground source heat pump (GSHP) for space cooling, the proposed cooling system can achieve an energy saving rate of 123% and 26%, respectively. Considering that the BHE of the GSHP can be part of the proposed HST–BHE cooling system, the integration of the HST and GHSP for space cooling (and heating) is strongly recommended in actual applications.

Numerical investigation and optimization of a multi-stage Tesla-valve channel based photovoltaic/thermal module

As an essential form of solar energy utilization, photovoltaic/thermal modules (PV/T) have higher efficiency than solely photovoltaic or photothermal. With regard to the heat recovery issues of PV/T, a novel thermal management method by utilizing a Tesla-valve channel is proposed. Besides, the effect of channel number, Tesla-valve number, solar irradiation, water inlet velocity, as well as water inlet temperature are analyzed using a thermal-electrical-flow coupling CFD simulation. In comparison to the straight channel and zig-zag channel PV/T, reverse multi-stage Tesla-valve channel based PV/T (MSTV-PV/T) can further enhance the solar cell panel efficiency and reduce thermal stress with decreasing max and average temperature of solar cell panel by over 4.5 % and 3 %, respectively. Utilizing response surface methodology, the optimization of MSTV-PV/T performance is conducted with respect to both single and multi-objective criteria. Channel number 8 is the optimal design parameter for all optimization objectives, the maximum output thermal energy, output thermal exergy, and output electrical energy/exergy of the proposed MSTV-PV/T module can be achieved to 1376.34W, 76.74 W, and 432.86 W, respectively.

Experimental investigation of high-temperature heating in open-loop air cycle heat pump system utilizing compressed gas waste energy recovery

Recycling waste energy from compressed gases has consistently been a focal point in the field of energy conservation. This paper presents a novel open-loop air cycle heat pump system designed to recover waste energy from compressed gases. The system maintains stable operation and provide hot water above 80 °C even under extreme ambient temperatures (below −30 °C), thereby catering to diverse heating needs across a wide temperature spectrum. Experimental results show that, when the ambient temperature varies from 10 °C to −20 °C, the heating capacity and water temperature difference between inlet and outlet only decrease by 4.82% and 4.99% respectively, suggesting negligible impact. However, when water flow rate varies from 4 m3/h to 10 m3/h, the heating capacity marginally increases by 3.35% while the water temperature difference between inlet and outlet significantly decreases by 141.95%. Continuous increase of inlet water temperature Tw, in at 0.40 °C·min−1 results in an initial 10% decrease of heating capacity, following which the system automatically adjusts to another stable operational state of around 50 kW heating capacity. This transition has minimal effect on the water temperature difference between inlet and outlet and temperature rise rate of outlet water temperature. The expansion work recovery efficiency of turbine-compressor coupled module is approximately 90%.

Mathematical Model of Parabolic Trough Collector with Fresnel Lens as Second Collector

Parabolic trough collectors (PTCs) have came out as a promising technology for harnessing solar energy for various applications including electricity generation and thermal heating. However, improving their thermal performance remains a critical challenge to maximize energy conversion efficiency. This paper presents a mathematical model for enhancing the thermal performance of PTCs by using a curved Fresnel lens as a second collector over the top side of the receiver. This enhancing has taken advantage of the space above the top side of receiver and increased the thermal efficiency of PTCs. The unsteady heat transfer equations with one dimension are used to simulate the effect of Fresnel lens on the receiver components beside the heat transfer fluid and compared with that without Fresnel lens. The results of this model are based on parameters of LS-2 model and environment of installation place whereas the water was chosen as heat transfer fluid with physical properties depending on Temperature. Al-Baydha city in Yemen is chosen as an installation place taking in consideration the variation of environment temperature in each month of the year and the inlet temperature of water and receiver‘s components are taken as the minimum temperature of the air. Keywords: Mathematical Model; Parabolic Trough Collector; Fresnel Lens ; Solar

Fault diagnosis for cross-building energy systems based on transfer learning and model interpretation

Timely and accurate fault diagnosis in building energy systems is crucial for improving the energy efficiency of equipment and realizing energy savings. With the widespread use of building automation systems, data-driven deep-learning fault diagnosis methods have gained popularity due to their flexibility and accuracy. However, they have certain associated challenges, such as limited extrapolation capabilities and their black-box nature. To address these issues, this study focuses on transfer learning to improve the energy efficiency of building energy system equipment, exploring the influencing factors and behaviours of transfer learning fault diagnosis performance and model interpretation results. A transfer-learning strategy is employed, utilizing feature-level SHAP and visual interpretation methods to understand the inner workings and diagnostic mechanisms of transfer-learning models. The study constructs five transfer-learning strategies for two typical building energy systems. The results demonstrate that the proposed fine-tuning approach achieves the highest accuracy, of 94.32 %, surpassing non-transferred and shallow approaches. The interpreted methods reflect the joint diagnosis of refrigerant leakage faults by compressor discharge temperature and condenser inlet and outlet water temperature in the target chiller. The findings from both the transfer mechanism and interpretation of the deep-learning model provide valuable guidance for the development of practical deep transfer-learning models and corresponding interpretation methods. This research contributes to improving fault diagnosis accuracy and understanding the diagnostic mechanisms in building energy systems, ultimately leading to enhanced energy efficiency and energy savings.

Analysis and optimization of the heat transfer behavior in the melt-spinning process of Nd-Fe-B ribbons

Heat transfer plays a significant role on the quality of Nd-Fe-B ribbons in the melt-spinning (MS) process. In this paper, the heat transfer behavior in the MS process of Nd-Fe-B ribbons was investigated by experiment and simulation. A full flow channel heat transfer model with high accuracy is established using the “fluid-thermal” coupling method. The temperature distribution of the cooling roller and fluid field in steady-state is obtained. The simulated and experimental results of the outlet temperature are compared and the relative error is within 5%. The microstructures of the free surface and roller-sticking surface of Nd-Fe-B melt-spun ribbons are characterized by FE-SEM, and the refined grains are formed on the roller-sticking surface of Nd-Fe-B ribbons due to rapid solidification caused by the heat transfer from the roller. Moreover, a multi-nozzle structure is proposed for the MS process. The temperature distribution on the surface of the cooling roller in the axial direction is more uniform compared with the original single-nozzle structure, and the average convective heat transfer coefficient is increased by about 1.27 times after the modification of multi-nozzle structure, with a productivity of three times. Finally, the experimental design method of Latin hypercube sampling response surface design is used to obtain the response surface relationships of rotational speed, inlet flow rate, and water inlet temperature on the surface temperature of the cooling roller, respectively. NSGA-II multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) is adopted for multi-objective optimization of process parameters. The optimized combination of process parameters is obtained with a relative error of about 0.41%. The research results are helpful to understand the heat transfer behaviors in the MS process of Nd-Fe-B ribbons, improve the utilization rate of the cooling roller and enhance the production efficiency in the actual application.

Research on Off-Design Characteristics and Control of an Innovative S-CO2 Power Cycle Driven by the Flue Gas Waste Heat

Recently, supercritical CO2 (S-CO2) has been extensively applied for the recovery of waste heat from flue gas. Although various cycle configurations have been proposed, existing studies predominantly focus on the steady analysis and optimization of different S-CO2 structures under design conditions, and there is a noticeable deficiency in off-design research, especially for the innovative S-CO2 cycles. Thus, in this work aimed at the proposed novel S-CO2 power cycle, off-design characteristics and corresponding control strategies are investigated for the waste heat recovery. Based on the design parameters of the S-CO2 cycle, structural dimensions of printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHEs) and shell-and-tube heat exchangers are determined, and design values of turbines and compressors are specified. On this basis, off-design models for these key components are formulated. By manipulating variables such as cooling water inlet temperature, cooling water mass flow rate, flue gas inlet temperature and flue gas mass flow rate, cycle performances of the system are analyzed under off-design conditions. The simulation results show that when the inlet temperature and the mass flow rate of cooling water vary separately, the thermal efficiency both can reach the maximum value of 28.43% at the design point. For the changes in heat source parameters, the optimum point is slightly deviated from the design condition. Amidst the fluctuations in flue gas inlet temperature, the thermal efficiency optimizes to a peak of 28.56% at 530 °C. In the case of variation in the flue gas mass flow rate, the highest thermal efficiency 28.75% can be obtained. Furthermore, to maintain the efficient and stable operation of the S-CO2 power cycle, the corresponding control strategy of the cooling water mass flow rate is proposed for the cooling water inlet temperature variation. Generally, when the inlet temperature of cooling water increases from 23 °C to 27 °C, the cooling water mass flow should increase from 82.3% to 132.7% of the design value to keep the system running as much as possible at design conditions.

Numerical investigation of coupled heat transfer and flow characteristics in helical coil heat exchanger for mine water waste heat recovery

To efficiently recover waste heat from mine water, this study numerically investigates the flow and heat transfer performance of a tube-shell coupled helical coil heat exchanger (HCHE), under high Reynolds number conditions. The effects of inlet water temperature, mass flow rate (m), tube diameter (d), and helix pitch (P) on the tube side, shell side, and overall performance are analyzed. Performance metrics include friction factor (f), Nusselt number (Nu), overall heat transfer coefficient (U), heat transfer rate, and the Performance Evaluation Criteria (PEC) number. Specifically, this study focuses on detailed observation and analysis of the shell-side flow and temperature fields. Findings reveal that enlarging d from 30 mm to 50 mm results in a 32.55% decrease in U, whereas increasing P from 50 mm to 200 mm boosts U by 8.02%. The highest PEC number of HCHE is 2.43, observed in conditions of P = 50 mm, d = 30 mm, and mc = 4 × 103 kg/h. Correlations for fc, Nuc, and Nush are proposed based on simulation results. This study provides a theoretical basis for the design and structural optimization of HCHE in the mine water waste heat recovery applications.

Investigation of direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) performance using CFD and machine learning approaches

Direct Contact Membrane Distillation (DCMD) is emerging as an effective method for water desalination, known for its efficiency and adaptability. This study delves into the performance of DCMD by integrating two powerful analytical tools: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). The research thoroughly examines the impact of various factors, such as inlet temperatures, velocities, channel heights, salt concentration, and membrane characteristics, on the process's efficiency, specifically calculating the water vapor flux. A rigorous validation of the CFD model aligns well with established studies, ensuring reliability. Subsequently, over 1000 data points reflecting variations in input factors are utilized to train and validate the ANN. The training phase demonstrated high accuracy, with near-zero mean squared errors and R2 values close to one, indicating a strong predictive capability. Further analysis post-ANN training shed light on key relationships: higher membrane porosity boosts water vapor flux, whereas thicker membranes reduce it. Additionally, it was detailed how salt concentration, channel dimensions, inlet temperatures, and velocities significantly influence the distillation process. Finally, a mathematical model was proposed for water vapor flux as a function of key input factors. The results highlighted that salt mole fraction and hot water inlet temperature have the most effect on the water vapor flux. This comprehensive investigation contributes to the understanding of DCMD and emphasizes the potential of combining CFD and ANN for optimizing and innovating water desalination technology.

Geothermal In-Situ Heat Transfer Control Factor Simulation and Numerical Analysis

Geothermal energy, as a renewable and clean energy source, holds immense potential in meeting energy demands and reducing carbon emissions. Its unique sustainability and environmental friendliness make it an important complement to addressing today's energy challenges. Coaxial tubing in-situ heat exchange technology for geothermal wells, as a key extraction method for geothermal energy, is subject to control by multiple critical factors that directly relate to its efficiency and feasibility. This paper aims to delve into the technology of coaxial tubing in-situ heat exchange for geothermal wells through numerical simulation analysis, with a focus on studying the impacts of three key factors on its performance: heat transfer medium flow rate, inlet water temperature, and cement thermal conductivity. Through numerical analysis, this study aims to reveal the variations of these factors to provide more refined control methods and optimize the coaxial tubing in-situ heat exchange technology for geothermal wells. By conducting experimental simulations and numerical analysis on these key factors, this paper aims to provide strong support for optimizing the coaxial tubing in-situ heat exchange technology for geothermal wells, which will contribute to advancing geothermal energy technology and promoting the sustainable utilization of clean energy.

Achieving Energy Self-Sufficiency in a Dormitory Building: An Experimental Analysis of a PV–AWHP-ERV Integrated System

In this study, we investigated the performance of air-to-water heat pump (AWHP) and energy recovery ventilator (ERV) systems combined with photovoltaics (PV) to achieve the energy independence of a dormitory building and conducted an analysis of the energy independence rate and economic feasibility by using energy storage devices. Our data were collected for 5 months from July to November, and the building energy load, energy consumption, and system performance were derived by measuring the PV power generation, purchase, sales volume, AWHP inlet and outlet water temperature, and ERV outdoor, supply, and exhaust temperature. When analyzing representative days, the PV–AWHP integrated system achieved an energy efficiency ratio (EER) of 4.49 and a coefficient of performance (COP) of 2.27. Even when the generated electrical energy exceeds 100% of the electricity consumption, the energy self-sufficiency rate remains at 24% due to the imbalance between energy consumption and production. The monthly average energy self-sufficiency rate changed significantly during the measurement period, from 20.27% in November to 57.95% in September, highlighting the importance of energy storage for self-reliance. When using a 4 kWp solar power system and 4 kWh and 8 kWh batteries, the annual energy self-sufficiency rate would increase to 67.43% and 86.98%, respectively, and our economic analysis showed it would take 16.5 years and more than 20 years, respectively, to become profitable compared to the operation of an AWHP system alone.

Investigating the effect of employing a 24-hour radiative cooling system on the photovoltaic/thermal systems performance: A case-based research

This study aims to investigate the potential of a renewable hybrid system that integrates a nocturnal and diurnal radiative cooling system (RC) and photovoltaic/thermal system (PV/T) as a novel system to supply highly efficient electricity, while also providing a 24-hour radiative cooling system and diurnal preheated water supply. The proposed system comprises a photovoltaic system (PV) fitted with a transparent layer instead of glass, along with two cooling systems. The first cooling system involves water flow within aluminum pipes beneath the photovoltaic panel, while the second cooling system utilizes a silicon dioxide layer as RC. The study employs a novel approach by analyzing the impact of utilizing both nocturnal and diurnal RC on PV/T performance. The results are based on simulations conducted over four days during various months of the year, including January, March, July, and October. The findings of the simulations demonstrate that the utilization of the first cooling method increases the electrical efficiency of PV by 9.1%. Furthermore, the incorporation of RC along with the first method again leads to a 3.7% increase in electrical efficiency. Additionally, the thermal efficiency is estimated to be 37.1% and 20.62% for PV/T and RC-PV/T, respectively. The cooling power of RC during the night reached 287.13 W/m2 in July. A sensitivity analysis of the input parameters reveals that variations in solar radiation and inlet water temperature have the greatest impact on the system's electrical efficiency.

Study on the active cooling effect and convective heat transfer performance inside the rail

In order to study the impact of different influencing factors on the active cooling effect of electromagnetic rail. The effects of the flow velocity of cooling medium, the geometric shape of the cooling channel, the cooling water inlet temperature and the nanoparticle mass fraction on the cooling effect of rail are experimentally investigated. The results indicate that increasing the flow velocity of cooling medium can enhance the heat transfer effect. But when the flow velocity exceeds 2 m/s, further increasing the flow velocity has little effect on enhancing heat transfer, and the correlation between the Nusselt number and the Reynolds number has been obtained and expressed as Nu=0.316Pr1/3Re0.530. Among the three cooling channel geometries studied in this article, square channel has the best cooling effect. The inlet temperature of cooling water has little effect on the convective heat transfer coefficient, but has a significant impact on the thermal equilibrium temperature of the rail. The mass concentration of nanoparticles has a significant impact on the cooling effect of the rail. The larger the mass fraction of nanoparticles, the greater the convective heat transfer coefficient, and the lower the rail peak temperature after reaching thermal equilibrium. However, if the concentration of nanoparticles continues to increase, the effect of enhancing heat transfer will gradually weaken.

Optimal discharge pressure and performance characteristics of a transcritical CO2 heat pump system with a tri-partite gas cooler for combined space and water heating

The transcritical CO2 heat pump holds promise for achieving carbon neutrality in buildings, primarily due to its high energy efficiency in hot water heating. However, using it for space heating often leads to efficiency losses. A heat pump equipped with a tri-partite gas cooler can address this issue by providing both space heating and hot water while maintaining lower refrigerant temperatures at the gas cooler exit. Nonetheless, there is limited research on the characteristics of a CO2 heat pump system designed for simultaneous space and hot water production. This work fills this gap by analyzing the impacts of operational and system configuration, considering the variation of space heating to hot water production loads. A theoretical model is presented and verified with the experiments. Results show that under the specified conditions, the heat load ratio has minimal influence on the optimal discharge pressure. Increasing the water outlet temperature from 60 °C to 80 °C leads to a nearly 14% decrease in maximum COP, with a corresponding 12.2% increase in the optimal pressure. A 10 K rise in water inlet temperature results in approximately a 21% decline in maximum COP. Evaporation temperature has little impact on the optimal discharge pressure, while maximum COP increases by roughly 63% with a rise in evaporation temperature from -10 °C to 10 °C. Space heating water temperature notably affects the optimal discharge pressure. Integration of an IHX enhances system COP but has marginal impact on the optimal discharge pressure. These findings offer insights for designing and optimizing transcritical CO2 heat pumps for simultaneous space and water heating applications.

Process Parameter Optimization via RSM of a PEM based Water Electrolysis Cell for the Production of Green Hydrogen

In the present work, the operating parameters were optimized using Box Behnken Design (BBD) in response surface methodology (RSM) to maximize the hydrogen production rate (R1) and hydrogen production rate per unit watt consumed (R2) of a proton exchange membrane electrolysis cell (PEMEC), a third response (R3) which was the sum of the scaled values of R1 and R2 were selected to be maximized so that both hydrogen production rate and hydrogen production rate per unit watt consumed could be maximized. The major parameters which were influencing the experiment for enhancing the output responses were oxygen electrode/anode electrocatalyst loading (A), current supplied (B) and water inlet temperature (C). The commercial proton exchange membrane Nafion® was used as the electrolyte. The acetylene black carbon (CAB) supported IrO2 was used as the electrocatalyst for preparing oxygen electrode/anode whereas commercial Pt (40 wt%)/CHSA was used as the H2 electrode/cathode electrocatalyst. The quadratic model was developed to predict the output/responses and their proximity to the experimental output values. The developed model was found to be significant as the P values for both the responses were < 0.0001 and F values were greater than 1. The optimum condition for both the responses were O2 electrode/anode electrocatalyst loading of 1.78 mg/cm2, supplied current of 0.33 A and water inlet temperature of 54°C. The predicted values for hydrogen production rate (R1) and hydrogen production rate per unit watt consumed (R2) were 2.921 mL/min and 2.562 mL/(min·W), respectively obtained from the quadratic model. The error % between the predicted response values and experimental values were 1.47% and 3.08% for R1 and R2, respectively. This model predicted the optimum conditions reasonably in good agreement with the experimental conditions for the enhancement of the output responses of the developed PEM based electrolyser.