Analyzing gas crossover risk of proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer through a perspective of disease prevention and treatment

Scale-up and commercial applications (renewable energy hydrogen production) of green hydrogen can reduce carbon emissions and contribute to energy sustainability. Safety of proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is critical for the large-scale, long-term operation of renewable energy hydrogen production system. Herein, the gas crossover risk in PEM electrolyzers and its response strategies are reviewed. The root causes of gas crossover risk are investigated. Strategies named “nearby therapy”, “remote therapy”, and “special therapy”, as well as a safety concept of “rapid risk transfer, monitoring, and regulation” are proposed to view gas crossover based on the theories and therapies of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Modern Medicine. These ideas provide a comprehensive framework to multi-factor interrelated safety problems in industrial equipment. Furthermore, this review highlights the non-independence of safety decisions with cost, efficiency, energy consumption, durability, and stability. In the end, component design strategies and related technology trends are discussed, which are of great significance for the high-end, intelligent, and large-scale development of PEMWE.