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Failure and reliability analysis of PEM electrolyser balance of plant

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  • Ubale, Salim
  • Remenyte-Prescott, Rasa
  • Grant, David M.
  • Stuart, Alastair
  • Hague, Adam

Abstract

Renewable energy technologies, such as polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysers (PEME), have garnered significant attention due to their high efficiency and potential for reducing emissions in the industrial, transportation and energy sectors. To ensure reliable and efficient operation of PEME plants, a comprehensive understanding of operation of Balance of Plant (BoP) components, their failure modes, and associated maintenance procedures is required. This study presents a foundational insight for optimising the operation and maintenance of PEME BoP systems, by conducting a detailed reliability analysis of the water subsystem using Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA). Thirty (30) component failure modes, their effects, and mitigation strategies, are identified. Fault trees are developed to illustrate the causes of two critical undesirable events: water quality degradation and water supply interruption, with calculated system unavailability probabilities of 0.49 and 0.68, respectively. The analyses highlight the influence of component failure modes on the overall system availability and identifies the most critical components through minimal cut set analysis. Importance measures are used to quantify each component's contribution to the overall system unavailability and failure frequency. These findings can inform effective operational and maintenance decisions, thereby improving the availability and reliability of PEME plants.

Suggested Citation

  • Ubale, Salim & Remenyte-Prescott, Rasa & Grant, David M. & Stuart, Alastair & Hague, Adam, 2026. "Failure and reliability analysis of PEM electrolyser balance of plant," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 256(PB).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:256:y:2026:i:pb:s0960148125016933
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2025.124029
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bareiß, Kay & de la Rua, Cristina & Möckl, Maximilian & Hamacher, Thomas, 2019. "Life cycle assessment of hydrogen from proton exchange membrane water electrolysis in future energy systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(C), pages 862-872.
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