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Experimental Study on the Catalyst-Coated Membrane of a Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzer

Author

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  • Amadeu Gomes Rocha

    (CEFT—Transport Phenomena Research Center, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
    ALiCE—Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal)

  • Rui Ferreira

    (CEFT—Transport Phenomena Research Center, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
    ALiCE—Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal)

  • Daniela Falcão

    (CEFT—Transport Phenomena Research Center, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
    ALiCE—Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal)

  • Alexandra M. F. R. Pinto

    (CEFT—Transport Phenomena Research Center, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
    ALiCE—Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal)

Abstract

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) technology may regulate the electrical grid connected to intermittent power sources. The growing pace of R&D in alternative components is widening manufacturing methods and testing procedures across the literature. This turns the comparison between performances into a more laborious task, especially for those starting research in this area, increasing the importance of testing components accessible to all. In this study, an electrochemical characterization is performed on a commercial single-cell PEM water electrolyzer with commercial catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs) and one prepared in-house. Two membrane thicknesses and the effect of different catalysts are assessed. The thicker membrane, Nafion 117, operates with 5% greater ohmic overvoltage than the thinner Nafion 115, resulting in up to 1.5% higher voltage for the former membrane. Equivalent Ir black CCMs provided by different suppliers and one prepared in-house perform similarly. Regarding the influence of the anode catalyst, Ir black, IrRuOx and IrRuOx/Pt have similar performance, whereas IrOx has worse performance. Compared with Ir black, the mix of IrRuOx/Pt operated with 1.5% lower voltage at 2.6 A cm −2 , whereas IrRuOx performed with 2% lower voltage at 0.3 A cm −2 . A temporary increase in performance is observed when the anode is purged with hydrogen gas.

Suggested Citation

  • Amadeu Gomes Rocha & Rui Ferreira & Daniela Falcão & Alexandra M. F. R. Pinto, 2022. "Experimental Study on the Catalyst-Coated Membrane of a Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzer," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-16, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:21:p:7937-:d:953366
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Buttler, Alexander & Spliethoff, Hartmut, 2018. "Current status of water electrolysis for energy storage, grid balancing and sector coupling via power-to-gas and power-to-liquids: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 2440-2454.
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