Study of the Influence of Operating Conditions on High Pressure Electrolyzer Efficiency

Authors

Andrii A. Shevchenko, A. Podgorny Institute of Mechanical Engineering Problems of NASU (2/10, Pozharskyi St., Kharkiv, 61046, Ukraine), e-mail: shevchenko84@ukr.net, ORCID: 0000-0002-6009-2387

Mykola M. Zipunnikov, A. Podgorny Institute of Mechanical Engineering Problems of NASU (2/10, Pozharskyi St., Kharkiv, 61046, Ukraine), ORCID: 0000-0002-0579-2962

Аnatolii L. Kotenko, A. Podgorny Institute of Mechanical Engineering Problems of NASU (2/10, Pozharskyi St., Kharkiv, 61046, Ukraine), ORCID: 0000-0003-2715-634X

Iryna O. Vorobiova, A. Podgorny Institute of Mechanical Engineering Problems of NASU (2/10, Pozharskyi St., Kharkiv, 61046, Ukraine), ORCID: 0000-0002-1712-8831

Vitalii M. Semykin, A. Podgorny Institute of Mechanical Engineering Problems of NASU (2/10, Pozharskyi St., Kharkiv, 61046, Ukraine), ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5042-810X

Abstract

The high pressure of the gases being generated (hydrogen and oxygen) makes it possible to increase the efficiency of the electrochemical generator. Energy components of the process of liquid electrolyte decomposition under pressure are described. Dependencies of reducing energy costs per cell during the electrolysis of water under pressure at different temperatures are presented. It has been established that with increasing pressure, the processes of electrode depolarization by dissolved gases increase, however, their quantitative value and influence on the current efficiency depend on the design of electrolyzers, adopted electrolyte circulation scheme, and conditions for the penetration of the dissolved hydrogen into the anode space and of oxygen into the cathode. The pressure increase of the electrochemical process of producing hydrogen and oxygen is accompanied by an increase in their solubility in the electrolyte, which may be accompanied by the anode and cathode depolarization by dissolved gases. The transition of the electrolysis equipment to the operation from atmospheric pressure to the operation from pressures of the order of 0.1−4.0 MPa is most effective. The decrease in the voltage of electrochemical reactions is due to the processes of electrode depolarization, dissolved gases, as well as a decrease in gas filling due to a decrease in the size of gas bubbles. With increasing pressure, the value of the electrode potential increases, which should lead to an increase in the cell voltage, but the opposite is observed. This can be explained by a decrease in voltage loss during electrolysis. We conducted a comparative analysis of the existing technologies for the electrolysis of hydrogen and oxygen. To correctly compare the energy efficiency of a membrane-free technology for producing high-pressure hydrogen and oxygen as well as existing industrial electrolyic technologies, the energy costs for electrolytic hydrogen production by an industrial method and its subsequent compression should be summarized.

Keywords: electrolyzer, hydrogen, oxygen, high pressure.

Full text: Download in PDF

References

1. Pfleyderer, G. (1935). Elektroliz vody [Electrolysis of water]. Leningrad: Khimteoret, 202 p. (in Russian).
2. Zdanskу, A. (1957). Weltkonferenz Jugoslavien- Bundesrepublik Deutschland, XL Teile Tagung, Abt, B. 5, Bericht 3, Belgrad.
3. Solovey, V. V., Zipunnikov, N. N., & Shevchenko, A. A. (2015). Issledovaniye effektivnosti elektrodnykh materialov v elektroliznykh sistemakh s razdel’nym tsiklom generatsii gazov [Study of the efficiency of electrode materials in electrolysis systems with a separate gas generation cycle]. Problemy mashinostroyeniya – Journal of Mechanical Engineering, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 72–76 (in Russian).
4. Solovei, V., Shevchenko, A., Kotenko, A., & Makarov, O. (2013). Prystrii dlia heneratsii vodniu vysokoho tysku [Device for generating high pressure hydrogen]: patent 103681; Ukraine: MPK C25B 1/12, C25B 1/03, no. a201115332; stated 26.12.2011; published 11.11.2013, Bulletin no. 21, 4 p. (in Ukrainian). http://repositsc.nuczu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/9369
5. Solovey, V., Kozak, L., Shevchenko, A., Zipunnikov, M., Campbell, R., & Seamon, F. (2017). Hydrogen technology of energy storage making use of wind power potential. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 62–68. https://doi.org/10.15407/pmach2017.01.062
6. Solovei, V. V., Kotenko, A. L., Vorobiova, I. O., Shevchenko, A. A., & Zipunnikov, M. M. (2018). Basic Operation Principles and Control Algorithm for a High-pressure Membrane-less Electrolyser. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 57–63. https://doi.org/10.15407/pmach2018.04.057
7. Solovey, V., Khiem, N. T., Zipunnikov, M. M., & Shevchenko, A. (2018). Improvement of the membrane-less electrolysis technology for hydrogenand oxygen generation. French-Ukrainian Journal of Chemistry, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 73–79. https://doi.org/10.17721/fujcV6I2P73-79
8. Solovey, V. V., Zipunnikov, M. M., Shevchenko, A. A., Vorobjova, I. O., & Kotenko, A. L. (2018). Energy effective membrane-less technology for high pressure hydrogen electro-chemical generation. French-Ukrainian Journal of Chemistry, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 151–156. https://doi.org/10.17721/fujcV6I1P151-156
9. Sukhotin, A. M. (1981). Spravochnik po elektrokhimii [Handbook of Electrochemistry]. Leningrad: Khimiya, 488 p. (in Russian).
10. Fedotyev, N. P. (1967). Prikladnaya elektrokhimiya [Applied Electrochemistry]. Leningrad: Khimiya, 624 p. (in Russian).
11. Yakimenko, L. M., Modylevskaya, I. D., & Tkachik, Z. A. (1970). Elektroliz vody [Electrolysis of water]. Moscow: Khimiya, 264 p. (in Russian).
12. Sharma, S. & Ghoshal, S. K. (2015). Hydrogen the future transportation fuel: From production to applications. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 43, pp. 1151–1158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2014.11.093
13. Tomilov, A. P. (1984). Prikladnaya elektrokhimiya: uchebnik [Applied electrochemistry: A textbook]. Moscow: Khimiya, 520 p. (in Russian).
14. Yakimenko, L. M. (1981). Elektrokhimicheskiye protsessy v khimicheskoy promyshlennosti: Proizvodstvo vodoroda, kisloroda, khlora i shchelochey [Electrochemical processes in the chemical industry: Production of hydrogen, oxygen, chlorine and alkalis]. Moscow: Khimiya, 280 p. (in Russian).
15. Langas, H. G. (2015). Large scale hydrogen production. Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Export: Proceedings of conference, Trondheim, Norway. March 24, 2015, 20 p.
16. Elektrolizery [Electrolyzers]: official site of Uralkhimmash [Electronic resource] (in Russian). URL: http://ekb.ru/catalog/elektrolizery (Accessed 20.08.2019).
17. Barisic, M. (2012). Alkalische Elektrolyse in der Industriellen Anwendung. Wind to Gas – Speicherlosung Elektrolyse: proceedings of conference, VDI, IHK Gieben – Friedberg, November 26, 2012, 18 p.
18. Titan EC-500: official site of Teledyne Energy Systems Inc. [Electronic resource]. URL: http://www.teledynees.com/products/Hydrogen%20Oxygen%20Generation%20Systems/Product%20Files/TESI_Brochure_TITAN_EC_Series_English_2013.pdf (Accessed 20.08.2019).
19. HySTAT–A Energy Station: official site of Hydrogenics Corporation [Electronic resource]. URL: http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/isGallerytrue/shareID452352/fileID27809605?1=1 (Accessed 20.08.2019).
20. Wasserstoffprojekt Flughafen München Gesellschaft für Hochleistungselektrolyse – GHW: official site of Argemuc [Electronic resource]. URL: https://www.linde-gas.de/de/images/argemuc_projektbeschreibung_tcm565-71308.pdf (Accessed 20.08.2019).
21. Smart Hydrogen Station (SHS): official site of Honda [Electronic resource]. URL: https://global.honda/innovation/FuelCell/smart-hydrogen-station-engineer-talk.html (Accessed 20.08.2019).
22. Hogen H Series Technical Specifications: official site of Proton Energy Systems Inc. [Electronic resource]. URL: https://diamondlite.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/H-Serie-Englisch-1.pdf (Accessed 20.08.2019).
23. Solovey, V. V., Shevchenko, A. A., & Vorobyeva, I. A. (2008). Povysheniye effektivnosti protsessa generatsii vodoroda v elektrolizerakh s gazopogloshchayushchim elektrodom [Increasing the efficiency of the process of hydrogen generator]. Vestnik Kharkovskogo natsionalnogo avtomobilno-dorozhnogo universiteta – Bulletin of Kharkov National Automobile and Highway University, iss. 43, pp. 69–73 (in Russian).
24. Solovei, V., Shevchenko, A., Kotenko, A., & Zipunnikov, M. (2019). Strumovvid dlia elektrokhimichnoho heneratora vysokoho tysku [Current collector for high-pressure electrochemical generator: Patent 119090]; Ukraine: MPK 51, H01B 17/26; H01B 7/00, no. a201707264; stated 10.07.2017; published 25.04.2019, Bulletin no. 8, 6 p. (in Ukrainian). http://repositsc.nuczu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/9368
25. Shevchenko, A. A. (1999). Ispolzovaniye ELAELov v avtonomnykh energoustanovkakh, kharakterizuyushchikhsya neravnomernostyu energopostupleniya [Use of ELAELs in autonomous power plants characterized by uneven energy supply]. Aviatsionno-kosmicheskaya tekhnika i tekhnologiya – Aerospace Engineering and Technology, no. 13, pp. 111–116 (in Russian).
26. Rusanov, A. V., Solovei, V. V., Zipunnikov, M. M., & Shevchenko, A. A. (2018). Termohazodynamika fizyko-enerhetychnykh protsesiv v alternatyvnykh tekhnolohiiakh [Thermo-dynamics of physico-energy processes in alternative technologies] in 3 vols. Vol. 1 Termohazodynamika fizyko-enerhetychnykh protsesiv v vodnevykh tekhnolohiiakh [Thermo-dynamics of physico-energy processes in hydrogen technologies]. Kyiv: Naukova dumka, 337 p. (in Ukrainian).

Received 17 September 2019

Published 30 December 2019