Impact of Power Converter Current Ripple on the Degradation of PEM Electrolyzer Performances
François Parache,
Henri Schneider,
Christophe Turpin,
Nicolas Richet,
Olivier Debellemanière,
Éric Bru,
Anh Thao Thieu,
Caroline Bertail,
Christine Marot
Affiliations
François Parache
Laboratoire Plasma et Conversion d’énergie Université de Toulouse (LAPLACE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse(INPT), Université Paul Sabatier (UPS), 31077 Toulouse, France
Henri Schneider
Laboratoire Plasma et Conversion d’énergie Université de Toulouse (LAPLACE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse(INPT), Université Paul Sabatier (UPS), 31077 Toulouse, France
Christophe Turpin
Laboratoire Plasma et Conversion d’énergie Université de Toulouse (LAPLACE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse(INPT), Université Paul Sabatier (UPS), 31077 Toulouse, France
Nicolas Richet
Air Liquide, Research & Development, Paris Innovation Campus, 1 Chemin de la Porte des Loges, 78354 Jouy en Joses, France
Olivier Debellemanière
Air Liquide, Research & Development, Paris Innovation Campus, 1 Chemin de la Porte des Loges, 78354 Jouy en Joses, France
Éric Bru
Laboratoire Plasma et Conversion d’énergie Université de Toulouse (LAPLACE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse(INPT), Université Paul Sabatier (UPS), 31077 Toulouse, France
Anh Thao Thieu
Air Liquide, Research & Development, Paris Innovation Campus, 1 Chemin de la Porte des Loges, 78354 Jouy en Joses, France
Caroline Bertail
Air Liquide, Research & Development, Paris Innovation Campus, 1 Chemin de la Porte des Loges, 78354 Jouy en Joses, France
Christine Marot
Air Liquide, Research & Development, Paris Innovation Campus, 1 Chemin de la Porte des Loges, 78354 Jouy en Joses, France
In this study, an endurance test of 3000 h was conducted on four equivalent proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers to identify and quantify the impact of an electric ripple current on their durability. Three different typical power converter waveforms and frequencies were explored. Signals were added to the same direct current carrier and also tested for reference. Performance comparison based on polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis revealed that the ripple current favors degradation. Triangular waveform and a frequency of 10 kHz were identified as the most degrading conditions, leading to a sharp increase in high-frequency resistance (HFR) and the emergence of mass transport limitations due to the enhanced degradation of titanium mesh. Moreover, reversible losses were observed and further explorations are needed to decorrelate them from our observations.
