Investigation of Electrical and Thermal Performance of a Commercial PEM Electrolyzer under Dynamic Solicitations

Abstract

Hydrogen generation through electrolyzers has gained a growing interest from researchers and industries to decarbonize transportation and electricity production. The performance of electrolyzers is strongly dependent on their operating conditions, such as the supply current, temperature, and pressure. To meet near-zero emissions, the electrolyzer must be supplied by low-carbon energy sources. Therefore, renewable energy sources must be considered. However, these sources are strongly linked with the weather conditions, so they have a high dynamic behavior. Therefore, this article is focused on the investigation of the effects of these dynamic solicitations on the electrical and thermal performance of electrolyzers. In this study, a proton exchange membrane (PEM) has been chosen to carry out this investigation. Experimental tests have been performed, emphasizing the relationship between the electrical and thermal performance of the PEM electrolyzer. The purpose of this work is to provide an optimal scenario of the operation of the electrolyzer under dynamic solicitations and consequently, to decrease the degradation of the electrolyzer.

Keywords

• PEM electrolyzer
• renewable energy sources
• dynamic solicitations
• electrical performance
• thermal performance