Pressurized water electrolysis:Challenges and recent progress
Hydrogen produced through water electrolysis using renewable energy shows promise as a substitute for fossil fuels in transportation and industrial applications,offering a pathway to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.Pressurized water electrolyzers have the potential to generate high-pressure hydrogen and reduce the demand for subsequent hydrogen compressing,which is often necessary for high-density storage and transportation to end-users.This reduction in overall operating expenses and energy consumption results from the diminished reliance on state-of-the-art mechanical compressors and theoretically higher efficiency via isothermal compression in the electrolyzer.However,the increase in hydrogen pressure introduces challenges related to gas tightness,material durability caused by hydrogen embrittlement,safety concerns,and lowered current efficiency attributed to intensified hydrogen/oxygen crossover.These issues impact the large-scale application of pressurized electrolyzers.This study reviews the research progress in high-pressure proton exchange membrane water electrolysis and alkaline water electrolysis.For proton exchange membrane electrolysis,the critical elements for achieving high-performance and durable high-pressure electrolyzers include the development of gas-tight,reinforced,and ion-conductive membranes with an adopted sealing design.Conversely,alkaline water electrolysis requires process innovation and optimization of control strategies to manage hydrogen/oxygen crossover effectively,ensuring safe and efficient high-pressure operation.
国家科技期刊平台
NSTL
万方数据
维普
