Optimizing mass transport in proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers for efficient hydrogen production

优化质子交换膜 (PEM) 电解槽中的传质以实现高效制氢

• 批准号: 563682-2021
• 负责人: Zhao, Benzhong
• 金额: $ 3.64万
• 依托单位: McMaster University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=722155
• 关键词: Optimizing; mass; transport; proton; exchange

There has been growing consensus that our society must transition to a renewable energy based economy to avoid a major climate disaster. Despite significant progress in renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind, the intermittency of such energy sources remains one of the biggest roadblocks in their widespread adoption. To offset the intermittency of renewable energy sources, they must be coupled with effective energy storage schemes, which act as backup energy supply when the renewable energy is offline. Hydrogen is widely regarded as a promising vehicle for energy storage due to its versatility and high energy density. In this scheme, renewable electricity is used to power the electrochemical conversion of water to hydrogen and oxygen through a process known as water electrolysis. The hydrogen is then stored and utilized to produce electricity on-demand. The development of renewable hydrogen is central to Canada's commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada is primed to become a world leader in low-carbon hydrogen generation, which could lead to more than $50-billion in domestic revenues and up to 190 million tonnes-CO2e reduction in emissions. A prominent technology for hydrogen generation is the proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer, which is capable of producing pure hydrogen at high pressures. While PEM electrolysis technology has been around since the 1960s, its energy efficiency must be improved dramatically to become economically competitive at large scales. The progress of efficiency improvement has been hindered by the lack of a mathematical modelling framework capable of capturing the complex multi-component, multiphase transport process inside PEM electrolyzers. The goal of the proposed project is to develop a comprehensive, thermodynamics-based mathematical description of reaction and transport through PEM electrolyzer, and to establish a long-term research consortium on PEM electrolysis with Germany. The modelling framework and the research consortium will accelerate the development of next generation electrolyzers and contribute to maintaining Canada and Germany as global leaders in hydrogen technology.

人们越来越共识，我们的社会必须过渡到可再生能源的经济，以避免重大的气候灾难。尽管可再生能源技术（例如太阳能和风能）取得了重大进展，但这种能源的间歇性仍然是其广泛采用的最大障碍之一。为了抵消可再生能源的间歇性，必须与有效的能源存储方案结合在一起，当可再生能源离线时，它们充当备用能源供应。由于其多功能性和高能量密度，氢被广泛认为是能源存储的有前途的车辆。在此方案中，可再生电力用于通过称为水电解的过程来为水向氢和氧的电化学转化。然后将氢存储并用来产生按需的电力。可再生氢的开发是加拿大到2050年达到零排放的承诺至关重要的。加拿大已准备好成为低碳氢发电的世界领导者，这可能会导致超过5000亿美元的国内收入，并最高1.9亿吨-CO2E降低发射。氢生成的著名技术是质子交换膜（PEM）电解核，该膜能够在高压下产生纯氢。虽然PEM电解技术自1960年代以来就已经存在，但必须大大提高其能源效率，以在大规模上具有经济竞争力。由于缺乏能够捕获PEM电解器内部复杂的多组分，多类传输过程的数学建模框架，因此效率提高的进展受到了阻碍。拟议项目的目的是开发对通过PEM电解仪的反应和运输的全面，基于热力学的数学描述，并建立了与德国PEM电解的长期研究联盟。建模框架和研究联盟将加速下一代电解器的发展，并有助于维持加拿大和德国作为氢技术的全球领导者。