Solid polymer electrolyte electrolyzer

Figure 1 Structure of solid polymer electrolyte electrolyzer (SPE).

J. Cheng et al.. Study of carbon-supported Ir02 and RUO2 for use in the hydrogen evolution reaction in a solid polymer electrolyte electrolyzer, Electrochimica Acta 55 (5) (2010) 1855-1861. 

Lawrence, R. J., and Wood, L. D. Method of making solid polymer electrolyte catalytic electrodes and electrode made thereby. U.S. Patent 4,272,353,1981. Fedkiw, P. S., and Her, W. H. An impregnation-reduction method to prepare electrodes on Naifon SPE. Journal of the Electrochemical Society 1989 136 899-900. Aldebert, P, Novel-Cattin, R, Pineri, M., Millet, P, Doumain, G., and Durand, R. Preparation and characterization of SPE composites for electrolyzers and fuel cells. Solid State Ionics 1989 35 3-9. 

Ion-exchanger resins as solid polymer electrolytes, impregnated with the cations of the chosen anode metal, may prove applicable. Their use in the fuel-cell/electrolyzer single module concept is already under investigation as to complexity and operability (115). Doubtless better SPE s will be discovered. 

Millet P, Andolfatto F, Durand R (1996) Design and performance of a solid polymer electrolyte water electrolyzer. Int J Hydrogen Energy 21 87-93... 

Fig. 15.7. Design of a multicell for a solid polymer electrolyte water electrolyzer. (Reprinted from B. V. Tilak et al., Electrolytic Production of Hydrogen, in Comprehensive Treatise of Electrochemistry, J. O M. Bockris, B. E. Conway, E. Yeager, and R. White, eds., Vol. 2, Fig. 6, p. 9, Plenum, 1981.)...

Two cases were examined for the production of water electrolysis. Data were taken from Reference (1) and adjusted to mid-1979 levels in accordance with Table 1. The costs of "current technology" electrolysis were averaged in Reference (1) from information provided by Lurgi, Electrolyser Corp., General Electric, and Teledyne Isotopes. An advanced electrolyzer design, based upon the General Electric Solid Polymer Electrolyte (SPE) design, was also addressed as the second case. 

A second commercially available electrolyzer technology is the solid polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM). PEM electrolysis (PEME) is also referred to as solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) or polymer electrolyte membrane (also, PEM), but all represent a system that incorporates a solid proton-conducting membrane which is not electrically conductive. The membrane serves a dual purpose, as the gas separation device and ion (proton) conductor. High-purity deionized (DI) water is required in PEM-based electrolysis, and PEM electrolyzer manufacturer regularly recommend a minimum of 1 MQ-cm resistive water to extend stack life. 

H. Takenaka, Technology of water electrolysis using solid polymer electrolyte and its application, Soda Enso (Soda Chlorine) 1986, 37, 323-337 S. Stucki, G.G. Scherer, S. Schlagowski and E. Fischer, PEM water electrolyzers evidence for membrane failure in 100 kW demonstration plants, J. Appl. Electrochem., 1998, 28, 1041-1049. 

Mobile plant installed on the trailer chassis. Collapsible solar array. Electrolyzer with a solid polymer electrolyte. There are water storage tanks and a water purification (deionization) unit. 

Major tasks of the hydrogen energy program in the Russian Federation in which about 20 scientific organisations are involved include research on fuel cells and electrolyzers both with solid polymer electrolyte, on H2 / O2 steam generator (experiments with 20- 100 kW and 10-20 MW thermal power), and on catalytic combustion [83]. 

Other approaches have focused upon using non-precious metals and their oxides as alternatives to the platinum catalysts. For example, the mixed oxide catalysts of the binary and ternary alloys of noble metals and transition metals have been investigated for the oxygen evolution reaction in solid polymer electrolyte water electrolyzers. Binary, ternary, and quaternary platinum alloys with base metals of Cu, Ni, and Co have been used as electrocatalysts in liquid acid electrolyte cells. It was also reported that a R-Cu-Cr alloy displayed better activity to oxygen reduction than R and Pt-Cr in liquid electrolyte.The enhanced electrocatalytic activity of these types of alloys has been attributed to various factors, including the decrease of the nearest neighbor distance of platinum,the formation of Raney type... 

In the 1960s, the use of solid-state polymer electrolytes instead of the liquid electrolytes normally used in alkaline electrolysis led to the development of novel concepts for water electrolysis. The US company General Electric was the first to realize solid polymer electrolyte water electrolysis (SPE) with the aid of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane (Nafion ) developed by DuPont [16]. At the same time, ABB [17, 18] in Switzerland and Fuji Electric [19] in Japan also developed PEM electrolyzers with single electrode areas of up to 2500 cm. These... 

A particular approach adopted by General Electric In U.S.A. is the solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) cell in which the porous cloth-type separator is replaced by a polymeric ion exchange membrane which is conductive to cations (Figure 5). The particular membrane employed, NAFION, is a perfluorsulphonlc acid pol3nner which is extremely stable in both acid alkaline solution. Appropriate electrocatalysts are coated on each face of the polymer sheet and these are contacted by a metal mesh current collector. Further research is aimed at reducing the cost and improving the electrical efficiency of the system to make it competitive with conventional electrolyzers. 

It is not uncommon in the existing body of literature to find the appellation SPE water electrolyzer (with SPE standing for Solid Polymer Electrolyte), particularly to denote this technology when it first appeared in the 1970s. 

During these programs, PME fuel cells and electrolyzers were developed. These first solid membranes were made of sodium polystyrene sulfonate, and would be replaced by Nafion, which was discovered by DuPont in the same decade. Thus, it was in 1966 that the very first solid-polymer electrolyte (SPE) electrolyzer was built by General Electric (GE) for Project GEMINI to produce oxygen on board the spacecraft. 

Present electrolyzers normally operate at 60 -90 C at ambient pressures using concentrated KOH electrolytes (3) (solid polymer electrolyte-acid electrolyzers are used for specialized applications (4). ) For both thermodynamic and kinetic reasons, it would be desirable to increase the temperature and pressure of operation to 150-200 C and 30 MPa. A major problem with these new conditions of operation is the lack of availability of a separator to prevent the mixing of product gases. Asbestos is universally used as a separator-diaphragm for conventional alkaline water electrolyzers, but it dissolves above ca. 100 C. Several new... 

DeNora and General Electric are developing an electrolyzer with a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) based on Nafion [196]. In addition to a voltage savings of 20%, it is hoped that completely chloride-ffee hydrogen gas can be produced. 

Production of hydrogen via water electrolysis using an alkaline medium is a mature technology. At the same time, solid polymer electrolyte (SPE)-based systems, for water electrolysis, have a much weaker market share globally. The main reasons for the limited implementation of SPE-based electrolyzers includes the expensive PGM catalyst and proton conducting membrane, lower durability, and lower hydrogen output. However, the advantages of SPE... 

Chludzinski, P.J. (1982) A Mechanistic Model and Proposed Corrections for Solid Polymer Electrolyte (SPE) Degradation in H /O Fuel Cells and Water Electrolyzers, GE Direct Energy Conversion Program Internal Report, 1982. 

---