Investigation on PEM water electrolysis cell design and components for a HyCon solar hydrogen generator

• Published in: International journal of hydrogen energy Vol. 42; no. 19; pp. 13544 - 13553
• Main Authors: Fallisch, Arne, Schellhase, Leon, Fresko, Jan, Zechmeister, Martin, Zedda, Mario, Ohlmann, Jens, Zielke, Lukas, Paust, Nils, Smolinka, Tom
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 11.05.2017
• Subjects: III–V solar cells; PEM water electrolysis; Porous transport layer; Solar hydrogen production; Solar hydrogen production; Porous transport layer; PEM water electrolysis; III–V solar cells
• ISSN: 0360-3199; 1879-3487
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2017.01.166

Hydrogen as a secondary energy carrier promises a large potential as a long term storage for fluctuating renewable energies. In this sense a highly efficient solar hydrogen generation is of great interest especially in southern countries having high solar irradiation. The patented Hydrogen Concentrator (HyCon) concept yields high efficiencies combining multi-junction solar cells with proton exchange (PEM) membrane water electrolysis. In this work, a special PEM electrolysis cell for the HyCon concept was developed and investigated. It is shown that the purpose-made PEM cell shows a high performance using a titanium hybrid fiber sinter function both as a porous transport layer and flow field. The electrolysis cell shows a high performance with 1.83 V at 1 A/cm2 and 24 °C working under natural convection with a commercially available catalyst coated membrane. A theoretical examination predicts a total efficiency for the HyCon module from sunlight to hydrogen of approximately 19.5% according to the higher heating value. •Special designed PEM electrolysis cell with no fluidical bypass.•Porous transport layer with high performance.•PEM electrolysis working under natural convection at 1 A/cm2 with 1.83 V at 24 °C.•Predicted efficiency from sunlight to hydrogen above 19%.