Exploring commercial water electrolyser systems:a data-based analysis of product characteristics

The urgency for energy transition is evident through the increasing demand for new technologies such as water electrolysers(WEs),which have the potential to generate green hydrogen using renewable electricity.This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the technical capabilities of commercially available WE system products.The analysis is based on publicly accessible data gathered from 28 WE manufacturers worldwide with a total of 186 products,focusing on technology types and various technical characteristics of each WE system,including capacity,footprint,hydrogen output pressure,hydrogen purity and conversion rate.The analysis reveals that the current WE system solutions in the market exhibit diverse and varied characteristics.Further,there is a lack of standardized product specifications adopted by manufacturers.This underscores the urgent need for the development of frameworks and standards.Implementing such standards is crucial for enhancing clarity and understanding,facilitating efficient comparisons and selection processes,and supporting the future advancement of WE technologies and WE-enabled Power-to-X applications on a global scale.

Design and fabrication of bipolar plates for PEM water electrolyser

Hydrogen energy,whether in generation plants or utilization facilities,plays a decisive role in the mission to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions,all to minimize pollution.The growing demand for clean energy carrier steadily accelerates the development of hydrogen production processes,and therein proton exchange membrane(PEM)water electrolysis is deemed a promising long-term strategy for hydrogen preparation and collection.This review retrospects recent developments and applications of bipolar plates(BPs)as key components in PEM fuel cells and water electrolysers.The main content includes multifaceted challenges in the R&D or fabrication of BPs and potential future trends have also been proposed.Specific details cover the BPs matrix(metallic materials and carbon composites)and the surface coating types(metal and compound coatings,carbon-based coatings,and polymer coatings),as well as the influence of flow field design for mass transport.Long-term development and feasible researches of BPs are prospected.Especially in the following aspects:(1)Structural and functional integration of components,such as material fabrication and flow field geometry optimization using 3D printing technology;(2)Introduction of environment-friendly renewable energy for hydrogen production;(3)Research on hydrogen energy reversible systems;(4)Composition optimization of surface coatings based on computational materials science and(5)systematic design expected to evolve into the next generation of BPs.

具有超高碱性稳定性和尺寸稳定性的聚芳烃N-甲基奎宁基阴离子交换膜

阴离子交换膜水电解槽的阴离子交换膜成本低、无需铂族贵金属催化剂,有望取代高成本的质子交换膜水电解槽.然而,阴离子交换膜的尺寸稳定性差以及在高温、高浓度碱液中的稳定性差,阻碍了阴离子交换膜水电解槽的发展.最近,我们合成了一种具有优异碱性稳定性的聚(三苯基-N-甲基奎宁基)阴离子交换膜,为了进一步提高这种阴离子交换膜的机械强度和尺寸稳定性,在本工作中,我们添加了三氟苯乙酮来制备聚(三苯基-三氟苯乙酮-N-甲基奎宁基)阴离子交换膜.这种共聚阴离子交换膜具有超高的碱性稳定性(在80℃,10 mol L^(-1)的NaOH溶液中浸泡1600小时后OH^(-)电导率和机械强度不发生衰减),优异的尺寸稳定性(30–80℃温度下,纯水中溶胀率不超过7%;10 mol L^(-1)的NaOH溶液中溶胀率不超过2%),高氢氧根电导率(80°C时达134.5 mS cm^(-1))和高机械强度(抗拉伸强度达43.2 MPa).这种阴离子交换膜和镍合金泡沫电极组装的简易水电解槽在80°C下,2.0 V和5 mol L^(-1)的KOH水电解质中具有1780 mA cm^(-2)的优异电流密度,并且具有高耐久性.

Engineering membrane electrode assembly for advanced polymer electrolyte water electrolyzer

As an important energy carrier in terms of carbon neutrality,green hydrogen produced by water electrolysis using renewable electricity has attracted worldwide attention.The polymer electrolyte water electrolyzer(PEWE)has the potential to be a mainstay in the green hydrogen market in the future because of its superior performance.However,the development of PEWE is constrained by the slow progress of the membrane electrode assembly(MEA),which is an essential component of PEWE and largely determines the cost and performance of the system.Therefore,the MEA must be optimized from the aspects of reducing cost and improving performance to promote the development of PEWEs.In this review,we first discuss the recent progress of the materials and design strategies of MEA,including the cost,activity,and stability of catalysts,distribution and thickness of ionomers,and ion transport efficiency of ion exchange membranes(IEMs).Then,the effects of all components and interlayer interfaces on the ions,electrons,and mass transfer in MEA and,consequently,the performance of PEWE are analyzed.Finally,we propose perspectives on developing MEA by optimizing the catalyst activity and stability of IEM,interface contact between adjacent components,and evaluation methods of performance.

Red cabbage washing with acidic electrolysed water:effects on microbial quality and physicochemical properties

The effects of acidic electrolysed water(AEW)as‘green’technology on the microbiological and physicochemical properties of fresh-cut red cabbages were studied.Fresh-cut red cabbages and artificially inoculated red cabbages with Salmonella typhimurium DT104 were washed with distilled water(DW)and different available chlorine concentrations(ACC)of AEW for different times.AEW treatments significantly reduced the populations of native aerobic bacteria,molds,and yeasts,and artificially inoculated S.typhimurium DT104 compared with the DW-treated and untreated red cabbage samples.The effectiveness of AEW treatments was greatly enhanced with increasing ACC and treatment times.S.typhimurium DT104 were not detected in the washing water that were collected after the red cabbages treated by AEW.The surface colour,pH,and total phenolic contents did not significantly change when the red cabbages were washed with DW and AEW containing 100 mg/L available chlorine for 3 min.The anthocyanin contents and antioxidant activities of red cabbage were significantly reduced by 18.5 per cent for cyanidin,22.1 per cent for pelargonidin,and 11.2 per cent for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH)radical scavenging activity,however,the impacts on the nutritional benefits of red cabbage were considered as limited and acceptable.The optimal process condition of AEW for washing red cabbage was 100 mg/L ACC for 3 min.In these conditions,most of the native microflora were inactivated,and artificially inoculated S.typhimurium DT104 on the red cabbage were reduced by 40.2 per cent[3.67 log CFU/g(log10 colony-forming units per gram)]and with minimal losses of nutrients and antioxidant activity,as well as no requirement of decontamination treatment on the washing water after AEW treatment.