Experimental study and analytical modeling of an alkaline water electrolysis cell

International Journal of Energy ResearchVolume 41, Issue 14 p. 2365-2373 RESEARCH ARTICLE Experimental study and analytical modeling of an alkaline water electrolysis cell Yanan Chen, Yanan Chen Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA, 95343 USA State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070 ChinaSearch for more papers by this authorFelipe Mojica, Felipe Mojica Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA, 95343 USASearch for more papers by this authorGuangfu Li, Guangfu Li Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA, 95343 USASearch for more papers by this authorPo-Ya Abel Chuang, Corresponding Author Po-Ya Abel Chuang abel.chuang@ucmerced.edu orcid.org/0000-0002-0440-1974 Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA, 95343 USA Correspondence Po-Ya Abel Chuang, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA 95343, USA. Email: abel.chuang@ucmerced.eduSearch for more papers by this author Yanan Chen, Yanan Chen Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA, 95343 USA State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070 ChinaSearch for more papers by this authorFelipe Mojica, Felipe Mojica Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA, 95343 USASearch for more papers by this authorGuangfu Li, Guangfu Li Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA, 95343 USASearch for more papers by this authorPo-Ya Abel Chuang, Corresponding Author Po-Ya Abel Chuang abel.chuang@ucmerced.edu orcid.org/0000-0002-0440-1974 Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA, 95343 USA Correspondence Po-Ya Abel Chuang, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA 95343, USA. Email: abel.chuang@ucmerced.eduSearch for more papers by this author First published: 13 July 2017 https://doi.org/10.1002/er.3806Citations: 36Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Summary A traditional alkaline aqueous electrolyzer is investigated by using a 3-electode structure that enables the reaction resistance of each individual electrode to be accurately monitored. Combining experimental observations with resistance-based model analysis, we establish a quantitative relationship between current density and key voltage losses, including losses due to thermodynamics, kinetics, ohmic, and mass transport. These results demonstrate that the oxygen evolution reaction and bubble effects play crucial roles in determining electrolyzer performance. By varying the distance between electrodes, 2 effective OH− conductivities in 0.4M KOH are found to be 0.1333 and 0.9650 second cm−1, depending on bubble formation and release rate at the electrode interface. Moreover, bubble coverage on electrode surface achieves a steady state of 96% when current density is above 0.1 A cm−2. In the study of various electrolyte concentrations, all the model predictions show good agreement with experimental results, confirming its ability to capture actual cell performance. This newly presented empirical resistance-based model provides a practical framework to simulate complicated electrolysis reactions, serving as a comprehensive guide for continuous improvement of water electrolysis. Citing Literature Supporting Information Filename Description er3806-sup-0001-Data_S1.pdfPDF document, 363.5 KB Data S1. Supporting info item Table S1.Detailed data from six repeated baseline tests (Stdev: standard deviation). Figure S1.Transient responses for water electrolysis experiment at 6different current density settings. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article. Volume41, Issue14November 2017Pages 2365-2373 RelatedInformation