Design of Electrolytic Cells for the Production of Large Hydrogen Quantities at Medium Pressure

Abstract

The development of electrolytic cells for the production of large quantities of hydrogen includes a preliminary research to examine the various parameters of importance for the best performance of a large scale electrolyzer, followed by the design, construction and operation of a model having a capacity of 2.5 Nm³/h hydrogen operating at 140°C max and 30 bar.

This unit will be tested using statistically planned sets of experiments to determine, with a minimum number of runs, the performance of the electrolyzer over a wide range of parameters.

The electrolyzer is incorporated in a pilot plant specifically designed to provide all the data required for future scale-up. Electrodes and diaphragms selected through the research work of other contracts will be tested for long range operation.