Optimizing proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers for enhanced green hydrogen production: a computational fluid dynamics approach
摘要
The performance of electrolyzers is profoundly influenced by pressure drops and water velocity within the flow channel. Higher pressure drops result in reduced water flow to the reacting location, consequently slowing down the electrochemical reaction rate and hydrogen release. To enhance overall performance, various types of flow channels were evaluated.
In this study, serpentine flow channels, commonly used in proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolyzer, were examined to assess their impact on their performance. Utilizing the fuel cell and electrolyzer module in ANSYS Fluent, 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted. The analysis focused on elucidating the relationship between flow channel design and the concentration of oxygen and hydrogen. This article presents an innovative approach based on the development and assessment of a CFD model for simulating PEM water electrolyzers utilized in hydrogen production. The model’s accuracy is validated through comparison with existing experimental data, with particular emphasis on assessing the effectiveness of the SIMPLE and COUPLED schemes in accurately capturing electrolysis processes.
The findings revealed that serpentine flow channels exhibited the highest oxygen and hydrogen concentrations within the voltage range of 1.5–2 V. Under steady conditions, the maximum hydrogen concentration in serpentine flow channels was determined to be 3.56 10−2 kmol/m3. These results provide valuable insights into optimizing flow channel design for enhanced performance of PEM electrolyzers.