Optimizing mass transport in proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers for efficient hydrogen production

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There has been growing consensus that our society must transition to a renewable energy based economy to avoid a major climate disaster. Despite significant progress in renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind, the intermittency of such energy sources remains one of the biggest roadblocks in their widespread adoption. To offset the intermittency of renewable energy sources, they must be coupled with effective energy storage schemes, which act as backup energy supply when the renewable energy is offline. Hydrogen is widely regarded as a promising vehicle for energy storage due to its versatility and high energy density. In this scheme, renewable electricity is used to power the electrochemical conversion of water to hydrogen and oxygen through a process known as water electrolysis. The hydrogen is then stored and utilized to produce electricity on-demand. The development of renewable hydrogen is central to Canada's commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada is primed to become a world leader in low-carbon hydrogen generation, which could lead to more than $50-billion in domestic revenues and up to 190 million tonnes-CO2e reduction in emissions. A prominent technology for hydrogen generation is the proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer, which is capable of producing pure hydrogen at high pressures. While PEM electrolysis technology has been around since the 1960s, its energy efficiency must be improved dramatically to become economically competitive at large scales. The progress of efficiency improvement has been hindered by the lack of a mathematical modelling framework capable of capturing the complex multi-component, multiphase transport process inside PEM electrolyzers. The goal of the proposed project is to develop a comprehensive, thermodynamics-based mathematical description of reaction and transport through PEM electrolyzer, and to establish a long-term research consortium on PEM electrolysis with Germany. The modelling framework and the research consortium will accelerate the development of next generation electrolyzers and contribute to maintaining Canada and Germany as global leaders in hydrogen technology.