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Hydrogen energy is a revolutionary force in the pursuit of clean and sustainable power. It holds great potential for addressing global energy challenges while protecting the environment. Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) presents a viable solution for producing green hydrogen in an affordable and sustainable way. This approach integrates the benefits of both proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) and traditional alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) systems. This study focuses on optimizing key operational parameters and materials in AEMWE systems to enhance their efficiency and longevity. By modifying the composition and structure of the anion exchange membrane, as well as refining electrode catalysts, temperature settings, torque, electrolyte properties, and gas diffusion layers, the electrolysis process can achieve higher ionic conductivity, reduced overpotentials, and enhanced resistance to degradation.
Herein, by going through optimization of the parameters, it was found that the cell operating at 60 °C, stainless steel electrode as the anode, a Nickel Raney electrode as the cathode and Sustainion X37-50 grade RT as the membrane, the cell showed the lowest voltage at the stability test. Inside the scope of the Natural Water to H2 project, it was studied different preparation methods of KOH solution, showing that when operating at dry cathode conditions, the KOH prepared with tap water and further treated achieved a voltage loss of 1 mV/h, a better stability when comparing to purified KOH of 5 mV/h. But still, the operating voltage was higher when working at 1 A/cm2, 1.97 V for treated KOH against 1.83 V for purified KOH. The findings demonstrate significant advancements in hydrogen production rates and energy efficiency, highlighting the potential of AEMWE to speed up the transition to a hydrogen-based energy economy. |
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