• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.183-196
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• 2017

The research efforts directed at advancing water electrolysis technology continue to intensify together with the increasing interest in hydrogen as an alternative source of energy to fossil fuels. Among the various water electrolysis systems reported to date, systems employing a solid polymer electrolyte membrane are known to display both improved safety and efficiency as a result of enhanced separation of products: hydrogen and oxygen. Conducting water electrolysis in an alkaline medium lowers the system cost by allowing non-platinum group metals to be used as catalysts for the complex multi-electron transfer reactions involved in water electrolysis, namely the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions (HER and OER, respectively). We briefly review the anion exchange membranes (AEMs) and electrocatalysts developed and applied thus far in alkaline AEM water electrolysis (AEMWE) devices. Testing the developed components in AEMWE cells is a key step in maximizing the device performance since cell performance depends strongly on the structure of the electrodes containing the HER and OER catalysts and the polymer membrane under specific cell operating conditions. In this review, we discuss the properties of reported AEMs that have been used to fabricate membrane-electrode assemblies for AEMWE cells, including membranes based on polysulfone, poly(2,6-dimethyl-p-phylene) oxide, polybenzimidazole, and inorganic composite materials. The activities and stabilities of tertiary metal oxides, metal carbon composites, and ultra-low Pt-loading electrodes toward OER and HER in AEMWE cells are also described.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.641-648
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• 2011

KEPRI (KEPCO Research Institute) designed and operated the lab-scale high temperature electrolysis (HTE) system for hydrogen production with $10{\times}10cm^2$ 5-cell stack at $750^{\circ}C$. The electrolysis cell consists of Ni-YSZ steam/hydrogen electrode, YSZ electrolyte and LSCF based perovskite as air side electrode. The active area of one cell is 92.16 $cm^2$. The hydrogen production system was operated for 2664 hours and the performance of electrolysis stack was measured by means of current variation with from 6 A to 28 A. The maximum hydrogen production rate and current efficiency was 47.33 NL/hr and 80.90% at 28 A, respectively. As the applied current increased, hydrogen production rate, current efficiency and the degradation rate of stack were increased respectively. From the result of stack performance, optimum operation current of this system was 24 A, considering current efficiencies and cell degradations.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.657-662
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• 2017

This paper presents the reversible electrolysis characteristics of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) using a $10{\times}10cm^2$ anode supported planar cell with an active area of $81cm^2$. In this work, current-voltage characteristic test and reversible electrolysis cycle test were carried out sequentially for 2,114 hours at a furnace temperature of $700^{\circ}C$. The current-voltage characteristics for reversible electrolysis mode was measured at a current of ${\pm}26.7A$ under various $H_2O$ utilization conditions. The reversible electrolysis cycle was performed 50 times at a current of ${\pm}32.4A$. As a result, The performance degradation of SOEC mode was larger than that of SOFC mode.

• KEPCO Journal on Electric Power and Energy
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.121-125
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• 2019

A YSZ electrolyte based ceramic supported Solid Oxide Cell (SOC) and a metal interconnect supported SOC was investigated under both fuel cell and co-electrolysis (steam and $CO_2$) mode at $800^{\circ}C$. The single cell performance was analyzed by impedance spectra and product gas composition with gas chromatography(GC). The long-term performance in the co-electrolysis mode under a current density of $800mA/cm^2$ was obtained using steam and carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) mixed gas condition.

• Proceedings of the KIPE Conference
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• 2010.07a
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• pp.196-197
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• 2010

This paper investigates a high performance converter topology for hydrogen gas generation electrolysis system. The proposed converter topology consists of full-bridge inverter, medium frequency transformer, and diode rectifier. Hydrogen gas generation electrolysis process considered in the paper is analyzed and characterized by its equivalent circuit. The electrolysis cell is modeled as effective resistance, capacitance, inductance, and internal emf voltage source. The proposed converter topology provides enhanced efficiency of hydrogen gas generation process under the operating condition of dc output voltage with high frequency ripple on it. The high performance operation of proposed converter is confirmed through the simulation with the electrolysis cell considered in the equivalent circuit model.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.496-513
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• 2022

In this study, we sought to verify the applicability of anion exchange membrane water electrolysis system using FAA-3-50, Neosepta-ASE, Sustainion grade T, and Fujifilm type 10, which are commercial anion exchange membranes. The morphology of the commercial membranes and the elements on the surface were analyzed using SEM/EDX to confirm the distribution of functional groups included in the commercial membranes. In addition, mechanical strength and decomposition temperature were measured using UTM and TGA to check whether the driving conditions of the water electrolyte were satisfied. The ion exchange capacity and ion conductivity were measured to understand the performance of anion exchange membranes, and the alkaline resistance of each commercial membrane was checked and durability test was performed because they were driven in an alkaline environment. Finally, a membrane-electrode assembly was manufactured and a water electrolysis single cell test was performed to confirm cell performance at 60℃, 70℃, and 80℃. The long-term cell test was measured 20 cycles at other temperatures to compare water electrolysis performance.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.546-547
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• 2007

Magnesium is widely used as a lightweight alloy for car engine components and case of cellular phone. Extraction technologies of magnesium are divided to fused salt electrolysis process and thermal reduction process. In this study, electrolysis magnesium is prepared by fused salt electrolysis process with magnesium chloride. We compared two kinds of mixed salt at 7V. As a result, 47% of current efficiency was obtained by electrolyzing KCl/NaCl/$MgCl_2$ mixed salt bath at $760^{\circ}C$, and purity of the prepared magnesium was over 98%. With this study, we can scale up fused salt electrolysis device and accumulate basic data which will be needed for designing an electrolysis cell.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.269-275
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• 2019

This study was conducted to evaluate the microbial communities in coupled system of a microbial electrolysis cell and an anaerobic digestion. Glucose, butyric acid, propionic acid and acetic acid were used as substrates. The maximum methane production and methane production rate of propionic acid respectively were $327.9{\pm}6.7mL\;CH_4/g\;COD$ and $28.3{\pm}3.1mL\;CH_4/g\;COD{\cdot}d$, which were higher than others. Microbial communities' analyses indicated that acetoclastic methangens were predominant in all systems. But the proportion of hydrogenotrophic methanogens was higher in the system using propionic acid as a substrate when compared to others. In coupled system of a microbial electrolysis cell and anaerobic digestion, the methane production was higher as the distribution of hydrogen, which was generated by substrate degradation, and proportion of hydrogenotrophic methanogens was higher.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.268-275
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• 2024

The study examined the electrogeneration of hypochlorite ions (ClO^-) via electrolysis of aqueous NaCl solutions using a dimensionally stable anode-type (DSA-type) electrode based on platinum and palladium oxides supported on titanium mesh (Ti/PtPd(10%)O_x). The electrogenerated ClO^- was quantified on the basis of the absorption band at 292 nm (A_λ = 292) of the UV-Vis spectrum. The effect of initial pH, concentration of NaCl, cell potential difference and electrolysis time were investigated in this study. The results showed that the electrolysis of aqueous NaCl solutions increases the solution pH up to high values (≥ 8.0) that favor the formation of ClO^- over chlorine or hypochlorous acid. The hypochlorite concentration increases significantly at pH values > 7.0 and shows a linear trend with increasing NaCl concentration and with increasing cell potential difference. When the cell potential and NaCl concentration are held constant, the maximum hypochlorite value during electrolysis depends on both the cell potential and NaCl concentration. The Ti/PtPd(10%)O_x anode favors the production of hypochlorite ions, making this anode a promising material for use in electrochemical oxidation of wastewater via an indirect mechanism.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.381-386
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• 2019

Zn-air battery uses oxygen from the air, and hence, air holes in it are kept open for cell operation. Therefore, loss of water by evaporation through the holes is inevitable. When the water is depleted, the battery ceases to operate. There are two water consumption routes in Zn-air batteries, namely, active path (electrolysis) and passive path (evaporation and corrosion). Water loss by the active path (electrolysis) is much faster than that by the passive path during the early stage of the cycles. The mass change by the active path slows after 10 h. In contrast, the passive path is largely constant, becoming the main mass loss path after 10 h. The active path contributes to two-thirds of the electrolyte consumption in 24 h of cell operation in 4.0 M KOH. Although water is an important component for the cell, water vapor does not influence the cell operation unless the water is nearly depleted. However, high oxygen concentration favors the discharge reaction at the cathode.