WorldWideScience

Sample records for electrolysis cell components

  1. Static Feed Water Electrolysis Subsystem Testing and Component Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koszenski, E. P.; Schubert, F. H.; Burke, K. A.

    1983-01-01

    A program was carried out to develop and test advanced electrochemical cells/modules and critical electromechanical components for a static feed (alkaline electrolyte) water electrolysis oxygen generation subsystem. The accomplishments were refurbishment of a previously developed subsystem and successful demonstration for a total of 2980 hours of normal operation; achievement of sustained one-person level oxygen generation performance with state-of-the-art cell voltages averaging 1.61 V at 191 ASF for an operating temperature of 128F (equivalent to 1.51V when normalized to 180F); endurance testing and demonstration of reliable performance of the three-fluid pressure controller for 8650 hours; design and development of a fluid control assembly for this subsystem and demonstration of its performance; development and demonstration at the single cell and module levels of a unitized core composite cell that provides expanded differential pressure tolerance capability; fabrication and evaluation of a feed water electrolyte elimination five-cell module; and successful demonstration of an electrolysis module pressurization technique that can be used in place of nitrogen gas during the standby mode of operation to maintain system pressure and differential pressures.

  2. Fabrication of cathode supported tubular solid oxide electrolysis cell for high temperature steam electrolysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shao, Le; Wang, Shaorong; Qian, Jiqin; Xue, Yanjie; Liu, Renzhu

    2011-01-15

    In recent years, hydrogen has been identified as a potential alternative fuel and energy carrier for the future energy supply. Water electrolysis is one of the important hydrogen production technologies which do not emit carbon dioxide. High temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) consumes even less electrical energy than low temperature water electrolysis. Theoretically, HTSE using solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC) can efficiently utilize renewable energy to produce hydrogen, and it is also possible to operate the SOEC in reverse mode as the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) to produce electricity. Tubular SOFC have been widely investigated. In this study, tubular solid oxide cells were fabricated by dip-coating and cosintering techniques. In SOEC mode, results suggested that steam ratio had a strong impact on the performance of the tubular cell; the tubular SOEC preferred to be operated at high steam ratio in order to avoid concentration polarization. The microstructure of the tubular SOEC should therefore be optimized for high temperature steam electrolysis.

  3. High Temperature Electrolysis using Electrode-Supported Cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Brien, J.E.; Stoots, C.M.

    2010-01-01

    An experimental study is under way to assess the performance of electrode-supported solid-oxide cells operating in the steam electrolysis mode for hydrogen production. The cells currently under study were developed primarily for the fuel cell mode of operation. Results presented in this paper were obtained from single cells, with an active area of 16 cm2 per cell. The electrolysis cells are electrode-supported, with yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolytes (∼10 (micro)m thick), nickel-YSZ steam/hydrogen electrodes (∼1400 (micro)m thick), and manganite (LSM) air-side electrodes (∼90 (micro)m thick). The purpose of the present study was to document and compare the performance and degradation rates of these cells in the fuel cell mode and in the electrolysis mode under various operating conditions. Initial performance was documented through a series of DC potential sweeps and AC impedance spectroscopy measurements. Degradation was determined through long-duration testing, first in the fuel cell mode, then in the electrolysis mode over more than 500 hours of operation. Results indicate accelerated degradation rates in the electrolysis mode compared to the fuel cell mode, possibly due to electrode delamination. The paper also includes details of the single-cell test apparatus developed specifically for these experiments.

  4. Alkaline water electrolysis technology for Space Station regenerative fuel cell energy storage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schubert, F. H.; Hoberecht, M. A.; Le, M.

    1986-01-01

    The regenerative fuel cell system (RFCS), designed for application to the Space Station energy storage system, is based on state-of-the-art alkaline electrolyte technology and incorporates a dedicated fuel cell system (FCS) and water electrolysis subsystem (WES). In the present study, emphasis is placed on the WES portion of the RFCS. To ensure RFCS availability for the Space Station, the RFCS Space Station Prototype design was undertaken which included a 46-cell 0.93 cu m static feed water electrolysis module and three integrated mechanical components.

  5. Microbial electrolysis cells as innovative technology for hydrogen production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chorbadzhiyska, Elitsa; Hristov, Georgi; Mitov, Mario; Hubenova, Yolina

    2011-01-01

    Hydrogen production is becoming increasingly important in view of using hydrogen in fuel cells. However, most of the production of hydrogen so far comes from the combustion of fossil fuels and water electrolysis. Microbial Electrolysis Cell (MEC), also known as Bioelectrochemically Assisted Microbial Reactor, is an ecologically clean, renewable and innovative technology for hydrogen production. Microbial electrolysis cells produce hydrogen mainly from waste biomass assisted by various bacteria strains. The principle of MECs and their constructional elements are reviewed and discussed. Keywords: microbial Electrolysis Cells, hydrogen production, waste biomass purification

  6. Degradation in Solid Oxide Cells During High Temperature Electrolysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Manohar Sohal

    2009-05-01

    Idaho National Laboratory has an ongoing project to generate hydrogen from steam using solid oxide electrolysis cells. One goal of that project is to address the technical and degradation issues associated with solid oxide electrolysis cells. This report covers a variety of these degradation issues, which were discussed during a workshop on “Degradation in Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells and Strategies for its Mitigation,” held in Phoenix, AZ on October 27, 2008. Three major degradation issues related to solid oxide electrolysis cells discussed at the workshop are: • Delamination of O2-electrode and bond layer on steam/O2-electrode side • Contaminants (Ni, Cr, Si, etc.) on reaction sites (triple-phase boundary) • Loss of electrical/ionic conductivity of electrolyte. This list is not all inclusive, but the workshop summary can be useful in providing a direction for future research related to the degradation of solid oxide electrolysis cells.

  7. A model-based understanding of solid-oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) for syngas production by H2O/CO2 co-electrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menon, Vikram; Fu, Qingxi; Janardhanan, Vinod M.; Deutschmann, Olaf

    2015-01-01

    High temperature co-electrolysis of H2O and CO2 offers a promising route for syngas (H2, CO) production via efficient use of heat and electricity. The performance of a SOEC during co-electrolysis is investigated by focusing on the interactions between transport processes and electrochemical parameters. Electrochemistry at the three-phase boundary is modeled by a modified Butler-Volmer approach that considers H2O electrolysis and CO2 electrolysis, individually, as electrochemically active charge transfer pathways. The model is independent of the geometrical structure. A 42-step elementary heterogeneous reaction mechanism for the thermo-catalytic chemistry in the fuel electrode, the dusty gas model (DGM) to account for multi-component diffusion through porous media, and a plug flow model for flow through the channels are used in the model. Two sets of experimental data are reproduced by the simulations, in order to deduce parameters of the electrochemical model. The influence of micro-structural properties, inlet cathode gas velocity, and temperature are discussed. Reaction flow analysis is performed, at OCV, to study methane production characteristics and kinetics during co-electrolysis. Simulations are carried out for configurations ranging from simple one-dimensional electrochemical button cells to quasi-two-dimensional co-flow planar cells, to demonstrate the effectiveness of the computational tool for performance and design optimization.

  8. Poisoning of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells by Impurities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ebbesen, Sune; Graves, Christopher R.; Hauch, Anne

    2010-01-01

    Electrolysis of H2O, CO2, and co-electrolysis of H2O and CO2 was studied in Ni/yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrode supported solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) consisting of a Ni/YSZ support, a Ni/YSZ electrode layer, a YSZ electrolyte, and an lanthanum strontium manganite (LSM)/YSZ ox...

  9. Endurance Test and Evaluation of Alkaline Water Electrolysis Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kovach, Andrew J.; Schubert, Franz H.; Chang, B. J.; Larkins, Jim T.

    1985-01-01

    The overall objective of this program is to assess the state of alkaline water electrolysis cell technology and its potential as part of a Regenerative Fuel Cell System (RFCS) of a multikilowatt orbiting powerplant. The program evaluates the endurance capabilities of alkaline electrolyte water electrolysis cells under various operating conditions, including constant condition testing, cyclic testing and high pressure testing. The RFCS demanded the scale-up of existing cell hardware from 0.1 sq ft active electrode area to 1.0 sq ft active electrode area. A single water electrolysis cell and two six-cell modules of 1.0 sq ft active electrode area were designed and fabricated. The two six-cell 1.0 sq ft modules incorporate 1.0 sq ft utilized cores, which allow for minimization of module assembly complexity and increased tolerance to pressure differential. A water electrolysis subsystem was designed and fabricated to allow testing of the six-cell modules. After completing checkout, shakedown, design verification and parametric testing, a module was incorporated into the Regenerative Fuel Cell System Breadboard (RFCSB) for testing at Life Systems, Inc., and at NASA JSC.

  10. Microstructure characterisation of solid oxide electrolysis cells operated at high current density

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bowen, Jacob R.; Bentzen, Janet Jonna; Chen, Ming

    degradation of cell components in relation to the loss of electrochemical performance specific to the mode of operation. Thus descriptive microstructure characterization methods are required in combination with electrochemical characterization methods to decipher degradation mechanisms. In the present work......High temperature solid oxide cells can be operated either as fuel cells or electrolysis cells for efficient power generation or production of hydrogen from steam or synthesis gas (H2 + CO) from steam and CO2 respectively. When operated under harsh conditions, they often exhibit microstructural...... quantified using the mean linear intercept method as a function of current density and correlated to increases in serial resistance. The above structural changes are then compared in terms of electrode degradation observed during the co-electrolysis of steam and CO2 at current densities up to -1.5 A cm-2...

  11. Durability of solid oxide electrolysis cells for hydrogen production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hauch, A.; Hoejgaard Jensen, S.; Dalgaard Ebbesen, S.

    2007-05-15

    In the perspective of the increasing interest in renewable energy and hydrogen economy, the reversible solid oxide cells (SOCs) is a promising technology as it has the potential of providing efficient and cost effective hydrogen production by high temperature electrolysis of steam (HTES). Furthermore development of such electrolysis cells can gain from the results obtained within the R and D of SOFCs. For solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC) to become interesting from a technological point of view, cells that are reproducible, high performing and long-term stable need to be developed. In this paper we address some of the perspectives of the SOEC technology i.e. issues such as a potential H2 production price as low as 0.71 US dollar/kg H{sub 2} using SOECs for HTES; is there a possible market for the electrolysers? and what R and D steps are needed for the realisation of the SOEC technology? In the experimental part we present electrolysis test results on SOCs that have been optimized for fuel cell operation but applied for HTES. The SOCs are produced on a pre-pilot scale at Risoe National Laboratory. These cells have been shown to have excellent initial electrolysis performance, but the durability of such electrolysis cells are not optimal and examples of results from SOEC tests over several hundreds of hours are given here. The long-term tests have been run at current densities of -0.5 A/cm{sup 2} and -1 A/cm{sup 2}, temperatures of 850 deg. C and 950 deg. C and p(H{sub 2}O)/p(H{sub 2}) of 0.5/0.5 and 0.9/0.1. Long-term degradation rates are shown to be up to 5 times higher for SOECs compared to similar SOFC testing. Furthermore, hydrogen and synthetic fuel production prices are calculated using the experimental results from long-term electrolysis test as input and a short outlook for the future work on SOECs will be given as well. (au)

  12. Results of tritium experiments on ceramic electrolysis cells and palladium diffusers for application to fusion reactor fuel cleanup systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carlson, R.V.; Binning, K.E.; Konishi, S.; Yoshida, H.; Naruse, Y.

    1987-01-01

    Tritium tests at the Tritium Systems Test Assembly have demonstrated that ceramic electrolysis cells and palladium alloy diffuser developed in Japan are possible components for a fusion reactor fuel cleanup system. Both components have been successfully operated with tritium for over a year. A failure of the first electrolysis cell was most likely the result of an over voltage on the ceramic. A simple circuit was developed to eliminate this mode of failure. The palladium diffusers tubes exhibited some degradation of mechanical properties as a result of the build up of helium from the tritium decay, after 450 days of operation with tritium, however the effects were not significant enough to affect the performance. New models of the diffuser and electrolysis cell, providing higher flow rates and more tritium compatible designs are currently being tested with tritium. 8 refs., 5 figs

  13. Durable solid oxide electrolysis cells and stacks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ming Chen

    2010-08-15

    The purpose of this project was to make a substantial contribution to development of a cost competitive electrolysis technology based on solid oxide cells. The strategy was to address what had been identified as the key issues in previous research projects. Accordingly five lines of work were carried out in the here reported project: 1) Cell and stack element testing and post test characterization to identify major degradation mechanisms under electrolysis operation. 2) Development of interconnects and coatings to allow stable electrolysis operation at approx850 deg. C or above. 3) Development of seals with reduced Si emission. 4) Development of durable SOEC cathodes. 5) Modeling. Good progress has been made on several of the planned activities. The outcome and most important achievements of the current project are listed for the five lines of the work. (LN)

  14. Hydrogen by water electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1995-01-01

    Hydrogen production by water electrolysis (aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide) is shortly presented with theoretical aspects (thermodynamics and kinetics), and components of the electrolytic cell (structural materials, cathodes, anodes, diaphragms), and examples of industrial processes. (A.B.). 4 figs

  15. Endurance test and evaluation of alkaline water electrolysis cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burke, K. A.; Schubert, F. H.

    1981-01-01

    Utilization in the development of multi-kW low orbit power systems is discussed. The following technological developments of alkaline water electrolysis cells for space power application were demonstrated: (1) four 92.9 cm2 single water electrolysis cells, two using LST's advanced anodes and two using LST's super anodes; (2) four single cell endurance test stands for life testing of alkaline water electrolyte cells; (3) the solid performance of the advanced electrode and 355 K; (4) the breakthrough performance of the super electrode; (5) the four single cells for over 5,000 hours each significant cell deterioration or cell failure. It is concluded that the static feed water electrolysis concept is reliable and due to the inherent simplicity of the passive water feed mechanism coupled with the use of alkaline electrolyte has greater potential for regenerative fuel cell system applications than alternative electrolyzers. A rise in cell voltage occur after 2,000-3,000 hours which was attributed to deflection of the polysulfone end plates due to creepage of the thermoplastic. More end plate support was added, and the performance of the cells was restored to the initial performance level.

  16. Influence of the oxygen electrode and inter-diffusion barrier on the degradation of solid oxide electrolysis cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hjalmarsson, Per; Sun, Xiufu; Liu, Yi-Lin

    2013-01-01

    -diffusion barrier sandwiched between the YSZ electrolyte and an LSCF:CGO oxygen electrode. Impedance Spectroscopy was used during the tests to diagnose the change in electrochemical response of the different components of the SOECs. The results showed a significantly lower degradation rate for the cell with an LSCF......Two Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOECs) with different oxygen electrodes have been tested in galvanostatic tests carried out at −1.5 Acm−2 and 800 °C converting 60% of a 50:50% mixture of H2O and CO2 (co-electrolysis). One of the cells had an LSM:YSZ oxygen electrode. The other had an CGO inter...

  17. Solid oxide electrolysis cell for decomposition of tritiated water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konishi, S.; Katsuta, H.; Naruse, Y.; Ohno, H.; Yoshida, H.

    1984-01-01

    The decomposition of tritiated water vapor with solid oxide electrolysis cell was proposed for the application to the D-T fusion reactor system. This method is essentially free from problems such as large tritium inventory, radiation damage, and generation of solid waste, so it is expected to be a promising one. Electrolysis of water vapor in argon carrier was performed using tube-type stabilized zirconia cell with porous platinum electrodes in the temperature range of 500 0 C to 950 0 C. High conversion ratio from water to hydrogen up to 99.9% was achieved. The characteristics of the cell is deduced from the Nernst's equation and conversion ratio is described as the function of the open circuit voltage. Experimental results agreed with the equation. Isotope effect in electrolysis is also discussed and experiments with heavy water were carried out. Obtained separation factor was slightly higher than the theoretical value

  18. Solid oxide electrolysis cells - Performance and durability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hauch, A.

    2007-10-15

    In this work H2 electrode supported solid oxide cells (SOC) produced at Risoe National Laboratory, DTU, have been used for steam electrolysis. Electrolysis tests have been performed at temperatures from 650AeC to 950AeC, p(H2O)/p(H2) from 0.99/0.01 to 0.30/0.70 and current densities from -0.25 A/cm2 to -2 A/cm2. The solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC) have been characterised by iV curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) at start and end of tests and by EIS under current load during electrolysis testing. The tested SOCs have shown the best initial electrolysis performance reported in literature to date. Area specific resistances of 0.26 Oecm2 at 850AeC and 0.17 Oecm2 at 950AeC were obtained from electrolysis iV curves. The general trend for the SOEC tests was: 1) a short-term passivation in first few hundred hours, 2) then an activation and 3) a subsequent and underlying long-term degradation. The transient phenomenon (passivation/activation) was shown to be a set-up dependent artefact caused by the albite glass sealing with a p(Si(OH)4) of 1.10-7 atm, leading to silica contamination of the triple-phase boundaries (TPBs) of the electrode. The long-term degradation for the SOECs was more pronounced than for fuel cell testing of similar cells. Long-term degradation of 2%/1000 h was obtained at 850AeC, p(H2O)/p(H2) = 0.5/0.5 and -0.5 A/cm2, whereas the degradation rate increased to 6%/1000h at 950AeC, p(H2O)/p(H2) = 0.9/0.1 and -1.0 A/cm2. Both the short-term passivation and the long-term degradation appear mainly to be related to processes in the H2 electrode. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs show that only limited changes occur in the Ni particle size distribution and these are not the main degradation mechanism for the SOECs. Micro and nano analysis using energy dispersive spectroscopy in combination with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning TEM reveals that glassy phase impurities have accumulated at the TPBs as a result of

  19. Method and system for purification of gas/liquid streams for fuel cells or electrolysis cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2013-01-01

    at least one scrubber in the gas/liquid stream at the inlet side of the first electrode of the fuel cell or electrolysis cell; and/or providing at least one scrubber in the gas/liquid stream at the inlet side of the second electrode of the fuel cell or electrolysis cell; and - purifying the gas....../liquid streams towards the first and second electrode; wherein the at least one scrubber in the gas/liquid stream at the inlet side of the first electrode and/or the at least one scrubber in the gas/liquid stream at the inlet side of the second electrode comprises a material suitable as an electrolyte material...... with the at least one scrubber, with the proviso that the fuel cell or electrolysis cell is not a solid oxide cell....

  20. Solid oxide electrolysis cell for decomposition of tritiated water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konishi, S.; Ohno, H.; Yoshida, H.; Katsuta, H.; Naruse, Y.

    1986-01-01

    The decomposition of tritiated water vapor by means of solid oxide electrolysis cells has been proposed for the application to the D-T fusion reactor system. This method is essentially free from problems such as large tritium inventory, radiation damage, and generation of solid waste, so it is expected to be a promising one. Electrolysis of water vapor in an argon carrier was performed using a tube-type stabilized zirconia cell with porous platinum electrodes over the temperature range 500-950 0 C. High conversion ratios from water to hydrogen, of up to 99.9%, were achieved. The characteristics of the cell were deduced from the Nernst equation and the conversion ratios expressed as a function of the IR-free voltage. Experimental results agreed with the equation. The isotope effect in electrolysis is also discussed and experiments with heavy water were carried out. The obtained separation factor was slightly higher than the theoretical value. (author)

  1. Hydrogen production through high-temperature electrolysis in a solid oxide cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herring, J.St.; Lessing, P.; O'Brien, J.E.; Stoots, C.; Hartvigsen, J.; Elangovan, S.

    2004-01-01

    An experimental research programme is being conducted by the INEEL and Ceramatec, Inc., to test the high-temperature, electrolytic production of hydrogen from steam using a solid oxide cell. The research team is designing and testing solid oxide cells for operation in the electrolysis mode, producing hydrogen rising a high-temperature heat and electrical energy. The high-temperature heat and the electrical power would be supplied simultaneously by a high-temperature nuclear reactor. Operation at high temperature reduces the electrical energy requirement for electrolysis and also increases the thermal efficiency of the power-generating cycle. The high-temperature electrolysis process will utilize heat from a specialized secondary loop carrying a steam/hydrogen mixture. It is expected that, through the combination of a high-temperature reactor and high-temperature electrolysis, the process will achieve an overall thermal conversion efficiency of 40 to 50%o while avoiding the challenging chemistry and corrosion issues associated with the thermochemical processes. Planar solid oxide cell technology is being utilised because it has the best potential for high efficiency due to minimized voltage and current losses. These losses also decrease with increasing temperature. Initial testing has determined the performance of single 'button' cells. Subsequent testing will investigate the performance of multiple-cell stacks operating in the electrolysis mode. Testing is being performed both at Ceramatec and at INEEL. The first cells to be tested were single cells based on existing materials and fabrication technology developed at Ceramatec for production of solid oxide fuel cells. These cells use a relatively thick (∼ 175 μm) electrolyte of yttria- or scandia-stabilised zirconia, with nickel-zirconia cermet anodes and strontium-doped lanthanum manganite cathodes. Additional custom cells with lanthanum gallate electrolyte have been developed and tested. Results to date have

  2. Highly efficient high temperature electrolysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hauch, Anne; Ebbesen, Sune; Jensen, Søren Højgaard

    2008-01-01

    High temperature electrolysis of water and steam may provide an efficient, cost effective and environmentally friendly production of H-2 Using electricity produced from sustainable, non-fossil energy sources. To achieve cost competitive electrolysis cells that are both high performing i.e. minimum...... internal resistance of the cell, and long-term stable, it is critical to develop electrode materials that are optimal for steam electrolysis. In this article electrolysis cells for electrolysis of water or steam at temperatures above 200 degrees C for production of H-2 are reviewed. High temperature...... electrolysis is favourable from a thermodynamic point of view, because a part of the required energy can be supplied as thermal heat, and the activation barrier is lowered increasing the H-2 production rate. Only two types of cells operating at high temperature (above 200 degrees C) have been described...

  3. Hydrogen Production Performance of a 10-Cell Planar Solid-Oxide Electrolysis Stack

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    James O'Brien; Carl Stoots; Steve Herring; J. Hartvigsen

    2005-01-01

    An experimental study is under way to assess the performance of solid-oxide cells operating in the steam electrolysis mode for hydrogen production over a temperature range of 800 to 900 C. Results presented in this paper were obtained from a ten-cell planar electrolysis stack, with an active area of 64 cm2 per cell. The electrolysis cells are electrolyte supported, with scandia-stabilized zirconia electrolytes (∼140 (micro)m thick), nickel-cermet steam/hydrogen electrodes, and manganite air-side electrodes. The metallic interconnect plates are fabricated from ferritic stainless steel. The experiments were performed over a range of steam inlet mole fractions (0.1-0.6), gas flow rates (1000-4000 sccm), and current densities (0 to 0.38 A/cm2). Steam consumption rates associated with electrolysis were measured directly using inlet and outlet dewpoint instrumentation. Cell operating potentials and cell current were varied using a programmable power supply. Hydrogen production rates up to 100 Normal liters per hour were demonstrated. Values of area-specific resistance and stack internal temperatures are presented as a function of current density. Stack performance is shown to be dependent on inlet steam flow rate

  4. High Temperature Electrolysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elder, Rachael; Cumming, Denis; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

    2015-01-01

    High temperature electrolysis of carbon dioxide, or co-electrolysis of carbon dioxide and steam, has a great potential for carbon dioxide utilisation. A solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC), operating between 500 and 900. °C, is used to reduce carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide. If steam is also i...

  5. Electrolysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Smith, Anders; Pedersen, Allan Schrøder

    2014-01-01

    Electrolysis is a well-established technology with many different applications. In particular, it can be used to produce hydrogen by using electricity to split water. As an increasing part of the energy system consists of fluctuating power sources such as wind and solar it becomes increasingly...... necessary to be able to store large amounts of electrical energy. One option is to do it in the form of hydrogen or hydrogen-rich synthetic compounds. This has led to increased interest in electrolysis with new cell types being developed. This entry provides an overview of the status and technological...... challenges of electrolysis systems and discusses their role in the future energy system....

  6. Testing And Performance Analysis Of NASA 5 CM BY 5 CM Bi-Supported Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells Operated In Both Fuel Cell And Steam Electrolysis Modes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Brien, R.C.; O'Brien, J.E.; Stoots, C.M.; Zhang, X.; Farmer, S.C.; Cable, T.L.; Setlock, J.A.

    2011-01-01

    A series of 5 cm by 5 cm bi-supported Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOEC) were produced by NASA for the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and tested under the INL High Temperature Steam Electrolysis program. The results from the experimental demonstration of cell operation for both hydrogen production and operation as fuel cells is presented. An overview of the cell technology, test apparatus and performance analysis is also provided. The INL High Temperature Steam Electrolysis laboratory has developed significant test infrastructure in support of single cell and stack performance analyses. An overview of the single cell test apparatus is presented. The test data presented in this paper is representative of a first batch of NASA's prototypic 5 cm by 5 cm SOEC single cells. Clearly a significant relationship between the operational current density and cell degradation rate is evident. While the performance of these cells was lower than anticipated, in-house testing at NASA Glenn has yielded significantly higher performance and lower degradation rates with subsequent production batches of cells. Current post-test microstructure analyses of the cells tested at INL will be published in a future paper. Modification to cell compositions and cell reduction techniques will be altered in the next series of cells to be delivered to INL with the aim to decrease the cell degradation rate while allowing for higher operational current densities to be sustained. Results from the testing of new batches of single cells will be presented in a future paper.

  7. Hydrogen Generation From Electrolysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Steven Cohen; Stephen Porter; Oscar Chow; David Henderson

    2009-03-06

    Small-scale (100-500 kg H2/day) electrolysis is an important step in increasing the use of hydrogen as fuel. Until there is a large population of hydrogen fueled vehicles, the smaller production systems will be the most cost-effective. Performing conceptual designs and analyses in this size range enables identification of issues and/or opportunities for improvement in approach on the path to 1500 kg H2/day and larger systems. The objectives of this program are to establish the possible pathways to cost effective larger Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) water electrolysis systems and to identify areas where future research and development efforts have the opportunity for the greatest impact in terms of capital cost reduction and efficiency improvements. System design and analysis was conducted to determine the overall electrolysis system component architecture and develop a life cycle cost estimate. A design trade study identified subsystem components and configurations based on the trade-offs between system efficiency, cost and lifetime. Laboratory testing of components was conducted to optimize performance and decrease cost, and this data was used as input to modeling of system performance and cost. PEM electrolysis has historically been burdened by high capital costs and lower efficiency than required for large-scale hydrogen production. This was known going into the program and solutions to these issues were the focus of the work. The program provided insights to significant cost reduction and efficiency improvement opportunities for PEM electrolysis. The work performed revealed many improvement ideas that when utilized together can make significant progress towards the technical and cost targets of the DOE program. The cell stack capital cost requires reduction to approximately 25% of today’s technology. The pathway to achieve this is through part count reduction, use of thinner membranes, and catalyst loading reduction. Large-scale power supplies are available

  8. A comparative evaluation of different types of microbial electrolysis desalination cells for malic acid production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Guangli; Zhou, Ying; Luo, Haiping; Cheng, Xing; Zhang, Renduo; Teng, Wenkai

    2015-12-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate different microbial electrolysis desalination cells for malic acid production. The systems included microbial electrolysis desalination and chemical-production cell (MEDCC), microbial electrolysis desalination cell (MEDC) with bipolar membrane and anion exchange membrane (BP-A MEDC), MEDC with bipolar membrane and cation exchange membrane (BP-C MEDC), and modified microbial desalination cell (M-MDC). The microbial electrolysis desalination cells performed differently in terms of malic acid production and energy consumption. The MEDCC performed best with the highest malic acid production rate (18.4 ± 0.6 mmol/Lh) and the lowest energy consumption (0.35 ± 0.14 kWh/kg). The best performance of MEDCC was attributable to the neutral pH condition in the anode chamber, the lowest internal resistance, and the highest Geobacter percentage of the anode biofilm population among all the reactors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Microbial Electrolysis Cells for High Yield Hydrogen Gas Production from Organic Matter

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Logan, B.E.; Call, D.; Cheng, S.; Hamelers, H.V.M.; Sleutels, T.H.J.A.; Jeremiasse, A.W.; Rozendal, R.A.

    2008-01-01

    The use of electrochemically active bacteria to break down organic matter, combined with the addition of a small voltage (>0.2 V in practice) in specially designed microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), can result in a high yield of hydrogen gas. While microbial electrolysis was invented only a few

  10. TESTING AND PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF NASA 5 CM BY 5 CM BI-SUPPORTED SOLID OXIDE ELECTROLYSIS CELLS OPERATED IN BOTH FUEL CELL AND STEAM ELECTROLYSIS MODES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    R. C. O' Brien; J. E. O' Brien; C. M. Stoots; X. Zhang; S. C. Farmer; T. L. Cable; J. A. Setlock

    2011-11-01

    A series of 5 cm by 5 cm bi-supported Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOEC) were produced by NASA for the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and tested under the INL High Temperature Steam Electrolysis program. The results from the experimental demonstration of cell operation for both hydrogen production and operation as fuel cells is presented. An overview of the cell technology, test apparatus and performance analysis is also provided. The INL High Temperature Steam Electrolysis laboratory has developed significant test infrastructure in support of single cell and stack performance analyses. An overview of the single cell test apparatus is presented. The test data presented in this paper is representative of a first batch of NASA's prototypic 5 cm by 5 cm SOEC single cells. Clearly a significant relationship between the operational current density and cell degradation rate is evident. While the performance of these cells was lower than anticipated, in-house testing at NASA Glenn has yielded significantly higher performance and lower degradation rates with subsequent production batches of cells. Current post-test microstructure analyses of the cells tested at INL will be published in a future paper. Modification to cell compositions and cell reduction techniques will be altered in the next series of cells to be delivered to INL with the aim to decrease the cell degradation rate while allowing for higher operational current densities to be sustained. Results from the testing of new batches of single cells will be presented in a future paper.

  11. Foam Based Gas Diffusion Electrodes for Reversible Alkaline Electrolysis Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Allebrod, Frank; Chatzichristodoulou, Christodoulos; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

    2014-01-01

    Alkaline electrolysis cells operated at 250 °C and 40 bar have shown to be able to convert electrical energy into hydrogen at very high efficiencies and power densities. Foam based gas diffusion electrodes and an immobilized electrolyte allow for reversible operation as electrolysis cell or fuel...... cell. In the present work we demonstrate the application of hydrophobic, porous, and electro-catalytically active gas diffusion electrodes. PTFE particles and silver nanowires as electro-catalysts were used in the gas diffusion electrodes. Impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry were performed...... to determine the cell characteristics. The thickness of the electrolyte matrix was only 200 µm, thereby achieving a serial resistance and area specific resistance of 60 mΩ cm2 and 150 mΩ cm2, respectively, at 200 °C and 20 bar. A new production method was developed to increase the cell size from lab scale (1...

  12. Steam electrolysis by solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) with proton-conducting oxides

    KAUST Repository

    Bi, Lei; Boulfrad, Samir; Traversa, Enrico

    2014-01-01

    Energy crisis and environmental problems caused by the conventional combustion of fossil fuels boost the development of renewable and sustainable energies. H2 is regarded as a clean fuel for many applications and it also serves as an energy carrier for many renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power. Among all the technologies for H2 production, steam electrolysis by solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) has attracted much attention due to its high efficiency and low environmental impact, provided that the needed electrical power is generated from renewable sources. However, the deployment of SOECs based on conventional oxygen-ion conductors is limited by several issues, such as high operating temperature, hydrogen purification from water, and electrode stability. To avoid these problems, proton-conducting oxides are proposed as electrolyte materials for SOECs. This review paper provides a broad overview of the research progresses made for proton-conducting SOECs, summarizing the past work and finding the problems for the development of proton-conducting SOECs, as well as pointing out potential development directions.

  13. Steam electrolysis by solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) with proton-conducting oxides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bi, Lei; Boulfrad, Samir; Traversa, Enrico

    2014-12-21

    Energy crisis and environmental problems caused by the conventional combustion of fossil fuels boost the development of renewable and sustainable energies. H2 is regarded as a clean fuel for many applications and it also serves as an energy carrier for many renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power. Among all the technologies for H2 production, steam electrolysis by solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) has attracted much attention due to its high efficiency and low environmental impact, provided that the needed electrical power is generated from renewable sources. However, the deployment of SOECs based on conventional oxygen-ion conductors is limited by several issues, such as high operating temperature, hydrogen purification from water, and electrode stability. To avoid these problems, proton-conducting oxides are proposed as electrolyte materials for SOECs. This review paper provides a broad overview of the research progresses made for proton-conducting SOECs, summarizing the past work and finding the problems for the development of proton-conducting SOECs, as well as pointing out potential development directions.

  14. Foam Based Gas Diffusion Electrodes for Reversible Alkaline Electrolysis Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Allebrod, Frank; Chatzichristodoulou, Christodoulos; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

    2014-01-01

    Alkaline electrolysis cells operated at 250 °C and 40 bar have shown to be able to convert electrical energy into chemical energy in the form of hydrogen at very high efficiencies and power densities. Foam based gas diffusion electrodes and a liquid immobilized electrolyte allow the operation...... of the newly designed electrolysis cell as a fuel cell, but condensation of steam may lead to blocked pores, thereby inhibiting gas diffusion and decreasing the performance of the cell. In the here presented work we present the application of a hydrophobic, porous, and electro-catalytically active layer...... the electrochemical characteristics of the cell. The thickness of the electrolyte matrix was reduced to 200 µm, thereby achieving a serial resistance and area specific resistance as low as 60 mΩ cm2 and 150 mΩ cm2, respectively, at a temperature of 200 °C and 20 bar pressure. A new production method was developed...

  15. Technology advancement of the static feed water electrolysis process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schubert, F. H.; Wynveen, R. A.

    1977-01-01

    A program to advance the technology of oxygen- and hydrogen-generating subsystems based on water electrolysis was studied. Major emphasis was placed on static feed water electrolysis, a concept characterized by low power consumption and high intrinsic reliability. The static feed based oxygen generation subsystem consists basically of three subassemblies: (1) a combined water electrolysis and product gas dehumidifier module; (2) a product gas pressure controller and; (3) a cyclically filled water feed tank. Development activities were completed at the subsystem as well as at the component level. An extensive test program including single cell, subsystem and integrated system testing was completed with the required test support accessories designed, fabricated, and assembled. Mini-product assurance activities were included throughout all phases of program activities. An extensive number of supporting technology studies were conducted to advance the technology base of the static feed water electrolysis process and to resolve problems.

  16. Hydrogen production by high-temperature electrolysis of water vapor steam. Test results obtained with an electrolysis tube

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hino, Ryutaro; Miyamoto, Yoshiaki

    1995-01-01

    High-temperature electrolysis of water vapor steam is an advanced hydrogen production process decomposing high temperature steam up to 1,000degC, which applies an electro-chemical reaction reverse to the solid oxide fuel cell. At Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, laboratory-scale experiments have been conducted using a practical electrolysis tube with 12 electrolysis cells in order to develop heat utilization systems for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. The electrolysis cells of which electrolyte was yttria-stabilized zirconia were formed on a porous ceramic tube in series by plasma spraying. In the experiments, water steam mixed with argon carrier gas was supplied into the electrolysis tube heated at a constant temperature regulated in the range from 850degC to 950degC, and electrolysis power was supplied by a DC power source. Hydrogen production rate increased with applied voltage and electrolysis temperature; the maximum production rate was 6.9Nl/h at 950degC. Hydrogen production rate was correlated with applied current densities on the basis of experimental data. High energy efficiency was achieved under the applied current density ranging from 80 to 100 mA/cm 2 . (author)

  17. Microbial Electrolysis Cells for High Yield Hydrogen Gas Production from Organic Matter

    KAUST Repository

    Logan, Bruce E.

    2008-12-01

    The use of electrochemically active bacteria to break down organic matter, combined with the addition of a small voltage (>0.2 V in practice) in specially designed microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), can result in a high yield of hydrogen gas. While microbial electrolysis was invented only a few years ago, rapid developments have led to hydrogen yields approaching 100%, energy yields based on electrical energy input many times greater than that possible by water electrolysis, and increased gas production rates. MECs used to make hydrogen gas are similar in design to microbial fuel cells (MFCs) that produce electricity, but there are important differences in architecture and analytical methods used to evaluate performance. We review here the materials, architectures, performance, and energy efficiencies of these MEC systems that show promise as a method for renewable and sustainable energy production, and wastewater treatment. © 2008 American Chemical Society.

  18. Cadmium (II) removal mechanisms in microbial electrolysis cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Colantonio, Natalie; Kim, Younggy, E-mail: younggy@mcmaster.ca

    2016-07-05

    Highlights: • Rapid removal of Cd(II) was achieved in 24 h using microbial electrolysis cells. • Cathodic reduction (electrodeposition) of Cd(II) cannot explain the rapid removal. • H{sub 2} evolution in microbial electrolysis cells increases local pH near the cathode. • High local pH induces Cd(OH){sub 2} and CdCO{sub 3} precipitation only with electric current. • Neutral pH caused by low current and depleted substrate dissolves the precipitated Cd. - Abstract: Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal, causing serious environmental and human health problems. Conventional methods for removing cadmium from wastewater are expensive and inefficient for low concentrations. Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) can simultaneously treat wastewater, produce hydrogen gas, and remove heavy metals with low energy requirements. Lab-scale MECs were operated to remove cadmium under various electric conditions: applied voltages of 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 V; and a fixed cathode potential of −1.0 V vs. Ag/AgCl. Regardless of the electric condition, rapid removal of cadmium was demonstrated (50–67% in 24 h); however, cadmium concentration in solution increased after the electric current dropped with depleted organic substrate under applied voltage conditions. For the fixed cathode potential, the electric current was maintained even after substrate depletion and thus cadmium concentration did not increase. These results can be explained by three different removal mechanisms: cathodic reduction; Cd(OH){sub 2} precipitation; and CdCO{sub 3} precipitation. When the current decreased with depleted substrates, local pH at the cathode was no longer high due to slowed hydrogen evolution reaction (2H{sup +} + 2e{sup −} → H{sub 2}); thus, the precipitated Cd(OH){sub 2} and CdCO{sub 3} started dissolving. To prevent their dissolution, sufficient organic substrates should be provided when MECs are used for cadmium removal.

  19. Mechanical Properties of Supports and Half‐Cells for Solid Oxide Electrolysis Influenced by Alumina‐Zirconia Composites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Charlas, Benoit; Ni, De Wei; Frandsen, Henrik Lund

    2017-01-01

    In order to improve the durability and robustness of solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC) and stacks, it is necessary to improve the strength of its components. In cathode supported SOEC, the main structural component is the Ni(O)- YSZ support. But the strength of the half-cell or cell is also...... determined by the strength of other weaker components and by the residual stress state induced by the thermal expansion mismatch. In this study, the mechanical properties of Ni(O)-3YSZ supports with a reference composition and with substitution of 3YSZ by 20A3YSZ (3YSZ with 20 wt.% Al2O3) have been tested...... and compared. The initial interest of this substitution are a decrease of the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch within the half-cell and the fact that 20A3YSZ is stronger than 3YSZ. The influence of the process on the composition, strength, elastic properties and electrical conductivity...

  20. Polybenzimidazole membranes for zero gap alkaline electrolysis cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kraglund, Mikkel Rykær; Aili, David; Christensen, Erik

    Membranes of m-PBI doped in KOH (aq), 15-35 wt%, show high ionic conductivity in the temperature range 20-80 ºC. In electrolysis cells with nickel foam electrodes m-PBI membranesprovide low internal resistance. With a 60 µm membraneat 80ºC in 20 wt% KOH,1000 mA/cm2 is achieved at 2.25....

  1. Feasibility of Using an Electrolysis Cell for Quantification of the Electrolytic Products of Water from Gravimetric Measurement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melaku, Samuel; Gebeyehu, Zewdu; Dabke, Rajeev B

    2018-01-01

    A gravimetric method for the quantitative assessment of the products of electrolysis of water is presented. In this approach, the electrolysis cell was directly powered by 9 V batteries. Prior to electrolysis, a known amount of potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP) was added to the cathode compartment, and an excess amount of KHCO 3 was added to the anode compartment electrolyte. During electrolysis, cathode and anode compartments produced OH - (aq) and H + (aq) ions, respectively. Electrolytically produced OH - (aq) neutralized the KHP, and the completion of this neutralization was detected by a visual indicator color change. Electrolytically produced H + (aq) reacted with HCO 3 - (aq) liberating CO 2 (g) from the anode compartment. Concurrent liberation of H 2 (g) and O 2 (g) at the cathode and anode, respectively, resulted in a decrease in the mass of the cell. Mass of the electrolysis cell was monitored. Liberation of CO 2 (g) resulted in a pronounced effect of a decrease in mass. Experimentally determined decrease in mass (53.7 g/Faraday) agreed with that predicted from Faraday's laws of electrolysis (53.0 g/Faraday). The efficacy of the cell was tested to quantify the acid content in household vinegar samples. Accurate results were obtained for vinegar analysis with a precision better than 5% in most cases. The cell offers the advantages of coulometric method and additionally simplifies the circuitry by eliminating the use of a constant current power source or a coulometer.

  2. Long-term Steam Electrolysis with Electrolyte-Supported Solid Oxide Cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schefold, Josef; Brisse, Annabelle; Poepke, Hendrik

    2015-01-01

    Steam electrolysis over 11000 h with an electrolyte-supported solid oxide cell is discussed. The cell of 45 cm"2 area consists of a scandia/ceria doped zirconia electrolyte (6Sc1CeSZ), CGO diffusion-barrier/adhesion layers, a lanthanum strontium cobaltite ferrite (LSCF) oxygen electrode, and a nickel steam/hydrogen electrode. After initial 2500 h operation with lower current-density magnitude, the current density was set to j = -0.9 A cm"−"2 and the steam conversion rate to 51%. This led to a cell voltage of 1.185 V at 847 °C cell temperature. Average voltage degradation was 7.3 mV/1000 h ( 100% throughout the test (with an external heat source for evaporation). Impedance spectroscopic measurements revealed a degradation almost entirely due to increasing ohmic resistance. The rate of resistance increase was initially faster (up to 40 mΩ cm"2/1000 h) and stabilised after several 1000 h operation. After 9000 h a small (non-ohmic) electrode degradation became detectable (<2 mV/1000 h), superimposed to ohmic degradation. The small electrode degradation is understood as indication for largely reversible (electrolysis cell/fuel cell) behaviour.

  3. Conjugated oligoelectrolyte represses hydrogen oxidation by Geobacter sulfurreducens in microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Liu, Jia; Hou, Huijie; Chen, Xiaofen; Bazan, Guillermo C.; Kashima, Hiroyuki; Logan, Bruce

    2015-01-01

    © 2015 Elsevier B.V. A conjugated oligoelectrolyte (COE), which spontaneously aligns within cell membranes, was shown to completely inhibit H2 uptake by Geobacter sulfurreducens in microbial electrolysis cells. Coulombic efficiencies that were 490

  4. A Vivens Ex Vivo Study on the Synergistic Effect of Electrolysis and Freezing on the Cell Nucleus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lugnani, Franco; Zanconati, Fabrizio; Marcuzzo, Thomas; Bottin, Cristina; Mikus, Paul; Guenther, Enric; Klein, Nina; Rubinsky, Liel; Stehling, Michael K; Rubinsky, Boris

    2015-01-01

    Freezing-cryosurgery, and electrolysis-electrochemical therapy (EChT), are two important minimally invasive surgery tissue ablation technologies. Despite major advantages they also have some disadvantages. Cryosurgery cannot induce cell death at high subzero freezing temperatures and requires multiple freeze thaw cycles, while EChT requires high concentrations of electrolytic products-which makes it a lengthy procedure. Based on the observation that freezing increases the concentration of solutes (including products of electrolysis) in the frozen region and permeabilizes the cell membrane to these products, this study examines the hypothesis that there could be a synergistic effect between freezing and electrolysis in their use together for tissue ablation. Using an animal model we refer to as vivens ex vivo, which may be of value in reducing the use of animals for experiments, combined with a Hematoxylin stain of the nucleus, we show that there are clinically relevant protocols in which the cell nucleus appears intact when electrolysis and freezing are used separately but is affected by certain combinations of electrolysis and freezing.

  5. Summary Report on Solid-oxide Electrolysis Cell Testing and Development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    J.E. O' Brien; X. Zhang; R.C. O' Brien; G.L. Hawkes

    2012-01-01

    Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has been researching the application of solid-oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) for large-scale hydrogen production from steam over a temperature range of 800 to 900 C. From 2003 to 2009, this work was sponsored by the United States Department of Energy Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative, under the Office of Nuclear Energy. Starting in 2010, the high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) research program has been sponsored by the INL Next Generation Nuclear Plant Project. This report provides a summaryof program activities performed in Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 and the first quarter of FY-12, with a focus on small-scale testing and cell development activities. HTE research priorities during this period have included the development and testing of SOEC and stack designs that exhibit high-efficiency initial performance and low, long-term degradation rates. This report includes contributions from INL and five industry partners: Materials and Systems Research, Incorporated (MSRI); Versa Power Systems, Incorporated (VPS); Ceramatec, Incorporated; National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Glenn Research Center (NASA - GRC); and the St. Gobain Advanced Materials Division. These industry partners have developed SOEC cells and stacks for in-house testing in the electrolysis mode and independent testing at INL. Additional fundamental research and post-test physical examinations have been performed at two university partners: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Connecticut. Summaries of these activities and test results are also presented in this report.

  6. Electrolysis activities at FCH Test Center

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ravn Nielsen, Eva; Nygaard, Frederik Berg

    FCH Test Center for fuel cell and hydrogen technologies was established in 2010 at Risø DTU in Denmark. Today, the test center is part of DTU Energy Conversion. The center gives industry access to advanced testing and demonstration of components and systems. A number of national projects and EU...... projects regarding water electrolysis involve FCH Test Center as a partner. This presentation gives an overview of the activities....

  7. Life Time Performance Characterization of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells for Hydrogen Production

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sun, Xiufu; Chen, Ming; Liu, Yi-Lin

    2015-01-01

    Solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) offer a promising technological solution for efficient energy conversion and production of hydrogen or syngas. The commercialization of the SOEC technology can be promoted if SOECs can be operated at high current density with stable performance over ~5 years...... - 3 years (continuous operation, setting 1.5 V as the upper voltage defining “end of life”). The results provide technological input to future design of electrolysis plants for hydrogen production. © 2015 ECS - The Electrochemical Society...

  8. Carbon Deposition during CO2 Electrolysis in Ni-Based Solid-Oxide-Cell Electrodes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skafte, Theis Løye; Graves, Christopher R.; Blennow, P.

    2015-01-01

    the onset of carbon deposition. The outlet gas composition at each current step was estimated based on the inlet gas composition and the reactant conversion using Faraday's law. The increase in voltage was observed at lower outlet pCO/pCO2 ratios than that corresponding to the expected thermodynamic......The carbon formation threshold in an operating cell was investigated during electrolysis of an idealized reactant atmosphere of CO and CO2. The electrolysis current was gradually increased in steps until the cell voltage spontaneously increased, thereby indicating cell degradation and possibly...

  9. CFD Model Of A Planar Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell For Hydrogen Production From Nuclear Energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grant L. Hawkes; James E. O'Brien; Carl M. Stoots; J. Stephen Herring

    2005-01-01

    A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model has been created to model high temperature steam electrolysis in a planar solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC). The model represents a single cell as it would exist in an electrolysis stack. Details of the model geometry are specific to a stack that was fabricated by Ceramatec2, Inc. and tested at the Idaho National Laboratory. Mass, momentum, energy, and species conservation and transport are provided via the core features of the commercial CFD code FLUENT2. A solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) model adds the electrochemical reactions and loss mechanisms and computation of the electric field throughout the cell. The FLUENT SOFC user-defined subroutine was modified for this work to allow for operation in the SOEC mode. Model results provide detailed profiles of temperature, Nernst potential, operating potential, anode-side gas composition, cathode-side gas composition, current density and hydrogen production over a range of stack operating conditions. Mean model results are shown to compare favorably with experimental results obtained from an actual ten-cell stack tested at INL

  10. PEM Water Electrolysis at Elevated Temperatures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Martin Kalmar

    . This is followed in chapter 4 by a description of the electrolysis setups and electrolysis cells used during the work. Two different setups were used, one operating at atmospheric pressure and another that could operate at elevated pressure so that liquid water electrolysis could be performed at temperature above...... such as porosity and resistance which were supported by images acquired using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In chapters 6 and 7 the results of the steam electrolysis and pressurised water electrolysis, respectively, are presented and discussed. The steam electrolysis was tested at 130 °C and atmospheric...... needed and hence it has become acute to be able to store the energy. Hydrogen has been identified as a suitable energy carrier and water electrolysis is one way to produce it in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. In this thesis an introduction to the subject (chapter 1) is given followed...

  11. La0.8Sr0.2Co0.8Ni0.2O3-δ impregnated oxygen electrode for H2O/CO2 co-electrolysis in solid oxide electrolysis cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Haoyu; Tian, Yunfeng; Zhang, Lingling; Chi, Bo; Pu, Jian; Jian, Li

    2018-04-01

    High-temperature H2O/CO2 co-electrolysis through reversible solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) provides potentially a feasible and eco-friendly way to convert electrical energy into chemicals stored in syngas. In this work, La0.8Sr0.2Co0.8Ni0.2O3-δ (LSCN) impregnated Gd0.1Ce0.9O1.95 (GDC)-(La0.8Sr0.2)0.95MnO3-δ (LSM) composite oxygen electrode is studied as high-performance electrode for H2O/CO2 co-electrolysis. The LSCN impregnated cell exhibits competitive performance with the peak power density of 1057 mW cm-2 at 800 °C in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) mode; in co-electrolysis mode, the current density can reach 1.60 A cm-2 at 1.5 V at 800 °C with H2O/CO2 ratio of 2/1. With LSCN nanoparticles dispersed on the surface of GDC-LSM to maximize the reaction active sites, the LSCN impregnated cell shows significant enhanced electrochemical performance at both SOEC and SOFC modes. The influence of feed gas composition (H2O-H2-CO2) and operating voltages on the performance of co-electrolysis are discussed in detail. The cell shows a very stable performance without obvious degradation for more than 100 h. Post-test characterization is analyzed in detail by multiple measurements.

  12. Microbial electrolysis desalination and chemical-production cell for CO2 sequestration

    KAUST Repository

    Zhu, Xiuping; Logan, Bruce E.

    2014-01-01

    Mineral carbonation can be used for CO2 sequestration, but the reaction rate is slow. In order to accelerate mineral carbonation, acid generated in a microbial electrolysis desalination and chemical-production cell (MEDCC) was examined to dissolve

  13. Life Time Performance Characterization of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells for Hydrogen Production

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sun, Xiufu; Chen, Ming; Liu, Yi-Lin

    2015-01-01

    . In this work, long-term durability of Ni/yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) supported planar SOECs were investigated at 800 oC for electrolysis of steam. The cells, which represent the state-of-the-art SOEC technology at Technical University of Denmark (DTU), have a Ni/YSZ support and active fuel electrode......, OCV) to -1.25 A/cm2. Detailed electrochemical and post-mortem characterizations were further conducted in order to clarify the cell or electrode degradation mechanisms. The cells show stable performance, with a steady-state degradation rate of up to 2 %/1000 h for electrolysis tests with current......Globally the amount of electricity generated from renewable energy sources such as wind or solar energy is increasing. To integrate high amount of fluctuating renewable energy into the existing energy grid, efficient and cost competitive conversion of electricity into other kinds of energy carriers...

  14. Microbial electrolysis cells turning to be versatile technology: recent advances and future challenges

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Yifeng; Angelidaki, Irini

    2014-01-01

    and achieve high-yield hydrogen production from wide range of organic matters at relatively mild conditions. This approach greatly reduces the electric energy cost for hydrogen production in contrast to direct water electrolysis. In addition to hydrogen production, MECs may also support several energetically......Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are an electricity-mediated microbial bioelectrochemical technology, which is originally developed for high-efficiency biological hydrogen production from waste streams. Compared to traditional biological technologies, MECs can overcome thermodynamic limitations...

  15. Carbon Deposition in Solid Oxide Cells during Co-Electrolysis of H2O and CO2

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tao, Youkun; Ebbesen, Sune Dalgaard; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

    2014-01-01

    current densities from 1.5 to 2.25 A/cm2 and reactant (H2O + CO2) conversion of up to 67%. Delamination and carbon nano-fibers were observed at the Ni-YSZ|YSZ interface for two cells with a dense microstructure operated at electrolysis current densities of 2.0 and 2.25 A/cm2 and a conversion of 59% and 67...... and the active Ni-YSZ electrode. Carbon nano-fibers were only observed close to the YSZ electrolyte, indicating a very reducing atmosphere and a large over-potential gradient in the active electrode, being highest at the interface to the bulk electrolyte and decreasing toward the Ni-YSZ support.......Carbon formation during co-electrolysis of H2O and CO2 in Ni-YSZ supported Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOECs) may occur, especially at high current density and high conversion. In order to evaluate the carbon formation limits, five galvanostatic tests were performed in this work at electrolysis...

  16. Microbial fuel cells and microbial electrolysis cells for the production of bioelectricity and biomaterials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Minghua; Yang, Jie; Wang, Hongyu; Jin, Tao; Xu, Dake; Gu, Tingyue

    2013-01-01

    Today's global energy crisis requires a multifaceted solution. Bioenergy is an important part of the solution. The microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology stands out as an attractive potential technology in bioenergy. MFCs can convert energy stored in organic matter directly into bioelectricity. MFCs can also be operated in the electrolysis mode as microbial electrolysis cells to produce bioproducts such as hydrogen and ethanol. Various wastewaters containing low-grade organic carbons that are otherwise unutilized can be used as feed streams for MFCs. Despite major advances in the past decade, further improvements in MFC power output and cost reduction are needed for MFCs to be practical. This paper analysed MFC operating principles using bioenergetics and bioelectrochemistry. Several major issues were explored to improve the MFC performance. An emphasis was placed on the use of catalytic materials for MFC electrodes. Recent advances in the production of various biomaterials using MFCs were also investigated.

  17. A Demonstration of Carbon-Assisted Water Electrolysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olalekan D. Adeniyi

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available It is shown that carbon fuel cell technology can be combined with that of high temperature steam electrolysis by the incorporation of carbon fuel at the cell anode, with the resulting reduction of the required electrolysis voltage by around 1 V. The behaviour of the cell current density and applied voltage are shown to be connected with the threshold of electrolysis and the main features are compared with theoretical results from the literature. The advantage arises from the avoidance of efficiency losses associated with electricity generation using thermal cycles, as well as the natural separation of the carbon dioxide product stream for subsequent processing.

  18. Carbon Deposition during CO2 Electrolysis in Ni-Based Solid-Oxide-Cell Electrodes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skafte, Theis Løye; Graves, Christopher R.; Blennow, P.

    2015-01-01

    . Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in both H2/H2O and CO/CO2 revealed an increase in resistance of the fuel electrode after each CO2 electrolysis current-voltage curve, indicating possible carbon deposition. The difference in partial oxygen pressure between inlet and outlet was analyzed to verify carbon...... in detail. In an attempt to mitigate the degradation due to carbon deposition, the Ni-YSZ electrode was infiltrated with a gadolinium doped ceria (CGO) solution. Initial results indicate that the coking tolerance was not enhanced, but it is still unclear whether infiltrated cells degrade less. However......, infiltrated cells display a significant performance enhancement before coking, especially under electrolysis current. The investigation thus indicated carbon formation in the Ni containing fuel electrode before the thermodynamically calculated threshold for average measurements of the cell was reached...

  19. Integrated hydrogen production process from cellulose by combining dark fermentation, microbial fuel cells, and a microbial electrolysis cell

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Aijie; Sun, Dan; Cao, Guangli; Wang, Haoyu; Ren, Nanqi; Wu, Wei-Min; Logan, Bruce E.

    2011-01-01

    Hydrogen gas production from cellulose was investigated using an integrated hydrogen production process consisting of a dark fermentation reactor and microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as power sources for a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC). Two MFCs

  20. Studies of water electrolysis in polymeric membrane cells; Estudos de eletrolise aquosa em celulas de membrana polimerica

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oliveira-Silva, M.A.; Linardi, M.; Saliba-Silva, A.M. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Centro de Celulas a Combustivel e Hidrogenio

    2010-07-01

    Hydrogen represents great opportunity to be a substitute for fossil fuels in the future. Water as a renewable source of hydrogen is of great interest, since it is abundant and can decompose, producing only pure H{sub 2} and O{sub 2}. This decomposition of water can be accomplished by processes such as electrolysis, thermal decomposition and thermochemical cycles. The membrane electrolysis has been proposed as a viable process for hydrogen production using thermal and electrical energy derived from nuclear energy or any renewable source like solar energy. In this work, within the context of optimization of the electrolysis process, it is intended to develop a mathematical model that can simulate and assist in parameterization of the electrolysis performed by polymer membrane electrolytic cell. The experimental process to produce hydrogen via the cell membrane, aims to optimize the amount of gas produced using renewable energy with non-carbogenic causing no harm by producing gases deleterious to the environment. (author)

  1. CHALLENGES IN GENERATING HYDROGEN BY HIGH TEMPERATURE ELECTROLYSIS USING SOLID OXIDE CELLS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    M. S. Sohal; J. E. O' Brien; C. M. Stoots; M. G. McKellar; J. S. Herring; E. A. Harvego

    2008-03-01

    Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL) high temperature electrolysis research to generate hydrogen using solid oxide electrolysis cells is presented in this paper. The research results reported here have been obtained in a laboratory-scale apparatus. These results and common scale-up issues also indicate that for the technology to be successful in a large industrial setting, several technical, economical, and manufacturing issues have to be resolved. Some of the issues related to solid oxide cells are stack design and performance optimization, identification and evaluation of cell performance degradation parameters and processes, integrity and reliability of the solid oxide electrolysis (SOEC) stacks, life-time prediction and extension of the SOEC stack, and cost reduction and economic manufacturing of the SOEC stacks. Besides the solid oxide cells, balance of the hydrogen generating plant also needs significant development. These issues are process and ohmic heat source needed for maintaining the reaction temperature (~830°C), high temperature heat exchangers and recuperators, equal distribution of the reactants into each cell, system analysis of hydrogen and associated energy generating plant, and cost optimization. An economic analysis of this plant was performed using the standardized H2A Analysis Methodology developed by the Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Program, and using realistic financial and cost estimating assumptions. The results of the economic analysis demonstrated that the HTE hydrogen production plant driven by a high-temperature helium-cooled nuclear power plant can deliver hydrogen at a cost of $3.23/kg of hydrogen assuming an internal rate of return of 10%. These issues need interdisciplinary research effort of federal laboratories, solid oxide cell manufacturers, hydrogen consumers, and other such stakeholders. This paper discusses research and development accomplished by INL on such issues and highlights associated challenges that need to

  2. Understanding the processes governing performance and durability of solid oxide electrolysis cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ebbesen, Sune Dalgaard; Sun, Xiufu; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

    2015-01-01

    Operation of a Ni–YSZ electrode supported Solid Oxide Cell (SOC) was studied in both fuel cell mode (FC-mode) and electrolysis cell mode (EC-mode) in mixtures of H2O/H2, CO2/CO, H2O/H2O/CO2/CO at 750 °C, 800 °C and 850 °C. Although the SOCs are reversible, the polarisation characterisation shows ...

  3. Electrode kinetics of a water vapor electrolysis cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobs, G.

    1974-01-01

    The anodic electrochemical behavior of the water vapor electrolysis cell was investigated. A theoretical review of various aspects of cell overvoltage is presented with special emphasis on concentration overvoltage and activation overvoltage. Other sources of overvoltage are described. The experimental apparatus controlled and measured anode potential and cell current. Potentials between 1.10 and 2.60 V (vs NHE) and currents between 0.1 and 3000 mA were investigated. Different behavior was observed between the standard cell and the free electrolyte cell. The free electrolyte cell followed typical Tafel behavior (i.e. activation overvoltage) with Tafel slopes of about 0.15, and the exchange current densities of 10 to the minus 9th power A/sq cm, both in good agreement with literature values. The standard cell exhibitied this same Tafel behavior at lower current densities but deviated toward lower than expected current densities at higher potentials. This behavior and other results were examined to determine their origin.

  4. Y-doped BaZrO3 as a chemically stable electrolyte for proton-conducting solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs)

    KAUST Repository

    Bi, Lei

    2015-01-01

    A proton-conducting solid oxide electrolysis cell using an Y-doped BaZrO3 electrolyte film, which has been demonstrated to be chemically stable, was successfully fabricated for the first time and showed a promising electrolysis performance.

  5. The impact of anode acclimation strategy on microbial electrolysis cell treating hydrogen fermentation effluent

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Xiaohu; Zhang, Ruizhe; Qian, Yawei

    2017-01-01

    The impact of different anode acclimation methods for enhancing hydrogen production in microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) was investigated in this study. The anodes were first acclimated in microbial fuel cells using acetate, butyrate and corn stalk fermentation effluent (CSFE) as substrate before...

  6. Thermodynamic analysis of synthetic hydrocarbon fuel production in pressurized solid oxide electrolysis cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sun, Xiufu; Chen, Ming; Jensen, Søren Højgaard

    2012-01-01

    A promising way to store wind and solar electricity is by electrolysis of H2O and CO2 using solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) to produce synthetic hydrocarbon fuels that can be used in existing fuel infrastructure. Pressurized operation decreases the cell internal resistance and enables...... improved system efficiency, potentially lowering the fuel production cost significantly. In this paper, we present a thermodynamic analysis of synthetic methane and dimethyl ether (DME) production using pressurized SOECs, in order to determine feasible operating conditions for producing the desired......, and outlet gas composition. For methane production, low temperature and high pressure operation could improve the system efficiency, but might lead to a higher capital cost. For DME production, high pressure SOEC operation necessitates higher operating temperature in order to avoid carbon formation at higher...

  7. Modeling and optimization of a novel solar chimney cogeneration power plant combined with solid oxide electrolysis/fuel cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joneydi Shariatzadeh, O.; Refahi, A.H.; Abolhassani, S.S.; Rahmani, M.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Proposed a solar chimney cogeneration power plant combined with solid oxide fuel cell. • Conducted single-objective economic optimization of cycle by genetic algorithm. • Stored surplus hydrogen in season solarium to supply electricity in winter by SOFC. - Abstract: Using solar chimney in desert areas like El Paso city in Texas, USA, with high intensity solar radiation is efficient and environmental friendly. However, one of the main challenges in terms of using solar chimneys is poor electricity generation at night. In this paper, a new power plant plan is proposed which simultaneously generates heat and electricity using a solar chimney with solid oxide fuel cells and solid oxide electrolysis cells. In one hand, the solar chimney generates electricity by sunlight and supplies a part of demand. Then, additional electricity is generated through the high temperature electrolysis which produces hydrogen that is stored in tanks and converted into electricity by solid oxide fuel cells. After designing and modeling the cycle components, the economic aspect of this power plant is considered numerically by means of genetic algorithm. The results indicate that, 0.28 kg/s hydrogen is produced at the peak of the radiation. With such a hydrogen production rate, this system supplies 79.26% and 37.04% of the demand in summer and winter respectively in a district of El Paso city.

  8. Progress in Aluminum Electrolysis Control and Future Direction for Smart Aluminum Electrolysis Plant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hongliang; Li, Tianshuang; Li, Jie; Yang, Shuai; Zou, Zhong

    2017-02-01

    The industrial aluminum reduction cell is an electrochemistry reactor that operates under high temperatures and highly corrosive conditions. However, these conditions have restricted the measurement of key control parameters, making the control of aluminum reduction cells a difficult problem in the industry. Because aluminum electrolysis control systems have a significant economic influence, substantial research has been conducted on control algorithms, control systems and information systems for aluminum reduction cells. This article first summarizes the development of control systems and then focuses on the progress made since 2000, including alumina concentration control, temperature control and electrolyte molecular ratio control, fault diagnosis, cell condition prediction and control system expansion. Based on these studies, the concept of a smart aluminum electrolysis plant is proposed. The frame construction, key problems and current progress are introduced. Finally, several future directions are discussed.

  9. Model-supported characterization of a PEM water electrolysis cell for the effect of compression

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frensch, Steffen Henrik; Olesen, Anders Christian; Simon Araya, Samuel

    2018-01-01

    This paper investigates the influence of the cell compression of a PEM water electrolysis cell. A small single cell is therefore electrochemically analyzed by means of polarization behavior and impedance spectroscopy throughout a range of currents (0.01 A cm−2 to 2.0 A cm−2) at two temperatures (60...

  10. Durable solid oxide electrolysis cells for hydrogen production

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sun, Xiufu; Chen, Ming; Hendriksen, Peter Vang

    2014-01-01

    production is required for promoting commercialization of the SOEC technology. In this work, we report a recent 4400 hours test of a state-of-the-art Ni-YSZ electrode supported SOEC cell. The cell consists of a Ni-YSZ (YSZ: yttria stabilized zirconia) support and active fuel electrode, an YSZ electrolyte...... that except for the first 250 hours fast initial degradation, for the rest of the testing period, the cell showed rather stable performance with an moderate degradation rate of around 25 mV/1000 h. The electrochemical impedance spectra show that both serial resistance and polarization resistance of the cell...... and changing of porosity inside the active layer. The degree of these microstructural changes becomes less and less severe along the hydrogen-steam flow path. The present test results show that this type of cell can be used for early demonstration electrolysis at 1A/cm2. Future work should be focus on reducing...

  11. Tritium separation from heavy water using electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ogata, Y.; Sakuma, Y.; Ohtani, N.; Kodaka, M.

    2001-01-01

    A tritium separation from heavy water by the electrolysis using a solid polymer electrode (SPE) was specified on investigation. The heavy water (∼10 Bq g -1 ) and the light water (∼70 Bq g -1 ) were electrolysed using an electrolysis device (Tripure XZ001, Permelec Electrode Ltd.) with the SPE layer. The cathode was made of stainless steel (SUS314). The electrolysis was carried out at 20 A x 60 min, with the electrolysis temperature at 10, 20, or 30degC, and 15 A x 80 min at 5degC. The produced hydrogen and oxygen gases were recombined using a palladium catalyst (ND-101, N.E. Chemcat Ltd.) with nitrogen gas as a carrier. The activities of the water in the cell and of the recombined water were analyzed using a liquid scintillation counter. The electrolysis potential to keep the current 20 A was 2-3 V. The yields of the recombined water were more than 90%. The apparent separation factors (SF) for the heavy water and the light water were ∼2 and ∼12, respectively. The SF value was in agreement with the results in other work. The factors were changed with the cell temperature. The electrolysis using the SPE is applicable for the tritium separation, and is able to perform the small-scale apparatus at the room temperature. (author)

  12. High Temperature Alkaline Electrolysis Cells with Metal Foam Based Gas Diffusion Electrodes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chatzichristodoulou, Christodoulos; Allebrod, Frank; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

    2016-01-01

    Alkaline electrolysis cells operating at 250°C and 40 bar are able to convert electrical energy into hydrogen at very high efficiencies and power densities. In the present work we demonstrate the application of a PTFE hydrophobic network and Ag nanowires as oxygen evolution electrocatalyst...

  13. High hydrogen production from glycerol or glucose by electrohydrogenesis using microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Selembo, Priscilla A.; Perez, Joe M.; Lloyd, Wallis A.; Logan, Bruce E.

    2009-01-01

    The use of glycerol for hydrogen gas production was examined via electrohydrogenesis using microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). A hydrogen yield of 3.9 mol-H2/mol was obtained using glycerol, which is higher than that possible by fermentation

  14. LONG-TERM PERFORMANCE OF SOLID OXIDE STACKS WITH ELECTRODE-SUPPORTED CELLS OPERATING IN THE STEAM ELECTROLYSIS MODE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    J. E. O' Brien; R. C. O' Brien; X. Zhang; G. Tao; B. J. Butler

    2011-11-01

    Performance characterization and durability testing have been completed on two five-cell high-temperature electrolysis stacks constructed with advanced cell and stack technologies. The solid oxide cells incorporate a negative-electrode-supported multi-layer design with nickel-zirconia cermet negative electrodes, thin-film yttria-stabilized zirconia electrolytes, and multi-layer lanthanum ferrite-based positive electrodes. The per-cell active area is 100 cm2. The stack is internally manifolded with compliant mica-glass seals. Treated metallic interconnects with integral flow channels separate the cells. Stack compression is accomplished by means of a custom spring-loaded test fixture. Initial stack performance characterization was determined through a series of DC potential sweeps in both fuel cell and electrolysis modes of operation. Results of these sweeps indicated very good initial performance, with area-specific resistance values less than 0.5 ?.cm2. Long-term durability testing was performed with A test duration of 1000 hours. Overall performance degradation was less than 10% over the 1000-hour period. Final stack performance characterization was again determined by a series of DC potential sweeps at the same flow conditions as the initial sweeps in both electrolysis and fuel cell modes of operation. A final sweep in the fuel cell mode indicated a power density of 0.356 W/cm2, with average per-cell voltage of 0.71 V at a current of 50 A.

  15. Analysis of Trends and Emerging Technologies in Water Electrolysis Research Based on a Computational Method: A Comparison with Fuel Cell Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takaya Ogawa

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Water electrolysis for hydrogen production has received increasing attention, especially for accumulating renewable energy. Here, we comprehensively reviewed all water electrolysis research areas through computational analysis, using a citation network to objectively detect emerging technologies and provide interdisciplinary data for forecasting trends. The results show that all research areas increase their publication counts per year, and the following two areas are particularly increasing in terms of number of publications: “microbial electrolysis” and “catalysts in an alkaline water electrolyzer (AWE and in a polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolyzer (PEME.”. Other research areas, such as AWE and PEME systems, solid oxide electrolysis, and the whole renewable energy system, have recently received several review papers, although papers that focus on specific technologies and are cited frequently have not been published within the citation network. This indicates that these areas receive attention, but there are no novel technologies that are the center of the citation network. Emerging technologies detected within these research areas are presented in this review. Furthermore, a comparison with fuel cell research is conducted because water electrolysis is the reverse reaction to fuel cells, and similar technologies are employed in both areas. Technologies that are not transferred between fuel cells and water electrolysis are introduced, and future water electrolysis trends are discussed.

  16. Bioelectrohydrogenesis and inhibition of methanogenic activity in microbial electrolysis cells - A review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karthikeyan, Rengasamy; Cheng, Ka Yu; Selvam, Ammaiyappan; Bose, Arpita; Wong, Jonathan W C

    2017-11-01

    Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are a promising technology for biological hydrogen production. Compared to abiotic water electrolysis, a much lower electrical voltage (~0.2V) is required for hydrogen production in MECs. It is also an attractive waste treatment technology as a variety of biodegradable substances can be used as the process feedstock. Underpinning this technology is a recently discovered bioelectrochemical pathway known as "bioelectrohydrogenesis". However, little is known about the mechanism of this pathway, and numerous hurdles are yet to be addressed to maximize hydrogen yield and purity. Here, we review various aspects including reactor configurations, microorganisms, substrates, electrode materials, and inhibitors of methanogenesis in order to improve hydrogen generation in MECs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. HIGH-TEMPERATURE ELECTROLYSIS FOR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION FROM NUCLEAR ENERGY

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    James E. O& #39; Brien; Carl M. Stoots; J. Stephen Herring; Joseph J. Hartvigsen

    2005-10-01

    An experimental study is under way to assess the performance of solid-oxide cells operating in the steam electrolysis mode for hydrogen production over a temperature range of 800 to 900ºC. Results presented in this paper were obtained from a ten-cell planar electrolysis stack, with an active area of 64 cm2 per cell. The electrolysis cells are electrolyte-supported, with scandia-stabilized zirconia electrolytes (~140 µm thick), nickel-cermet steam/hydrogen electrodes, and manganite air-side electrodes. The metallic interconnect plates are fabricated from ferritic stainless steel. The experiments were performed over a range of steam inlet mole fractions (0.1 - 0.6), gas flow rates (1000 - 4000 sccm), and current densities (0 to 0.38 A/cm2). Steam consumption rates associated with electrolysis were measured directly using inlet and outlet dewpoint instrumentation. Cell operating potentials and cell current were varied using a programmable power supply. Hydrogen production rates up to 90 Normal liters per hour were demonstrated. Values of area-specific resistance and stack internal temperatures are presented as a function of current density. Stack performance is shown to be dependent on inlet steam flow rate.

  18. Hydrogen Generation in Microbial Reverse-Electrodialysis Electrolysis Cells Using a Heat-Regenerated Salt Solution

    KAUST Repository

    Nam, Joo-Youn; Cusick, Roland D.; Kim, Younggy; Logan, Bruce E.

    2012-01-01

    Hydrogen gas can be electrochemically produced in microbial reverse-electrodialysis electrolysis cells (MRECs) using current derived from organic matter and salinity-gradient energy such as river water and seawater solutions. Here, it is shown

  19. Carbon deposition and sulfur poisoning during CO2 electrolysis in nickel-based solid oxide cell electrodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skafte, Theis Løye; Blennow, Peter; Hjelm, Johan; Graves, Christopher

    2018-01-01

    Reduction of CO2 to CO and O2 in the solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) has the potential to play a crucial role in closing the CO2 loop. Carbon deposition in nickel-based cells is however fatal and must be considered during CO2 electrolysis. Here, the effect of operating parameters is investigated systematically using simple current-potential experiments. Due to variations of local conditions, it is shown that higher current density and lower fuel electrode porosity will cause local carbon formation at the electrochemical reaction sites despite operating with a CO outlet concentration outside the thermodynamic carbon formation region. Attempts at mitigating the issue by coating the composite nickel/yttria-stabilized zirconia electrode with carbon-inhibiting nanoparticles and by sulfur passivation proved unsuccessful. Increasing the fuel electrode porosity is shown to mitigate the problem, but only to a certain extent. This work shows that a typical SOEC stack converting CO2 to CO and O2 is limited to as little as 15-45% conversion due to risk of carbon formation. Furthermore, cells operated in CO2-electrolysis mode are poisoned by reactant gases containing ppb-levels of sulfur, in contrast to ppm-levels for operation in fuel cell mode.

  20. Diagnosis of a cathode-supported solid oxide electrolysis cell by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nechache, A.; Mansuy, A.; Petitjean, M.; Mougin, J.; Mauvy, F.; Boukamp, Bernard A.; Cassir, M.; Ringuede, A.

    2016-01-01

    High-temperature electrolysis (HTSE) is a quite recent topic where most of the studies are focused on performance measurements and degradation observations, mainly achieved by polarization curve. However, it mainly leads to the overall cell behaviour. To get more specific knowledge on the operation

  1. Hydrogen Production System with High Temperature Electrolysis for Nuclear Power Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kentaro, Matsunaga; Eiji, Hoashi; Seiji, Fujiwara; Masato, Yoshino; Taka, Ogawa; Shigeo, Kasai

    2006-01-01

    Steam electrolysis with solid oxide cells is one of the most promising methods for hydrogen production, which has the potential to be high efficiency. Its most parts consist of environmentally sound and common materials. Recent development of ceramics with high ionic conductivity suggests the possibility of widening the range of operating temperature with maintaining the high efficiency. Toshiba is constructing a hydrogen production system with solid oxide electrolysis cells for nuclear power plants. Tubular-type cells using YSZ (Yttria-Stabilized- Zirconia) as electrolyte showed good performance of steam electrolysis at 800 to 900 deg C. Larger electrolysis cells with present configuration are to be combined with High Temperature Reactors. The hydrogen production efficiency on the present designed system is expected around 50% at 800 to 900 deg C of operating temperature. For the Fast Reactors, 'advanced cell' with higher efficiency at lower temperature are to be introduced. (authors)

  2. Degradation of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells Operated at High Current Densities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tao, Youkun; Ebbesen, Sune Dalgaard; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

    2014-01-01

    In this work the durability of solid oxide cells for co-electrolysis of steam and carbon dioxide (45 % H2O + 45 % CO2 + 10 % H2) at high current densities was investigated. The tested cells are Ni-YSZ electrode supported, with a YSZ electrolyte and either a LSM-YSZ or LSCF-CGO oxygen electrode....... A current density of -1.5 and -2.0 A/cm2 was applied to the cell and the gas conversion was 45 % and 60 %, respectively. The cells were operated for a period of up to 700 hours. The electrochemical analysis revealed significant performance degradation for the ohmic process, oxygen ion interfacial transfer...

  3. Electrochemical extraction of oxygen using PEM electrolysis technology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    BOULBABA ELADEB

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Electrochemical extraction of oxygen from air can be carried out by chemical reduction of oxygen at the cathode and simultaneous oxygen evolution by water anode oxidation. The present investigation deals with the use of an electrolysis cell of PEM technology for this purpose. A dedicated 25 cm2 cell provided with a commercial water electrolysis MEA and titanium grooved plates has been designed for continuous operation at pressures close to the ambient level. The MEA consisted of a Nafion 117 membrane sandwiched between a Pt/C cathode and a non-supported Pt-Ir anode. Oxygen partial consumption in long-term runs was evaluated by analysis of the outlet air by gas chromatography, depending on the cell voltage - or the current density - and the excess in air oxygen fed to the cathode. Runs over more 50 hours indicated the relative stability of the components used for current densities ranging from 0.1 to 0.2 A cm-2 with high efficiency of oxygen reduction. Higher current density could be envisaged with more efficient MEA’s, exhibiting lower overpotentials for oxygen evolution to avoid too significant degradation of the anode material and the membrane. Interpretation of the data has been carried out by calculation of the cathode current efficiency.

  4. The importance of OH − transport through anion exchange membrane in microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Ye, Yaoli; Logan, Bruce

    2018-01-01

    In two-chamber microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) with anion exchange membranes (AEMs), a phosphate buffer solution (PBS) is typically used to avoid increases in catholyte pH as Nernst equation calculations indicate that high pHs adversely impact

  5. Studies on membrane acid electrolysis for hydrogen production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silva, Marco Antonio Oliveira da; Linardi, Marcelo; Saliba-Silva, Adonis Marcelo [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Centro de Celulas a Combustivel e Hidrogenio], Email: saliba@ipen.br

    2010-07-01

    Hydrogen represents great opportunity to be a substitute for fossil fuels in the future. Water as a renewable source of hydrogen is of great interest, since it is abundant and can decompose, producing only pure H{sub 2} and O{sub 2}. This decomposition of water can be accomplished by processes such as electrolysis, thermal decomposition and thermochemical cycles. The electrolysis by membrane has been proposed as a viable process for hydrogen production using thermal and electrical energy derived from nuclear energy or any renewable source like solar energy. In this work, within the context of optimization of the electrolysis process, it is intended to develop a mathematical model that can simulate and assist in parameterization of the electrolysis performed by polymer membrane electrolytic cell. The experimental process to produce hydrogen via the cell membrane, aims to optimize the amount of gas produced using renewable energy with noncarbogenic causing no harm by producing gases deleterious to the environment. (author)

  6. Water electrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schubert, Franz H. (Inventor); Grigger, David J. (Inventor)

    1992-01-01

    This disclosure is directed to an electrolysis cell forming hydrogen and oxygen at space terminals. The anode terminal is porous and able to form oxygen within the cell and permit escape of the gaseous oxygen through the anode and out through a flow line in the presence of backpressure. Hydrogen is liberated in the cell at the opposing solid metal cathode which is permeable to hydrogen but not oxygen so that the migratory hydrogen formed in the cell is able to escape from the cell. The cell is maintained at an elevated pressure so that the oxygen liberated by the cell is delivered at elevated pressure without pumping to raise the pressure of the oxygen.

  7. Production of Oxygen from Lunar Regolith by Molten Oxide Electrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curreri, Peter A.

    2009-01-01

    This paper describes the use of the molten oxide electrolysis (MOE) process for the extraction of oxygen for life support and propellant, and silicon and metallic elements for use in fabrication on the Moon. The Moon is rich in mineral resources, but it is almost devoid of chemical reducing agents, therefore, molten oxide electrolysis is ideal for extraction, since the electron is the only practical reducing agent. MOE has several advantages over other extraction methods. First, electrolytic processing offers uncommon versatility in its insensitivity to feedstock composition. Secondly, oxide melts boast the twin key attributes of highest solubilizing capacity for regolith and lowest volatility of any candidate electrolytes. The former is critical in ensuring high productivity since cell current is limited by reactant solubility, while the latter simplifies cell design by obviating the need for a gas-tight reactor to contain evaporation losses as would be the case with a gas or liquid phase fluoride reagent operating at such high temperatures. Alternatively, MOE requires no import of consumable reagents (e.g. fluorine and carbon) as other processes do, and does not rely on interfacing multiple processes to obtain refined products. Electrolytic processing has the advantage of selectivity of reaction in the presence of a multi-component feed. Products from lunar regolith can be extracted in sequence according to the stabilities of their oxides as expressed by the values of the free energy of oxide formation (e.g. chromium, manganese, Fe, Si, Ti, Al, magnesium, and calcium). Previous work has demonstrated the viability of producing Fe and oxygen from oxide mixtures similar in composition to lunar regolith by molten oxide electrolysis (electrowinning), also called magma electrolysis having shown electrolytic extraction of Si from regolith simulant. This paper describes recent advances in demonstrating the MOE process by a joint project with participation by NASA KSC and

  8. Microbial Challenge Testing of Single Liquid Cathode Feed Water Electrolysis Cells for the International Space Station (ISS) Oxygen Generator Assembly (OGA)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy, Robert J.; Wilson, Mark E.; Diderich, Greg S.; Steele, John W.

    2011-01-01

    The International Space Station (ISS) Oxygen Generator Assembly (OGA) operational performance may be adversely impacted by microbiological growth and biofilm formation over the electrolysis cell membranes. Biofilms could hinder the transport of water from the bulk fluid stream to the membranes and increase the cell concentration overpotential resulting in higher cell voltages and a shorter cell life. A microbial challenge test was performed on duplicate single liquid-cathode feed water electrolysis cells to evaluate operational performance with increasing levels of a mixture of five bacteria isolated from ISS and Space Shuttle potable water systems. Baseline performance of the single water electrolysis cells was determined for approximately one month with deionized water. Monthly performance was also determined following each inoculation of the feed tank with 100, 1000, 10,000 and 100,000 cells/ml of the mixed suspension of test bacteria. Water samples from the feed tank and recirculating water loops for each cell were periodically analyzed for enumeration and speciation of bacteria and total organic carbon. While initially a concern, this test program has demonstrated that the performance of the electrolysis cell is not adversely impacted by feed water containing the five species of bacteria tested at a concentration measured as high as 1,000,000 colony forming units (CFU)/ml. This paper presents the methodologies used in the conduct of this test program along with the performance test results at each level of bacteria concentration.

  9. Optimization of catholyte concentration and anolyte pHs in two chamber microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Nam, Joo-Youn; Logan, Bruce E.

    2012-01-01

    The hydrogen production rate in a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) using a non-buffered saline catholyte (NaCl) can be optimized through proper control of the initial anolyte pH and catholyte NaCl concentration. The highest hydrogen yield of 3

  10. A quantitative method to evaluate microbial electrolysis cell effectiveness for energy recovery and wastewater treatment

    KAUST Repository

    Ivanov, Ivan; Ren, Lijiao; Siegert, Michael; Logan, Bruce E.

    2013-01-01

    Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are potential candidates for sustainable wastewater treatment as they allow for recovery of the energy input by producing valuable chemicals such as hydrogen gas. Evaluating the effectiveness of MEC treatment

  11. Carbon dioxide and water vapor high temperature electrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isenberg, Arnold O.; Verostko, Charles E.

    1989-01-01

    The design, fabrication, breadboard testing, and the data base obtained for solid oxide electrolysis systems that have applications for planetary manned missions and habitats are reviewed. The breadboard tested contains sixteen tubular cells in a closely packed bundle for the electrolysis of carbon dioxide and water vapor. The discussion covers energy requirements, volume, weight, and operational characteristics related to the measurement of the reactant and product gas compositions, temperature distribution along the electrolyzer tubular cells and through the bundle, and thermal energy losses. The reliability of individual cell performance in the bundle configuration is assessed.

  12. Real-time measurement of dynamic structure for Pd-D system in heavy-water electrolysis cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Jun; Zeng Xianxin; Yang Jilian; Zhang Baisheng; Ruan Jinghui

    1993-01-01

    The real-time dynamic structure of Pd-D system in D 2 O electrolysis cell is measured on neutron powder diffractometer in CIAE. Diffraction patterns in 2 θ range of 34 degree-95 degree are obtained under the conditions of electrolysing for 0, 3 and 48 A ·h respectively, and the gradual transition of Pd-D system from α-phase to β-phase is observed. The real-time measurements of β peak of (220) reflection show that intensity of β peak almost reaches the saturation point after electrolysing for 0.65 A · h and increases slowly with further electrolysis afterwards

  13. Water Electrolysis at Different Current - Voltage Regimes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kleperis, J.; Blums, J.; Vanags, M.

    2007-01-01

    Full text: Electrochemical impedance and volt-amperic methods were used to compare an efficiency of water electrolysis for different materials and different electrode configurations. Two and three electrode measurements were made, using standard calomel reference electrode. Non-standard capacitative electrolysis was analyzed in special cell made from cylindrical steel electrodes. Volt-amperic measurements from - 15V to +15V DC didn't indicated the presence of oxidation - reduction reactions when distilled water was used as electrolyte. Impedance measurements showed unusual frequency behavior when the AC voltage increased till 0.5V. Different nickel and carbon electrodes (plate, porous and textile - type) were used to learn classical Faraday electrolysis in strong alkali solutions. Flying increase of current was indicator of the presence of electrolysis, and characteristic potential was used differ between materials accordingly they effectiveness for usage in an electrolyser device. (Aithors)

  14. Experiments on a ceramic electrolysis cell and a palladium diffuser at the tritium systems test assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konishi, Satoshi; Yoshida, Hiroshi; Ohno, Hideo; Naruse, Yuji; Coffin, D.O.; Walthers, C.R.; Binning, K.E.

    1985-01-01

    A ceramic electrolysis cell and a palladium diffuser are developed in Japan and is tested with tritium in Tritium Systems Test Assembly (TSTA) of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, in order to confirm the feasibility as possible upgrades for the fuel cleanup system (PCU). The ceramic electrolysis cell made of stabilized zirconia was operated at 630 0 C for an extended period with a mixture of 3% T 2 O in He carrier gas in the circulation system with oxidizing catalyst bed. The palladium diffuser was tested with circulated pure tritium gas at 280 0 C to verify the compatibility of the alloy with tritium, since the 3 He produced in the metal could cause a degradation. The isotopic effects were also measured for both devices

  15. Hydrogen Through Water Electrolysis and Biomass Gasification for Application in Fuel Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Kirosa

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Hydrogen is considered to be one of the most promising green energy carrier in the energy storage and conversion scenario. Although it is abundant on Earth in the form of compounds, its occurrence in free form is extremely low. Thus, it has to be produced by reforming processes, steam reforming (SR, partial oxidation (POX and auto-thermal reforming (ATR mainly from fossil fuels for high throughput with high energy requirements, pyrolysis of biomass and electrolysis. Electrolysis is brought about by passing electric current though two electrodes to evolve water into its constituent parts, viz. hydrogen and oxygen, respectively. Hydrogen produced by non-noble metal catalysts for both anode and cathode is therefore cost-effective and can be integrated into fuel cells for direct chemical energy conversion into electrical energy electricity, thus meeting the sustainable and renewable use with low carbon footprint.

  16. High temperature electrolysis for hydrogen production using nuclear energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herring, J. Stephen; O'brien, James E.; Stoots, Carl M.; Hawkes, Grant L.; Hartvigsen, Joseph J.

    2005-01-01

    High-temperature nuclear reactors have the potential for substantially increasing the efficiency of hydrogen production from water splitting, which can be accomplished via high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) or thermochemical processes. In order to achieve competitive efficiencies, both processes require high-temperature operation (∼850degC). High-temperature electrolytic water splitting supported by nuclear process heat and electricity has the potential to produce hydrogen with overall system efficiencies of 45 to 55%. At the Idaho National Laboratory, we are developing solid-oxide cells to operate in the steam electrolysis mode. The research program includes both experimental and modeling activities. Experimental results were obtained from ten-cell and 22-cell planar electrolysis stacks, fabricated by Ceramatec, Inc. The electrolysis cells are electrolyte-supported, with scandia-stabilized zirconia electrolytes (∼200 μm thick, 64 cm 2 active area), nickel-cermet steam/hydrogen electrodes, and manganite air-side electrodes. The metallic interconnect plates are fabricated from ferritic stainless steel. The experiments were performed over a range of steam inlet mole fractions, gas glow rates, and current densities. Hydrogen production rates greater than 100 normal liters per hour for 196 hours have been demonstrated. In order to evaluate the performance of large-scale HTE operations, we have developed single-cell models, based on FLUENT, and a process model, using the systems-analysis code HYSYS. (author)

  17. Feasibility Study of Seawater Electrolysis for Photovoltaic/Fuel Cell Hybrid Power System for the Coastal Areas in Thailand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srisiriwat, A.; Pirom, W.

    2017-10-01

    Solar photovoltaic cell and fuel cell are the practicable options to realize as a possible hybrid power system because the power of the sun cannot be utilized at night or cloudy days but hydrogen has been found as an ideal energy carrier for being transportable, storable, and converting energy though fuel cell. Hydrogen storage is chosen for its ability to obtain a clean energy option. Electrolysis, which is the simplest process to produce hydrogen, can be powered by the dc voltage from the photovoltaic cell instead of using the battery as power supply. This paper concentrates on a feasibility study of seawater electrolysis using photovoltaic power integrated fuel cell system for the coastal cities in Thailand. The proposed system composed of photovoltaic arrays, seawater electrolyzer and fuel cell is presented when the 10-kW of fuel cell electrical power is considered. The feasibility study of hydrogen production and energy analysis of this proposed system is also evaluated.

  18. Carbon deposition and sulfur poisoning during CO2 electrolysis in nickel-based solid oxide cell electrodes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skafte, Theis Løye; Blennow, Peter; Hjelm, Johan

    2017-01-01

    is investigated systematically using simple current-potential experiments. Due to variations of local conditions, it is shown that higher current density and lower fuel electrode porosity will cause local carbon formation at the electrochemical reaction sites despite operating with a CO outlet concentration...... outside the thermodynamic carbon formation region. Attempts at mitigating the issue by coating the composite nickel/yttria-stabilized zirconia electrode with carbon-inhibiting nanoparticles and by sulfur passivation proved unsuccessful. Increasing the fuel electrode porosity is shown to mitigate......Reduction of CO2 to CO and O2 in the solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) has the potential to play a crucial role in closing the CO2 loop. Carbon deposition in nickel-based cells is however fatal and must be considered during CO2 electrolysis. Here, the effect of operating parameters...

  19. Complementary techniques for solid oxide electrolysis cell characterisation at the micro- and nano-scale

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wiedenmann, D.; Hauch, Anne; Grobety, B.

    2010-01-01

    ), material degradation and evaporation can occur, e.g., from the cell-sealing material, leading to poisoning effects and aging mechanisms that decrease the cell efficiency and long-term durability. To investigate such cell degradation processes, thorough examination of SOCs often requires a chemical...... approach for the structural and chemical characterisation of changes in aged cathode-supported electrolysis cells produced at Risø DTU, Denmark. Additionally, we present results from the characterisation of impurities at the electrolyte/hydrogen interface caused by evaporation of sealing material....

  20. Study on hydrogen production by high temperature electrolysis of steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hino, Ryutaro; Aita, Hideki; Sekita, Kenji; Haga, Katsuhiro; Iwata, Tomo-o.

    1997-09-01

    In JAERI, design and R and D works on hydrogen production process have been conducted for connecting to the HTTR under construction at the Oarai Research Establishment of JAERI as a nuclear heat utilization system. As for a hydrogen production process by high-temperature electrolysis of steam, laboratory-scale experiments were carried out with a practical electrolysis tube with 12 cells connected in series. Hydrogen was produced at a maximum density of 44 Nml/cm 2 h at 950degC, and know-how of operational procedures and operational experience were also accumulated. Thereafter, a planar electrolysis cell supported by a metallic plate was fabricated in order to improve hydrogen production performance and durability against thermal cycles. In the preliminary test with the planar cell, hydrogen has been produced continuously at a maximum density of 33.6 Nml/cm 2 h at an electrolysis temperature of 950degC. This report presents typical test results mentioned above, a review of previous studies conducted in the world and R and D items required for connecting to the HTTR. (author)

  1. Development status of a preprototype water electrolysis subsystem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, R. B.; Erickson, A. C.

    1981-01-01

    A preprototype water electrolysis subsystem was designed and fabricated for NASA's advanced regenerative life support program. A solid polymer is used for the cell electrolyte. The electrolysis module has 12 cells that can generate 5.5 kg/day of oxygen for the metabolic requirements of three crewmembers, for cabin leakage, and for the oxygen and hydrogen required for carbon dioxide collection and reduction processes. The subsystem can be operated at a pressure between 276 and 2760 kN/sq m and in a continuous constant-current, cyclic, or standby mode. A microprocessor is used to aid in operating the subsystem. Sensors and controls provide fault detection and automatic shutdown. The results of development, demonstration, and parametric testing are presented. Modifications to enhance operation in an integrated and manned test are described. Prospective improvements for the electrolysis subsystem are discussed.

  2. The development of a non-cryogenic nitrogen/oxygen supply system. [using hydrazine/water electrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenough, B. M.; Mahan, R. E.

    1974-01-01

    A hydrazine/water electrolysis process system module design was fabricated and tested to demonstrate component and module performance. This module is capable of providing both the metabolic oxygen for crew needs and the oxygen and nitrogen for spacecraft leak makeup. The component designs evolved through previous R and D efforts, and were fabricated and tested individually and then were assembled into a complete module which was successfully tested for 1000 hours to demonstrate integration of the individual components. A survey was made of hydrazine sensor technology and a cell math model was derived.

  3. Syntrophic interactions drive the hydrogen production from glucose at low temperature in microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Lu, Lu; Xing, Defeng; Ren, Nanqi; Logan, Bruce E.

    2012-01-01

    H2 can be obtained from glucose by fermentation at mesophilic temperatures, but here we demonstrate that hydrogen can also be obtained from glucose at low temperatures using microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). H2 was produced from glucose at 4°C

  4. Microscale Electrolysis Using Coin-Type Lithium Batteries and Filter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamata, Masahiro; Yajima, Seiko

    2013-01-01

    An educational experiment illustrates the electrolysis of water and copper chloride to middle school science students. The electrolysis cell is composed of filter paper soaked with Na[subscript 2]SO[subscript 4] or CuCl[subscript 2] aqueous solution sandwiched, along with a sheet of platinum foil, between two coin-type lithium batteries. When the…

  5. Study on in-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurement of anodic reaction in SO_2 depolarized electrolysis process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xue Lulu; Zhang Ping; Chen Songzhe; Wang Laijun

    2014-01-01

    SO_2 depolarized electrolysis (SDE) is the pivotal reaction in hybrid sulfur process, one of the most promising approaches for mass hydrogen production without CO_2 emission. The net result of hybrid sulfur process is to split water into hydrogen and oxygen at a relatively low voltage, which will dramatically decrease the energy consumption for the production of hydrogen. The potential loss of SDE process could be separated into four components, i.e. reversible cell potential, anode overpotential, cathode overpotential and ohmic loss. So far, it has been identified that the total cell potential for the SO_2 depolarized electrolyzer is dominantly controlled by sulfuric acid concentration of the anolyte and electrolysis temperature of the electrolysis process. In this work, an in-situ Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) measurement of the anodic SDE reaction was conducted. Results show that anodic overpotential is mainly resulted from the SO_2 oxidation reaction other than ohmic resistance or mass transfer limitation. This study extends the understanding to SDE process and gives suggestions for the further improvement of the SDE performance. (author)

  6. Simulator of Non-homogenous Alumina and Current Distribution in an Aluminum Electrolysis Cell to Predict Low-Voltage Anode Effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dion, Lukas; Kiss, László I.; Poncsák, Sándor; Lagacé, Charles-Luc

    2018-04-01

    Perfluorocarbons are important contributors to aluminum production greenhouse gas inventories. Tetrafluoromethane and hexafluoroethane are produced in the electrolysis process when a harmful event called anode effect occurs in the cell. This incident is strongly related to the lack of alumina and the current distribution in the cell and can be classified into two categories: high-voltage and low-voltage anode effects. The latter is hard to detect during the normal electrolysis process and, therefore, new tools are necessary to predict this event and minimize its occurrence. This paper discusses a new approach to model the alumina distribution behavior in an electrolysis cell by dividing the electrolytic bath into non-homogenous concentration zones using discrete elements. The different mechanisms related to the alumina distribution are discussed in detail. Moreover, with a detailed electrical model, it is possible to calculate the current distribution among the different anodic assemblies. With this information, the model can evaluate if low-voltage emissions are likely to be present under the simulated conditions. Using the simulator will help the understanding of the role of the alumina distribution which, in turn, will improve the cell energy consumption and stability while reducing the occurrence of high- and low-voltage anode effects.

  7. Novel bio-electro-Fenton technology for azo dye wastewater treatment using microbial reverse-electrodialysis electrolysis cell

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Xiaohu; Jin, Xiangdan; Zhao, Nannan

    2017-01-01

    Development of sustanaible technologies for treatment of azo dyes containing wastewaters has long been of great interest. In this study, we proposed an innovative concept of using microbial reverse-electrodialysis electrolysis cell (MREC) based Fenton process to treat azo dye wastewater. In such ......Development of sustanaible technologies for treatment of azo dyes containing wastewaters has long been of great interest. In this study, we proposed an innovative concept of using microbial reverse-electrodialysis electrolysis cell (MREC) based Fenton process to treat azo dye wastewater....... In such MREC-Fenton integrated process, the production of H2O2 which is the key reactant of fenton-reaction was driven by the electrons harvested from the exoelectrogens and salinity-gradient between sea water and fresh water in MREC. Complete decolorization and mineralization of 400 mg L-1 Orange G...

  8. THE HIGH-TEMPERATURE ELECTROLYSIS PROGRAM AT THE IDAHO NATIONAL LABORATORY: OBSERVATIONS ON PERFORMANCE DEGRADATION

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    J. E. O' Brien; C. M. Stoots; J. S. Herring; K. G. Condie; G. K. Housley

    2009-06-01

    This paper presents an overview of the high-temperature electrolysis research and development program at the Idaho National Laboratory, with selected observations of electrolysis cell degradation at the single-cell, small stack and large facility scales. The objective of the INL program is to address the technical and scale-up issues associated with the implementation of solid-oxide electrolysis cell technology for hydrogen production from steam. In the envisioned application, high-temperature electrolysis would be coupled to an advanced nuclear reactor for efficient large-scale non-fossil non-greenhouse-gas hydrogen production. The program supports a broad range of activities including small bench-scale experiments, larger scale technology demonstrations, detailed computational fluid dynamic modeling, and system modeling. A summary of the current status of these activities and future plans will be provided, with a focus on the problem of cell and stack degradation.

  9. Research Progress of Hydrogen Production fromOrganic Wastes in Microbial Electrolysis Cell(MEC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    YU Yin-sheng

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Microbial electrolysis cell(MECtechnology as an emerging technology, has achieved the target of hydrogen production from different substrates such as waste water, forestry wastes, activated sludge by simultaneous enzymolysis and fermentation, which can effectively improve the efficiency of resource utilization. This paper described the working principle of MEC and analyzed these factors influencing the process of hydrogen production from organic waste in MEC.

  10. Study of the effect of pressure on electrolysis of H2O and co-electrolysis of H2O and CO2 at high temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bernadet, Lucile

    2016-01-01

    This thesis work investigates the behavior of a solid oxide cell operating under pressure in high temperature steam electrolysis and co-electrolysis mode (H 2 O and CO 2 ). The experimental study of single cell associated with the development of multi-physical models have been set up. The experiments, carried out using an original test bench developed by the CEA-Grenoble on two types of cells between 1 and 10 bar and 700 to 800 C, allowed to identify in both operating modes that the pressure has a positive or negative effect on performance depending on the cell operating point (current, voltage). In addition, gas analyzes performed in co-electrolysis led to detect in situ CH 4 production under pressure. These pressure effects were simulated by models calibrated at atmospheric pressure. Simulations analysis helped identify the pressure dependent mechanisms and propose operating conditions thanks to the establishment of operating maps. (author) [fr

  11. Advancements in oxygen generation and humidity control by water vapor electrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heppner, D. B.; Sudar, M.; Lee, M. C.

    1988-01-01

    Regenerative processes for the revitalization of manned spacecraft atmospheres or other manned habitats are essential for realization of long-term space missions. These processes include oxygen generation through water electrolysis. One promising technique of water electrolysis is the direct conversion of the water vapor contained in the cabin air to oxygen. This technique is the subject of the present program on water vapor electrolysis development. The objectives were to incorporate technology improvements developed under other similar electrochemical programs and add new ones; design and fabricate a mutli-cell electrochemical module and a testing facility; and demonstrate through testing the improvements. Each aspect of the water vapor electrolysis cell was reviewed. The materials of construction and sizing of each element were investigated analytically and sometime experimentally. In addition, operational considerations such as temperature control in response to inlet conditions were investigated. Three specific quantitative goals were established.

  12. Experimental and thermodynamic study on the performance of water electrolysis by solid oxide electrolyzer cells with Nb-doped Co-based perovskite anode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan, Zehua; Liu, Qinglin; Zhang, Lan; Zhou, Juan; Zhang, Caizhi; Chan, Siew Hwa

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • BCFN was applied on traditional YSZ electrolyte with GDC interlayer. • Dense YSZ-GDC bilayer electrolyte was obtained by co-sintering at 1300 °C. • Area specific resistance of full cell is 0.195 Ω cm"2 at 800 °C with 60% water vapor. • Cell voltage is 1.13 V at 1 A cm"−"2 at 800 °C with feedstock of 60% H_2O-40% H_2. • The electricity to hydrogen efficiency is 73% with generation rate of 4180 L h"−"1 m"−"2. - Abstract: In this work, Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell (SOEC) based on Ba_0_._9Co_0_._7Fe_0_._2Nb_0_._1O_3_-_δ (BCFN) air electrode and YSZ-GDC bilayer electrolyte was systematically investigated and the efficiency of high-temperature water electrolysis by such a cell was analyzed. Firstly, chemical compatibility test between BCFN and YSZ showed that BaZrO_3 formed after heat treatment at 1000 °C for 5 h, which adversely influenced the performance of BCFN dramatically. A fully dense GDC interlayer was thus developed by co-sintering GDC layer, with addition of 0.5 at.% Fe_2O_3, with YSZ electrolyte at only 1300 °C. The as-prepared fuel electrode-supported eletrolyzer cell consisting of Ni-YSZ fuel electrode, YSZ-GDC bilayer electrolyte and BCFN air electrode was evaluated for water electrolysis. Specifically, at 800 °C using a feedstock of 60% H_2O-40% H_2, the cell showed total area specific resistance of 0.195 Ω cm"2 and the cell voltage was 1.13 V with an electrolysis current of 1 A cm"−"2. After short-term stability test for 120 h with 1 A cm"−"2 electrolysis current at 800 °C, the cell showed no microstructural changes as observed by scanning electron microscopy. At last, a high-temperature water electrolysis system based on the cell studied was proposed and the system analysis shows that the overall electricity to hydrogen efficiency can reach 73% based on lower heating value of hydrogen, with a hydrogen generation rate of 4180 L h"−"1 m"−"2.

  13. Preconceptual design of hyfire. A fusion driven high temperature electrolysis plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Varljen, T.C.; Chi, J.W.H.; Karbowski, J.S.

    1983-01-01

    Brookhaven National Laboratory has been engaged in a scoping study to investigate the potential merits of coupling a fusion reactor with a high temperature blanket to a high temperature electrolysis (HTE) process to produce hydrogen and oxygen. Westinghouse is assisting this study in the areas of systems design integration, plasma engineering, balance of plant design and electrolyzer technology. The aim of the work done in the past year has been to focus on a reference design point for the plant, which has been designated HYFIRE. In prior work, the STARFIRE commercial tokamak fusion reactor was directly used as the fusion driver. This report describes a new design obtained by scaling the basic STARFIRE design to permit the achievement of a blanket power of 6000 MWt. The high temperature blanket design employs a thermally insulated refractory oxide region which provides high temperature (>1000 deg. C) steam at moderate pressures to high temperature electrolysis units. The electrolysis process selected is based on the high temperature, solid electrolyte fuel cell technology developed by Westinghouse. An initial process design and plant layout has been completed; component cost and plant economics studies are now underway to develop estimates of hydrogen production costs and to determine the sensitivity of this cost to changes in major design parameters. (author)

  14. Hydrogen production profiles using furans in microbial electrolysis cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Catal, Tunc; Gover, Tansu; Yaman, Bugra; Droguetti, Jessica; Yilancioglu, Kaan

    2017-06-01

    Microbial electrochemical cells including microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are novel biotechnological tools that can convert organic substances in wastewater or biomass into electricity or hydrogen. Electroactive microbial biofilms used in this technology have ability to transfer electrons from organic compounds to anodes. Evaluation of biofilm formation on anode is crucial for enhancing our understanding of hydrogen generation in terms of substrate utilization by microorganisms. In this study, furfural and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) were analyzed for hydrogen generation using single chamber membrane-free MECs (17 mL), and anode biofilms were also examined. MECs were inoculated with mixed bacterial culture enriched using chloroethane sulphonate. Hydrogen was succesfully produced in the presence of HMF, but not furfural. MECs generated similar current densities (5.9 and 6 mA/cm 2 furfural and HMF, respectively). Biofilm samples obtained on the 24th and 40th day of cultivation using aromatic compounds were evaluated by using epi-fluorescent microscope. Our results show a correlation between biofilm density and hydrogen generation in single chamber MECs.

  15. Characterization of Time-Dependent Behavior of Ramming Paste Used in an Aluminum Electrolysis Cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orangi, Sakineh; Picard, Donald; Alamdari, Houshang; Ziegler, Donald; Fafard, Mario

    2015-12-01

    A new methodology was proposed for the characterization of time-dependent behavior of materials in order to develop a constitutive model. The material used for the characterization was ramming paste, a porous material used in an aluminum electrolysis cell, which is baked in place under varying loads induced by the thermal expansion of other components of the cell. In order to develop a constitutive model representing the paste mechanical behavior, it was necessary to get some insight into its behavior using samples which had been baked at different temperatures ranging from 200 to 1000 °C. Creep stages, effect of testing temperature on the creep, creep-recovery, as well as nonlinear creep were observed for designing a constitutive law. Uniaxial creep-recovery tests were carried out at two temperatures on the baked paste: ambient and higher. Results showed that the shape of creep curves was similar to a typical creep; recovery happened and the creep was shown to be nonlinear. Those experimental observations and the identification of nonlinear parameters of developed constitutive model demonstrated that the baked paste experiences nonlinear viscoelastic-viscoplastic behavior at different temperatures.

  16. Summary of the Mol electrolysis cell test program in the CRL tritium laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, J.M.; Keyes, R.J.

    1996-01-01

    The development of electrolysis technology for highly tritiated water at the Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie/Centre d'Etude de l'Energie Nucleaire (SCK/CEN), Mol, Belgium, focused on A Low Inventory Capillary Electrolyser (ALICE). The key characteristic of ALICE is its low liquid inventory, a key feature for the radio-toxicity of tritiated water. A program to test this electrolytic cell design with highly tritiated water in the Chalk River Tritium Laboratory was initiated in 1988 and extended through to early 1995. The activities conducted at CRL and associated with the experimental program-design, installation, licensing and commissioning activities- are described in this report along with the results of the test program conducted on the experimental system with non-tritiated heavy water. The installation in the CRL Tritium Laboratory consisted of three main sections: the electrolysis section, the tritium storage and supply section, and the recombination section. 16 figs., 2 tabs., 10 refs

  17. The Effect of PFSA Membrane Compression on the Predicted Performance of a High Pressure PEM Electrolysis Cell

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olesen, Anders Christian; Kær, Søren Knudsen

    2015-01-01

    In this work, a non-equilibrium formulation of a compression dependent water uptake model has been implemented in a two-dimensional, two-phase, multi-component and non-isothermal high pressure PEM electrolysis model. The non-equilibrium formulation of the water uptake model was chosen in order...... to account for interfacial transport kinetics between each fluid phase and the perfluorinated sulfonic acid membrane. Besides modeling water uptake, the devised membrane model accounts for water transport through diffusion and electro-osmotic drag in the electrolyte phase, and hydraulic permeation...... in the liquid phase. Charge transport and electrochemistry are likewise included. The obtained model is validated against experimental measurements. In order to investigate the effect of membrane compression, a parametric study is carried. Results underline that the predicted water uptake and cell voltage...

  18. High-pressure water electrolysis: Electrochemical mitigation of product gas crossover

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schalenbach, Maximilian; Stolten, Detlef

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • New technique to reduce gas crossover during water electrolysis • Increase of the efficiency of pressurized water electrolysis • Prevention of safety hazards due to explosive gas mixtures caused by crossover • Experimental realization for a polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyzer • Discussion of electrochemical crossover mitigation for alkaline water electrolysis - Abstract: Hydrogen produced by water electrolysis can be used as an energy carrier storing electricity generated from renewables. During water electrolysis hydrogen can be evolved under pressure at isothermal conditions, enabling highly efficient compression. However, the permeation of hydrogen through the electrolyte increases with operating pressure and leads to efficiency loss and safety hazards. In this study, we report on an innovative concept, where the hydrogen crossover is electrochemically mitigated by an additional electrode between the anode and the cathode of the electrolysis cell. Experimentally, the technique was applied to a proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer operated at a hydrogen pressure that was fifty times larger than the oxygen pressure. Therewith, the hydrogen crossover was reduced and the current efficiency during partial load operation was increased. The concept is also discussed for water electrolysis that is operated at balanced pressures, where the crossover of hydrogen and oxygen is mitigated using two additional electrodes

  19. Innovative self-powered submersible microbial electrolysis cell (SMEC) for biohydrogen production from anaerobic reactors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Yifeng; Angelidaki, Irini

    2012-01-01

    A self-powered submersible microbial electrolysis cell (SMEC), in which a specially designed anode chamber and external electricity supply were not needed, was developed for in situ biohydrogen production from anaerobic reactors. In batch experiments, the hydrogen production rate reached 17.8 m...... improvement of voltage output and reduction of electron losses were essential for efficient hydrogen generation. In addition, alternate exchanging the electricity-assisting and hydrogen-producing function between the two cell units of the SMEC was found to be an effective approach to inhibit methanogens...

  20. Polymer Electrolyte Membranes for Water Photo-Electrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aricò, Antonino S.; Girolamo, Mariarita; Siracusano, Stefania; Sebastian, David; Baglio, Vincenzo; Schuster, Michael

    2017-01-01

    Water-fed photo-electrolysis cells equipped with perfluorosulfonic acid (Nafion® 115) and quaternary ammonium-based (Fumatech® FAA3) ion exchange membranes as separator for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions were investigated. Protonic or anionic ionomer dispersions were deposited on the electrodes to extend the interface with the electrolyte. The photo-anode consisted of a large band-gap Ti-oxide semiconductor. The effect of membrane characteristics on the photo-electrochemical conversion of solar energy was investigated for photo-voltage-driven electrolysis cells. Photo-electrolysis cells were also studied for operation under electrical bias-assisted mode. The pH of the membrane/ionomer had a paramount effect on the photo-electrolytic conversion. The anionic membrane showed enhanced performance compared to the Nafion®-based cell when just TiO2 anatase was used as photo-anode. This was associated with better oxygen evolution kinetics in alkaline conditions compared to acidic environment. However, oxygen evolution kinetics in acidic conditions were significantly enhanced by using a Ti sub-oxide as surface promoter in order to facilitate the adsorption of OH species as precursors of oxygen evolution. However, the same surface promoter appeared to inhibit oxygen evolution in an alkaline environment probably as a consequence of the strong adsorption of OH species on the surface under such conditions. These results show that a proper combination of photo-anode and polymer electrolyte membrane is essential to maximize photo-electrolytic conversion. PMID:28468242

  1. Electrolysis apparatus and method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1975-01-01

    A procedure in which electrolysis is combined with radiolysis to improve the reaction yield is proposed for the production of hydrogen and oxygen from water. An apparatus for this procedure is disclosed. High-energy electric pulses are applied between the anode and kathode of an electrolytical cell in such a way that short-wave electromagnetic radiation is generated at the same time

  2. Mediated water electrolysis in biphasic systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scanlon, Micheál D; Peljo, Pekka; Rivier, Lucie; Vrubel, Heron; Girault, Hubert H

    2017-08-30

    The concept of efficient electrolysis by linking photoelectrochemical biphasic H 2 evolution and water oxidation processes in the cathodic and anodic compartments of an H-cell, respectively, is introduced. Overpotentials at the cathode and anode are minimised by incorporating light-driven elements into both biphasic reactions. The concepts viability is demonstrated by electrochemical H 2 production from water splitting utilising a polarised water-organic interface in the cathodic compartment of a prototype H-cell. At the cathode the reduction of decamethylferrocenium cations ([Cp 2 *Fe (III) ] + ) to neutral decamethylferrocene (Cp 2 *Fe (II) ) in 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) solvent takes place at the solid electrode/oil interface. This electron transfer process induces the ion transfer of a proton across the immiscible water/oil interface to maintain electroneutrality in the oil phase. The oil-solubilised proton immediately reacts with Cp 2 *Fe (II) to form the corresponding hydride species, [Cp 2 *Fe (IV) (H)] + . Subsequently, [Cp 2 *Fe (IV) (H)] + spontaneously undergoes a chemical reaction in the oil phase to evolve hydrogen gas (H 2 ) and regenerate [Cp 2 *Fe (III) ] + , whereupon this catalytic Electrochemical, Chemical, Chemical (ECC') cycle is repeated. During biphasic electrolysis, the stability and recyclability of the [Cp 2 *Fe (III) ] + /Cp 2 *Fe (II) redox couple were confirmed by chronoamperometric measurements and, furthermore, the steady-state concentration of [Cp 2 *Fe (III) ] + monitored in situ by UV/vis spectroscopy. Post-biphasic electrolysis, the presence of H 2 in the headspace of the cathodic compartment was established by sampling with gas chromatography. The rate of the biphasic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was enhanced by redox electrocatalysis in the presence of floating catalytic molybdenum carbide (Mo 2 C) microparticles at the immiscible water/oil interface. The use of a superhydrophobic organic electrolyte salt was critical to

  3. High performance reversible electrochemical cell for H2O electrolysis or conversion of CO2 and H2O to fuel

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2013-01-01

    The present invention relates to a reversible electrochemical cell, such as an electrolysis cell for water splitting or for conversion of carbon dioxide and water into fuel. The present invention relates also to an electrochemical cell that when operated in reverse performs as a fuel cell...

  4. Microbial electrosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide in microbial reverse-electrodialysis electrolysis cell

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Xiaohu; Angelidaki, Irini; Zhang, Yifeng

    2016-01-01

    Microbial reverse-electrodialysis electrolysis cell (MREC) as a novel type of microbial electrochemical technologies has been proposed to produce H2 and CH4. In this study, we developed MREC to produce the strong oxidant H2O2. In the MREC, electrical potential generated by the exoelectrogens...... and the salinity-gradient between sea water and river water were utilized to drive the high-rate H2O2 production without external power supply. Operational parameters such as air flow rate, pH, cathodic potential, flow rate of high and low concentration solution were investigated. The optimal H2O2 production were...

  5. Evaluation of low cost cathode materials for treatment of industrial and food processing wastewater using microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Tenca, Alberto; Cusick, Roland D.; Schievano, Andrea; Oberti, Roberto; Logan, Bruce E.

    2013-01-01

    Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) can be used to treat wastewater and produce hydrogen gas, but low cost cathode catalysts are needed to make this approach economical. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and stainless steel (SS) were evaluated

  6. Investigation of a novel concept for hydrogen production by PEM water electrolysis integrated with multi-junction solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ferrero, Domenico; Santarelli, Massimo

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • A 2D model of a PEM water electrolyzer is developed and validated. • A novel system integrating PEM and multi-junction solar cells is proposed. • The model is applied to the simulation of the novel system. • The integration of PEM and MJ cells enhances the hydrogen production efficiency. - Abstract: A 2D finite element model of a high-pressure PEM water electrolyzer is developed and validated over experimental data obtained from a demonstration prototype. The model includes the electrochemical, fluidic and thermal description of the repeating unit of a PEM electrolyzer stack. The model is applied to the simulation of a novel system composed by a high-temperature, high-pressure PEM electrochemical cell coupled with a photovoltaic multi-junction solar cell installed in a solar concentrator. The thermo-electrochemical characterization of the solar-driven PEM electrolysis system is presented and the advantages of the high-temperature operation and of the direct coupling of electrolyzer and solar cell are assessed. The results show that the integration of the multi-junction cell enhances the performance of the electrolyzer and allows to achieve higher system efficiency compared to separated photovoltaic generation and hydrogen production by electrolysis.

  7. Effects of electrolysis time and electric potential on chlorine generation of electrolyzed deep ocean water

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guoo-Shyng Wang Hsu

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Electrolyzed water is a sustainable disinfectant, which can comply with food safety regulations and is environmentally friendly. A two-factor central composite design was adopted for studying the effects of electrolysis time and electric potential on the chlorine generation efficiency of electrolyzed deep ocean water (DOW. DOW was electrolyzed in a glass electrolyzing cell equipped with platinum–plated titanium anode and cathode. The results showed that chlorine concentration reached maximal level in the batch process. Prolonged electrolysis reduced chlorine concentration in the electrolyte and was detrimental to electrolysis efficiency, especially under high electric potential conditions. Therefore, the optimal choice of electrolysis time depends on the electrolyzable chloride in DOW and cell potential adopted for electrolysis. The higher the electric potential, the faster the chlorine level reaches its maximum, but the lower the electric efficiency will be.

  8. Procedure and technique critique for tritium enrichment by electrolysis at the IAEA Laboratory (effective November 1976)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1976-11-05

    This publication gives a detailed description of the experimental and calculation procedures for tritium enrichment. Most descriptive sections are divided into 2 parts: Section A describes the procedure in the IAEA laboratory; section B discusses the reasons behind the various procedures, and may indicate alternative acceptable, or in some cases even better, procedures. The description of the equipment focuses on electrolysis cells, cooling system and power supply. Routine procedures are discussed including handling and checking of samples after receipt, 'spike' and blank water, initial sample distillation, preparation of cells and samples for electrolysis, electrolysis and completion of electrolysis (weighing of cells, neutralisation and distillation) and precautions against contaminations (prevention, detection and cure). A list of equipment required for electrolytic enrichment of tritium is provided.

  9. Procedure and technique critique for tritium enrichment by electrolysis at the IAEA Laboratory (effective November 1976)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1976-01-01

    This publication gives a detailed description of the experimental and calculation procedures for tritium enrichment. Most descriptive sections are divided into 2 parts: Section A describes the procedure in the IAEA laboratory; section B discusses the reasons behind the various procedures, and may indicate alternative acceptable, or in some cases even better, procedures. The description of the equipment focuses on electrolysis cells, cooling system and power supply. Routine procedures are discussed including handling and checking of samples after receipt, 'spike' and blank water, initial sample distillation, preparation of cells and samples for electrolysis, electrolysis and completion of electrolysis (weighing of cells, neutralisation and distillation) and precautions against contaminations (prevention, detection and cure). A list of equipment required for electrolytic enrichment of tritium is provided

  10. The Detoxification and Degradation of Benzothiazole from the Wastewater in Microbial Electrolysis Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xianshu Liu

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available In this study, the high-production-volume chemical benzothiazole (BTH from synthetic water was fully degraded into less toxic intermediates of simple organic acids using an up-flow internal circulation microbial electrolysis reactor (UICMER under the hydraulic retention time (HRT of 24 h. The bioelectrochemical system was operated at 25 ± 2 °C and continuous-flow mode. The BTH loading rate varied during experiments from 20 g·m−3·day−1 to 110 g·m−3·day−1. BTH and soluble COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand removal efficiency reached 80% to 90% under all BTH loading rates. Bioluminescence based Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1 ecotoxicity testing demonstrated that toxicity was largely decreased compared to the BTH wastewater influent and effluent of two control experiments. The results indicated that MEC (Microbial Electrolysis Cell was useful and reliable for improving BTH wastewater treatment efficiency, enabling the microbiological reactor to more easily respond to the requirements of higher loading rate, which is meaningful for economic and efficient operation in future scale-up.

  11. Electrical impedance tomography of electrolysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arie Meir

    Full Text Available The primary goal of this study is to explore the hypothesis that changes in pH during electrolysis can be detected with Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT. The study has relevance to real time control of minimally invasive surgery with electrolytic ablation. To investigate the hypothesis, we compare EIT reconstructed images to optical images acquired using pH-sensitive dyes embedded in a physiological saline agar gel phantom treated with electrolysis. We further demonstrate the biological relevance of our work using a bacterial E.Coli model, grown on the phantom. The results demonstrate the ability of EIT to image pH changes in a physiological saline phantom and show that these changes correlate with cell death in the E.coli model. The results are promising, and invite further experimental explorations.

  12. Effects of electrolysis time and electric potential on chlorine generation of electrolyzed deep ocean water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Guoo-Shyng Wang; Lu, Yi-Fa; Hsu, Shun-Yao

    2017-10-01

    Electrolyzed water is a sustainable disinfectant, which can comply with food safety regulations and is environmentally friendly. A two-factor central composite design was adopted for studying the effects of electrolysis time and electric potential on the chlorine generation efficiency of electrolyzed deep ocean water (DOW). DOW was electrolyzed in a glass electrolyzing cell equipped with platinum-plated titanium anode and cathode. The results showed that chlorine concentration reached maximal level in the batch process. Prolonged electrolysis reduced chlorine concentration in the electrolyte and was detrimental to electrolysis efficiency, especially under high electric potential conditions. Therefore, the optimal choice of electrolysis time depends on the electrolyzable chloride in DOW and cell potential adopted for electrolysis. The higher the electric potential, the faster the chlorine level reaches its maximum, but the lower the electric efficiency will be. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  13. High Temperature Co‐Electrolysis of Steam and CO2 in an SOC Stack: Performance and Durability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chen, Ming; Høgh, Jens Valdemar Thorvald; Nielsen, J. U.

    2013-01-01

    In this work, co‐electrolysis of steam and carbon dioxide was studied in a Topsoe Fuel Cell (TOFC®) 10‐cell stack, containing three different types of Ni/yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrode supported solid oxide electrolysis cells with a footprint of 12 × 12 cm. The stack was operated at 800...

  14. Hydrogen production with effluent from an ethanol–H2-coproducing fermentation reactor using a single-chamber microbial electrolysis cell

    KAUST Repository

    Lu, Lu; Ren, Nanqi; Xing, Defeng; Logan, Bruce E.

    2009-01-01

    Hydrogen can be produced by bacterial fermentation of sugars, but substrate conversion to hydrogen is incomplete. Using a single-chamber microbial electrolysis cell (MEC), we show that additional hydrogen can be produced from the effluent

  15. Powering microbial electrolysis cells by capacitor circuits charged using microbial fuel cell

    KAUST Repository

    Hatzell, Marta C.

    2013-05-01

    A microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) was powered by a capacitor based energy storage circuit using energy from a microbial fuel cell (MFC) to increase MEC hydrogen production rates compared to that possible by the MFC alone. To prevent voltage reversal, MFCs charged the capacitors in a parallel configuration, and then the capacitors were discharged in series to boost the voltage that was used to power the MECs. The optimal capacitance for charging was found to be ∼0.01 F for each MFC. The use of the capacitor charging system increased energy recoveries from 9 to 13%, and hydrogen production rates increased from 0.31 to 0.72 m3 m-3-day-1, compared to coupled systems without capacitors. The circuit efficiency (the ratio of the energy that was discharged to the MEC to the energy provided to the capacitor from the MFCs) was ∼90%. These results provide an improved method for linking MFCs to MECs for renewable hydrogen gas production. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Development of Hydrogen Electrodes for Alkaline Water Electrolysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjartansdóttir, Cecilía Kristín

    , production of electricity via fuel cells, fuel for internal combustion engines or gas turbines, or as a raw material for the production of synthetic fuels via Sabatier or Fischer - Tropsch process. In some situations it may be suitable to simply inject hydrogen into the existing natural gas based...... will be needed. Producing hydrogen via water electrolysis using surplus, low cost, power from renewables offers the possibility of increased production capacity and load management with no greenhouse emissions. Hydrogen is a valuable energy carrier, which is able to contribute to various forms of energy, such as...... infrastructure. Alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) is the current standard (stat of the art) for industrial large-scale water electrolysis systems. One of the main criteria for industrial AWE is efficient and durable electrodes. The aim of the present PhD study was to develop electrode materials for hydrogen...

  17. Carbon dioxide reduction in a tubular solid oxide electrolysis cell for a carbon recycling energy system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dipu, Arnoldus Lambertus, E-mail: dipu.a.aa@m.titech.ac.jp [Department of Nuclear Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550 (Japan); Ujisawa, Yutaka [Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal Corporation, 16-1, Sunayama, Kamisu, Ibaraki 314-0255 (Japan); Ryu, Junichi; Kato, Yukitaka [Research Laboratory for Nuclear Reactors, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-N1-22, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550 (Japan)

    2014-05-01

    A new energy transformation system based on carbon recycling is proposed called the active carbon recycling energy system (ACRES). A high-temperature gas reactor was used as the main energy source for ACRES. An experimental study based on the ACRES concept of carbon monoxide (CO) regeneration via high-temperature reduction of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) was carried out using a tubular solid oxide electrolysis cell employing Ni-LSM cermet|YSZ|YSZ-LSM as the cathode|electrolyte|anode. The current density increased with increasing CO{sub 2} concentration at the cathode, which was attributed to a decrease in cathode activation and concentration overpotential. Current density, as well as the CO and oxygen (O{sub 2}) production rates, increased with increasing operating temperature. The highest CO and O{sub 2} production rates of 1.24 and 0.64 μmol/min cm{sup 2}, respectively, were measured at 900 °C. Based on the electrolytic characteristics of the cell, the scale of a combined ACRES CO{sub 2} electrolysis/iron production facility was estimated.

  18. Multiple paths of electron flow to current in microbial electrolysis cells fed with low and high concentrations of propionate

    KAUST Repository

    Rao, Hari Ananda; Katuri, Krishna; Gorron, Eduardo; Logan, Bruce E.; Saikaly, Pascal

    2016-01-01

    Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) provide a viable approach for bioenergy generation from fermentable substrates such as propionate. However, the paths of electron flow during propionate oxidation in the anode of MECs are unknown. Here, the paths

  19. Time efficiency of tritium measurement in the environmental water by electrolysis enrichment (2)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ogata, Y.; Koganezawa, T.; Iida, T.

    2003-01-01

    Now the electrolysis enrichment is necessary for tritium measurement of the environmental water in Japan. Generally, the electrolysis needs distilling the sample water before and after the electrolysis. To save the time to measure, it was investigated that a possibility of the omission of the distillation after the electrolysis and of the substitution the filtration for the distillation before the electrolysis. The electrolysis was carried out with a device using solid polymer electrolyte layer, which was recently developed in Japan. Initially, impurities eluted from the device were measured by enrichment of ultra pure water. Although some impurities eluted from the layer, the concentrations were so low that the enriched water brought ineffectual quenching for the liquid scintillation counting. Secondly, two filtration methods, i.e.; micro filtration with the pore size of 0.1 μm and reverse osmosis, were applied to eliminate the impurities in the environmental waters before the electrolysis. Although the impurity concentrations in the samples by the filtrations were higher than those by the distillation, the filtered water brought only slight quenching. However, the frequent electrolysis of the water treated with the micro filtration caused degradation of the electrolysis cell. Consequently, the distillation after the electrolysis may omit, and the reverse osmosis treatment may alternate the distillation before the electrolysis. Improving the treatment will not only save the time and labor but also reduce the error with the treatment. The measurement technique proposed here will take 25 hours to measure one sample using the electrolysis device produced commercially. A hypothetic electrolysis device of which final sample volume were 20 cm 3 could allow the measuring time of 10 hours. (author)

  20. Electrolysis of Water in the Secondary School Science Laboratory with Inexpensive Microfluidics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, T. A.; Athey, S. L.; Vandevender, M. L.; Crihfield, C. L.; Kolanko, C. C. E.; Shao, S.; Ellington, M. C. G.; Dicks, J. K.; Carver, J. S.; Holland, L. A.

    2015-01-01

    This activity allows students to visualize the electrolysis of water in a microfluidic device in under 1 min. Instructional materials are provided to demonstrate how the activity meets West Virginia content standards and objectives. Electrolysis of water is a standard chemistry experiment, but the typical laboratory apparatus (e.g., Hoffman cell)…

  1. Separation factor dependence upon cathode material for tritium separation from heavy water by electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ogata, Y.; Sakuma, Y.; Ohtani, N.; Kotaka, M.

    2002-01-01

    Using three cathode materials, i.e. carbon (C), stainless steel (SUS), and nickel (Ni), tritium was separated from heavy water by electrolysis, and the separation factors were compared. To separate hydrogen isotopes, heavy water was electrolyzed by an electrolysis device with a solid polymer electrode (SPE), which needed no electrolyte additives for electrolysis. The anode was made of 3 mm thickness of a sintered porous titanium plate covered with iridium oxide. The cathode was made of the same thickness of a sintered porous carbon, stainless steel, or nickel plate. Heavy water or light water spiked with tritiated water was electrolyzed 20 A x 60 min with the electrolysis cell temperature at 10, 20 or 30degC, and 15 A x 80 min at 5degC. The produced hydrogen and oxygen gases were recombined using a palladium catalyst with nitrogen gas as a carrier. The activities of the water in the electrolysis cell and of the recombined water were analyzed using a liquid scintillation counter. The apparent D-T separation factor (SF D/T ) and H-T separation factor (SF H/T ) were calculated as quotient the specific activity of the water in the cell divided by that of the recombined water. The electrolysis potential to keep the current 20 A was 2-3 V. The average yields of the recombined water were 95%. At the cell temperature of 20degC, SF D/T (C), SF D/T (SUS), and SF D/T (Ni) were 2.42, 2.17, and 2.05, respectively. At the same temperature, SF H/T (C), SF H/T (SUS), and SF H/T (Ni) were 12.5, 10.8, and 11.8, respectively. The SFs were in agreement with the results in other works. The SFs were changed with the cell temperature. (author)

  2. Hydrogen production by alkaline water electrolysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diogo M. F. Santos

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Water electrolysis is one of the simplest methods used for hydrogen production. It has the advantage of being able to produce hydrogen using only renewable energy. To expand the use of water electrolysis, it is mandatory to reduce energy consumption, cost, and maintenance of current electrolyzers, and, on the other hand, to increase their efficiency, durability, and safety. In this study, modern technologies for hydrogen production by water electrolysis have been investigated. In this article, the electrochemical fundamentals of alkaline water electrolysis are explained and the main process constraints (e.g., electrical, reaction, and transport are analyzed. The historical background of water electrolysis is described, different technologies are compared, and main research needs for the development of water electrolysis technologies are discussed.

  3. Production of hydrogen using composite membrane in PEM water electrolysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Santhi priya, E.L.; Mahender, C.; Mahesh, Naga; Himabindu, V. [Centre for Environment, Institute of Science and Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad, Kukatpally, Hyderabad-500 085, A.P (India); Anjaneyulu, Y. [Director, TLGVRC, JSU Box 18739, JSU, Jackson, MS 32917-0939 (United States)

    2012-07-01

    Electrolysis of water is the best known technology till today to produce hydrogen. The only practical way to produce hydrogen using renewable energy sources is by proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis. The most commonly used PEM membrane is Nafion. Composite membrane of TiO2 is synthesized by casting method using Nafion 5wt% solution. RuO2 is used as anode and 10 wt% Pd on activated carbon is used as cathode in the water electrolyser system. The performance of this Composite membrane is studied by varying voltage range 1.8 to 2.6V with respect to hydrogen yield and at current density 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5(A cm-2). This Composite membrane has been tested using in-house fabricated single cell PEM water electrolysis cell with 10cm2 active area at temperatures ranging from 30,45,65 850c and at 1 atmosphere pressure.

  4. Development of a static feed water electrolysis system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schubert, F. H.; Lantz, J. B.; Hallick, T. M.

    1982-01-01

    A one person level oxygen generation subsystem was developed and production of the one person oxygen metabolic requirements, 0.82 kg, per day was demonstrated without the need for condenser/separators or electrolyte pumps. During 650 hours of shakedown, design verification, and endurance testing, cell voltages averaged 1.62 V at 206 mA/sq cm and at average operating temperature as low as 326 K, virtually corresponding to the state of the art performance previously established for single cells. This high efficiency and low waste heat generation prevented maintenance of the 339 K design temperature without supplemental heating. Improved water electrolysis cell frames were designed, new injection molds were fabricated, and a series of frames was molded. A modified three fluid pressure controller was developed and a static feed water electrolysis that requires no electrolyte in the static feed compartment was developed and successfully evaluated.

  5. planSOEC. R and D and commercialization roadmap for SOEC electrolysis. R and D of SOEC stacks with improved durability. Project report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Richter, A.; Friis Pedersen, C.; Nielsen, Jens Ulrik [Topsoe Fuel Cells A/S, Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Mogensen, M.; Hoejgaard Jensen, S.; Ming Chen [Technical Univ. of Denmark. Fuel Cells and Solid State Chemistry Div., DTU Risoe Campus, Roskilde (Denmark); Sloth, M. [H2 Logic A/S, Herning (Denmark)

    2011-05-15

    The project has been divided into two parts: PART 1: Formulation of a R and D and commercialization roadmap for SOEC electrolysis. PART 2: Conducting R and D of SOEC stacks with improved durability. The purpose of Part 1 has been to develop a R and D and commercialisation roadmap for hydrogen and CO production plants based on the solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) technology. SOEC technology is still on an early R and D stage but years of extensive R and D within SOFC technology provides a strong platform for an accelerated commercialisation. However, in order to guide the future SOEC R and D activities towards reaching commercial market requirements a detailed roadmap is necessary. An overall strategy for R and D of various electrolysis technologies in Denmark already exists{sup 2}, formulated in the Hydrogen Production working group in the Danish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Partnership. The SOEC roadmap developed as part of the planSOEC project supplements the overall strategy, by conducting an updated analysis of state-of-the-art. Also planSOEC provides a detailed analysis of requirements for different market applications for SOEC, which enables formulation of precise and detailed R and D targets. The objectives of Part 2 in this project were multiple: 1) To investigate durability of solid oxide cells (SOCs) and stack components under industrially relevant (''harsh'') electrolysis operating conditions; 2) to investigate performance of standard TOFC (Topsoe Fuel Cell A/S) SOC stacks (based on state-of-the-art solid oxide cells) under mild electrolysis operating conditions ({<=}0.75 A/cm{sup 2}); 3) to further develop SOEC stack computer models available at Riso DTU and TOFC. Accordingly four lines of work were carried out in the here reported project: 1) Investigation of corrosion resistance of interconnect alloys. 2) Cell and stack element testing. 3) SOEC stack testing. 4) SOEC stack modeling. (LN)

  6. Synergistic Effects of Micro-electrolysis-Photocatalysis on Water Treatment and Fish Performance in Saline Recirculating Aquaculture System

    OpenAIRE

    Ye, Zhangying; Wang, Shuo; Gao, Weishan; Li, Haijun; Pei, Luowei; Shen, Mingwei; Zhu, Songming

    2017-01-01

    A new physico-chemical process for TAN (total ammonia nitrogen) removal and disinfection is introduced in saline recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), in which the biofilter is replaced with an integrated electrolysis cell and an activated carbon filter. The electrolysis cell which is based on micro current electrolysis combined with UV-light was self-designed. After the fundamental research, a small pilot scale RAS was operated for 30 days to verify the technical feasibility. The system wa...

  7. Electrocatalysis in Water Electrolysis with Solid Polymer Electrolyte

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rasten, Egil

    2001-10-01

    Development and optimization of the electrodes in a water electrolysis system using a polymer membrane as electrolyte have been carried out in this work. A cell voltage of 1.59 V (energy consumption of about 3.8 kWh/Nm{sub 3} H{sub 2}) has been obtained at practical operation conditions of the electrolysis cell (10 kA . m2, 90{sup o}C) using a total noble metal loading of less than 2.4 mg.cm{sub 2} and a Nafion -115 membrane. It is further shown that a cell voltage of less than 1.5 V is possible at the same conditions by combination of the best electrodes obtained in this work. The most important limitation of the electrolysis system using polymer membrane as electrolyte has proven to be the electrical conductivity of the catalysts due to the porous backing/current collector system, which increases the length of the current path and decreases the cross section compared to the apparent one. A careful compromise must therefore be obtained between electrical conductivity and active surface area, which can be tailored by preparation and annealing conditions of the metal oxide catalysts. Anode catalysts of different properties have been developed. The mixed oxide of Ir-Ta (85 mole% Ir) was found to exhibit highest voltage efficiency at a current density of 10 kA.m{sub 2} or below, whereas the mixed oxide of Ir and Ru (60-80 mole% Ir) was found to give the highest voltage efficiency for current densities of above 10 kA.m{sub 2}. Pt on carbon particles, was found to be less suitable as cathode catalyst in water electrolysis. The large carbon particles introduced an unnecessary porosity into the catalytic layer, which resulted in a high ohmic drop. Much better voltage efficiency was obtained by using Pt-black as cathode catalyst, which showed a far better electrical conductivity. Ru-oxide as cathode catalyst in water electrolysis systems using a polymer electrolyte was not found to be of particular interest due to insufficient electrochemical activity and too low

  8. Cobalt and molybdenum activated electrodes in foam based alkaline electrolysis cells at 150-250 °C and 40 bar

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Allebrod, Frank; Chatzichristodoulou, Christodoulos; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

    2014-01-01

    A new type of alkaline electrolysis cells with nickel foam based gas diffusion electrodes and KOH (aq) immobilized in mesoporous SrTiO3 has been developed and tested at temperatures of 150 C, 200 C and 250 C at a pressure of 40 bar. Two cells have been characterized during the 270 h long test...

  9. New Electrolytes for CO2 Electrolysis Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mollerup, Pia Lolk

    The aim of this thesis has been to explore the potential of aqueous immobilized K2CO3 as a possible electrolyte for co-electrolysis of CO2 and water at approx. 200 °C. This has been done by exploring the properties of pure K2CO3 (aq) and immobilized K2CO3 (aq) as well as the properties...... was observed for 10 wt% K2CO3 immobilized in TiO2 when changing the atmosphere from N2 to CO2. K2CO3 (aq) immobilized in TiO2 shows good promise as a potential electrolyte for co-electrolysis of CO2 and water at 200 °C....... in a 10 wt% K2CO3 (aq) solution are K+ and HCO3-. The water partial pressure as well as the amount of water vapour at different temperatures, pressures and K2CO3 (aq) concentrations was also calculated using FactSage. K2CO3 (aq) was immobilized in both SrTiO3 and TiO2. It was found that a loss...

  10. Combined electrolysis catalytic exchange (CECE) process for hydrogen isotope separation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hammerli, M.; Stevens, W.H.; Butler, J.P.

    1978-01-01

    Hydrogen isotopes can be separated efficiently by a process which combines an electrolysis cell with a trickle bed column packed with a hydrophobic platinum catalyst. The column effects isotopic exchange between countercurrent streams of electrolytic hydrogen and liquid water while the electrolysis cell contributes to isotope separation by virtue of the kinetic isotope effect inherent in the hydrogen evolution reaction. The main features of the CECE process for heavy water production are presented as well as a discussion of the inherent positive synergistic effects, and other advantages and disadvantages of the process. Several potential applications of the process in the nuclear power industry are discussed. 3 figures, 2 tables

  11. Applications of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in the aluminum electrolysis industry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Lanxiang; Yu, Haibin; Cong, Zhibo; Lu, Hui; Cao, Bin; Zeng, Peng; Dong, Wei; Li, Yang

    2018-04-01

    The industrial aluminum reduction cell is an electrochemistry reactor that operates under high temperatures and corrosive conditions. Monitoring the molten aluminum and electrolyte components is very important for controlling the chemical reaction process. Due to the lack of fast methods to monitor the components, controlling aluminum reduction cells is difficult. In this work, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was applied to aluminum electrolysis. A new method for calculating the molecular ratio, which is an important control parameter that represents the acidity of the electrolyte, was proposed. Experiments were first performed on solid electrolyte samples to test the performance of the proposed method. Using this method, the average relative standard deviation (RSD) of the molecular ratio measurement was 0.39%, and the average root mean square error (RMSE) was 0.0236. These results prove that LIBS can accurately measure the molecular ratio. Then, in situ measurements of the molten aluminum and electrolyte were performed in industrial aluminum induction cells using the developed LIBS equipment. The spectra of the molten electrolyte were successfully obtained and were consistent with the spectra of the solid electrolyte.

  12. System Identification of a Non-Uniformly Sampled Multi-Rate System in Aluminium Electrolysis Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Håkon Viumdal

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Standard system identification algorithms are usually designed to generate mathematical models with equidistant sampling instants, that are equal for both input variables and output variables. Unfortunately, real industrial data sets are often disrupted by missing samples, variations of sampling rates in the different variables (also known as multi-rate systems, and intermittent measurements. In industries with varying events based maintenance or manual operational measures, intermittent measurements are performed leading to uneven sampling rates. Such is the case with aluminium smelters, where in addition the materials fed into the cell create even more irregularity in sampling. Both measurements and feeding are mostly manually controlled. A simplified simulation of the metal level in an aluminium electrolysis cell is performed based on mass balance considerations. System identification methods based on Prediction Error Methods (PEM such as Ordinary Least Squares (OLS, and the sub-space method combined Deterministic and Stochastic system identification and Realization (DSR, and its variants are applied to the model of a single electrolysis cell as found in the aluminium smelters. Aliasing phenomena due to large sampling intervals can be crucial in avoiding unsuitable models, but with knowledge about the system dynamics, it is easier to optimize the sampling performance, and hence achieve successful models. The results based on the simulation studies of molten aluminium height in the cells using the various algorithms give results which tally well with the synthetic data sets used. System identification on a smaller data set from a real plant is also implemented in this work. Finally, some concrete suggestions are made for using these models in the smelters.

  13. Conjugated oligoelectrolyte represses hydrogen oxidation by Geobacter sulfurreducens in microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Liu, Jia

    2015-12-01

    © 2015 Elsevier B.V. A conjugated oligoelectrolyte (COE), which spontaneously aligns within cell membranes, was shown to completely inhibit H2 uptake by Geobacter sulfurreducens in microbial electrolysis cells. Coulombic efficiencies that were 490±95%, due to H2 recycling between the cathode and microorganisms on the anode, were reduced to 86±2% with COE addition. The use of the COE resulted in a 67-fold increase in H2 gas recovery, and a 4.4-fold increase in acetate removal. Current generation, H2 recovery and COD removals by Geobacter metallireducens, which cannot use H2, were unaffected by COE addition. These results show that this COE is an effective H2 uptake inhibitor, and that it can enable improved and sustained H2 gas recovery in this bioelectrochemical system.

  14. Production of Synthetic Fuels by Co-Electrolysis of Steam and Carbon Dioxide

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ebbesen, Sune; Graves, Christopher R.; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

    2009-01-01

    reactions, the equilibrium of the water-gas shift reaction is reached, and moreover, CO is produced via the water-gas shift reaction. The degradation observed when performing co-electrolysis in these SOCs occurs mainly at the Ni/YSZ cathode and may be a consequence of impurities in the gas stream, adsorbing......Co-electrolysis of H2O and CO2 was studied in solid oxide cells (SOCs) supported by nickel-/yittria-stabilized zirconia (Ni/YSZ) electrode. Polarization characterization indicates that electrochemical reduction of both CO2 and H2O occurs during co-electrolysis. In parallel with the electrochemical...

  15. Water Electrolysis for In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Kristopher A.

    2016-01-01

    Sending humans to Mars for any significant amount of time will require capabilities and technologies that enable Earth independence. To move towards this independence, the resources found on Mars must be utilized to produce the items needed to sustain humans away from Earth. To accomplish this task, NASA is studying In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) systems and techniques to make use of the atmospheric carbon dioxide and the water found on Mars. Among other things, these substances can be harvested and processed to make oxygen and methane. Oxygen is essential, not only for sustaining the lives of the crew on Mars, but also as the oxidizer for an oxygen-methane propulsion system that could be utilized on a Mars ascent vehicle. Given the presence of water on Mars, the electrolysis of water is a common technique to produce the desired oxygen. Towards this goal, NASA designed and developed a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) water electrolysis system, which was originally slated to produce oxygen for propulsion and fuel cell use in the Mars Atmosphere and Regolith COllector/PrOcessor for Lander Operations (MARCO POLO) project. As part of the Human Exploration Spacecraft Testbed for Integration and Advancement (HESTIA) project, this same electrolysis system, originally targeted at enabling in situ propulsion and power, operated in a life-support scenario. During HESTIA testing at Johnson Space Center, the electrolysis system supplied oxygen to a chamber simulating a habitat housing four crewmembers. Inside the chamber, oxygen was removed from the atmosphere to simulate consumption by the crew, and the electrolysis system's oxygen was added to replenish it. The electrolysis system operated nominally throughout the duration of the HESTIA test campaign, and the oxygen levels in the life support chamber were maintained at the desired levels.

  16. Development status of solid polymer electrolyte water electrolysis for manned spacecraft life support systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nuttall, L. J.; Titterington, W. A.

    1974-01-01

    Details of the design and system verification test results are presented for a six-man-rated oxygen generation system. The system configuration incorporates components and instrumentation for computer-controlled operation with automatic start-up/shutdown sequencing, fault detection and isolation, and with self-contained sensors and controls for automatic safe emergency shutdown. All fluid and electrical components, sensors, and electronic controls are designed to be easily maintainable under zero-gravity conditions. On-board component spares are utilized in the system concept to sustain long-term operation (six months minimum) in a manned spacecraft application. The system is centered on a 27-cell solid polymer electrolyte water electrolysis module which, combined with the associated system components and controls, forms a total system envelope 40 in. high, 40 in. wide, and 30 in. deep.

  17. Economical hydrogen production by electrolysis using nano pulsed DC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dharmaraj, C.H. [Tangedco, Tirunelveli, ME Environmental Engineering (India); Adshkumar, S. [Department of Civil Engineering, Anna University of Technology Tirunelveli, Tirunelveli - 627007 (India)

    2012-07-01

    Hydrogen is an alternate renewable eco fuel. The environmental friendly hydrogen production method is electrolysis. The cost of electrical energy input is major role while fixing hydrogen cost in the conventional direct current Electrolysis. Using nano pulse DC input makes the input power less and economical hydrogen production can be established. In this investigation, a lab scale electrolytic cell developed and 0.58 mL/sec hydrogen/oxygen output is obtained using conventional and nano pulsed DC. The result shows that the nano pulsed DC gives 96.8 % energy saving.

  18. On process model representation and AlF{sub 3} dynamics of aluminium electrolysis cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Drengstig, Tormod

    1997-12-31

    This thesis develops a formal graphical based process representation scheme for modelling complex, non-standard unit processes. The scheme is based on topological and phenomenological decompositions. The topological decomposition is the modularization of processes into modules representing volumes and boundaries, whereas the phenomenological decomposition focuses on physical phenomena and characteristics inside these topological modules. This defines legal and illegal connections between components at all levels and facilitates a full implementation of the methodology into a computer aided modelling tool that can interpret graphical symbols and guide modelers towards a consistent mathematical model of the process. The thesis also presents new results on the excess AlF{sub 3} and bath temperature dynamics of an aluminium electrolysis cell. A dynamic model of such a cell is developed and validated against known behaviour and real process data. There are dynamics that the model does not capture and this is further discussed. It is hypothesized that long-term prediction of bath temperature and excess AlF{sub 3} is impossible with a current efficiency model considering only bath composition and temperature. A control strategy for excess AlF{sub 3} and bath temperature is proposed based on an almost constant AlF{sub 3} input close to average consumption and energy manipulations to compensate for the disturbances. 96 refs., 135 figs., 22 tabs.

  19. Degradation of 3,3'-iminobis-propanenitrile in aqueous solution by Fe(0)/GAC micro-electrolysis system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Bo; Zhou, Yuexi; Yang, Ping; Yang, Jinghui; Wang, Juling

    2013-01-01

    The degradation of 3,3'-iminobis-propanenitrile was investigated using the Fe(0)/GAC micro-electrolysis system. Effects of influent pH value, Fe(0)/GAC ratio and granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption on the removal efficiency of the pollutant were studied in the Fe(0)/GAC micro-electrolysis system. The degradation of 3,3'-iminobis-propanenitrile was affected by influent pH, and a decrease of the influent pH values from 8.0 to 4.0 led to the increase of degradation efficiency. Granular activated carbon was added as cathode to form macroscopic galvanic cells between Fe(0) and GAC and enhance the current efficiency of the Fe(0)/GAC micro-electrolysis system. The GAC could only adsorb the pollutant and provide buffer capacity for the Fe(0)/GAC micro-electrolysis system, and the macroscopic galvanic cells of the Fe(0)/GAC micro-electrolysis system played a leading role in degradation of 3,3'-iminobis-propanenitrile. With the analysis of the degradation products with GC-MS, possible reaction pathway for the degradation of 3,3'-iminobis-propanenitrile by the Fe(0)/GAC micro-electrolysis system was suggested. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Estimating Hydrogen Production Potential in Biorefineries Using Microbial Electrolysis Cell Technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borole, Abhijeet P [ORNL; Mielenz, Jonathan R [ORNL

    2011-01-01

    Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are devices that use a hybrid biocatalysis-electrolysis process for production of hydrogen from organic matter. Future biofuel and bioproducts industries are expected to generate significant volumes of waste streams containing easily degradable organic matter. The emerging MEC technology has potential to derive added- value from these waste streams via production of hydrogen. Biorefinery process streams, particularly the stillage or distillation bottoms contain underutilized sugars as well as fermentation and pretreatment byproducts. In a lignocellulosic biorefinery designed for producing 70 million gallons of ethanol per year, up to 7200 m3/hr of hydrogen can be generated. The hydrogen can either be used as an energy source or a chemical reagent for upgrading and other reactions. The energy content of the hydrogen generated is sufficient to meet 57% of the distillation energy needs. We also report on the potential for hydrogen production in existing corn mills and sugar-based biorefineries. Removal of the organics from stillage has potential to facilitate water recycle. Pretreatment and fermentation byproducts generated in lignocellulosic biorefinery processes can accumulate to highly inhibitory levels in the process streams, if water is recycled. The byproducts of concern including sugar- and lignin- degradation products such as furans and phenolics can also be converted to hydrogen in MECs. We evaluate hydrogen production from various inhibitory byproducts generated during pretreatment of various types of biomass. Finally, the research needs for development of the MEC technology and aspects particularly relevant to the biorefineries are discussed.

  1. Towards solid oxide electrolysis plants in 2020

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chen, Ming; Blennow, Peter; Mathiesen, Brian Vad

    The goal of the project is to further improve performance and durability of solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) and stacks targeting applications specifically for regulating the future Danish power system with a high amount of fluctuating renewable energies, and at the same time enhance the co...

  2. Alkaline electrolysis cell at high temperature and pressure of 250 °C and 42 bar

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Allebrod, Frank; Chatzichristodoulou, Christodoulos; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

    2013-01-01

    A new type of alkaline electrolysis cells with nickel foam based gas diffusion electrodes and KOH (aq) immobilized in mesoporous SrTiO3 has been developed and tested at temperatures and pressures up to 250 °C and 42 bar, respectively. Current densities of 1.0 A cm−2 have been measured at a cell v...... voltage of 1.5 V without the use of expensive noble metal catalysts. High electrical efficiency and current density combined with relatively small production costs may lead to both reduced investment and operating costs for hydrogen and oxygen production....

  3. Present status of r and d on hydrogen production by high temperature electrolysis of steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hino, Ryutaro; Aita, Hideki; Sekita, Kenji; Haga, Katsuhiro; Miyamoto, Yoshiaki; Iwata, Tomo-o.

    1995-08-01

    In JAERI, design and R and D works on hydrogen production process have been conducted for connecting to the HTTR under construction at the Oarai Establishment of the JAERI as the nuclear heat utilization system. As for a hydrogen production process by high-temperature electrolysis of steam, laboratory-scale experiments have been conducted using a practical electrolysis tube with 12 cells connected in series. Hydrogen was produced at a maximum density of 44 Nml/cm 2 h at 950degC, and know-how of operational procedures and operational experience have been also accumulated. Then, a self-supporting planar electrolysis cell was fabricated in order to improve hydrogen production performance. In the preliminary test with the planar cell, hydrogen has been produced continuously at a maximum density of 36 Nml/cm 2 h at lower electrolysis temperature of 850degC. This report presents typical test results mentioned above, a review of previous studies conducted in the world and R and D items required for connecting to the HTTR. (author)

  4. Analysis and Countermeasures of Wind Power Accommodation by Aluminum Electrolysis Pot-Lines in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hongliang; Ran, Ling; He, Guixiong; Wang, Zhenyu; Li, Jie

    2017-10-01

    The unit energy consumption and its price have become the main obstacles for the future development of the aluminum electrolysis industry in China. Meanwhile, wind power is widely being abandoned because of its instability. In this study, a novel idea for wind power accommodation is proposed to achieve a win-win situation: the idea is for nearby aluminum electrolysis plants to absorb the wind power. The features of the wind power distribution and aluminum electrolysis industry are first summarized, and the concept of wind power accommodation by the aluminum industry is introduced. Then, based on the characteristics of aluminum reduction cells, the key problems, including the bus-bar status, thermal balance, and magnetohydrodynamics instabilities, are analyzed. In addition, a whole accommodation implementation plan for wind power by aluminum reduction is introduced to explain the theoretical value of accommodation, evaluation of the reduction cells, and the industrial experiment scheme. A numerical simulation of a typical scenario proves that there is large accommodation potential for the aluminum reduction cells. Aluminum electrolysis can accommodate wind power and remain stable under the proper technique and accommodation scheme, which will provide promising benefits for the aluminum plant and the wind energy plant.

  5. Static feed water electrolysis subsystem development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schubert, Franz H. (Inventor); Grigger, David J. (Inventor)

    1991-01-01

    This disclosure is directed to an electrolysis cell forming hydrogen and oxygen at spaced terminals. The anode terminal is porous and able to form oxygen within the cell and permit escape of the gaseous oxygen through the anode and out through a flow line in the presence of backpressure. Hydrogen is liberated in the cell at the opposing solid metal cathode which is permeable to hydrogen but not oxygen so that the migratory hydrogen formed in the cell is able to escape from the cell. The cell is maintained at an elevated pressure so that oxygen liberated by the cell is delivered at elevated pressure without pumping to raise the pressure of the oxygen.

  6. VOF modelling of gas–liquid flow in PEM water electrolysis cell micro-channels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lafmejani, Saeed Sadeghi; Olesen, Anders Christian; Kær, Søren Knudsen

    2017-01-01

    In this study, the gaseliquid flow through an interdigitated anode flow field of a PEM water electrolysis cell (PEMEC) is analysed using a three-dimensional, transient, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. To account for two-phase flow, the volume of fluid (VOF) method in ANSYS Fluent 17...... of the channel. The model is capable of revealing effect of different bubble shapes/lengths in the outgoing channel. Shape and the sequence of the bubbles affect the water flow distribution in the ATL. The model presented in this work is the first step in the development of a comprehensive CFD model...

  7. Modeling Degradation in Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Manohar S. Sohal; Anil V. Virkar; Sergey N. Rashkeev; Michael V. Glazoff

    2010-09-01

    Idaho National Laboratory has an ongoing project to generate hydrogen from steam using solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs). To accomplish this, technical and degradation issues associated with the SOECs will need to be addressed. This report covers various approaches being pursued to model degradation issues in SOECs. An electrochemical model for degradation of SOECs is presented. The model is based on concepts in local thermodynamic equilibrium in systems otherwise in global thermodynamic no equilibrium. It is shown that electronic conduction through the electrolyte, however small, must be taken into account for determining local oxygen chemical potential, , within the electrolyte. The within the electrolyte may lie out of bounds in relation to values at the electrodes in the electrolyzer mode. Under certain conditions, high pressures can develop in the electrolyte just near the oxygen electrode/electrolyte interface, leading to oxygen electrode delamination. These predictions are in accordance with the reported literature on the subject. Development of high pressures may be avoided by introducing some electronic conduction in the electrolyte. By combining equilibrium thermodynamics, no equilibrium (diffusion) modeling, and first-principles, atomic scale calculations were performed to understand the degradation mechanisms and provide practical recommendations on how to inhibit and/or completely mitigate them.

  8. Critical Causes of Degradation in Integrated Laboratory Scale Cells during High Temperature Electrolysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    M.S. Sohal; J.E. O' Brien; C.M. Stoots; J. J. Hartvigsen; D. Larsen; S. Elangovan; J.S. Herring; J.D. Carter; V.I. Sharma; B. Yildiz

    2009-05-01

    An ongoing project at Idaho National Laboratory involves generating hydrogen from steam using solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC). This report describes background information about SOECs, the Integrated Laboratory Scale (ILS) testing of solid-oxide electrolysis stacks, ILS performance degradation, and post-test examination of SOECs by various researchers. The ILS test was a 720- cell, three-module test comprised of 12 stacks of 60 cells each. A peak H2 production rate of 5.7 Nm3/hr was achieved. Initially, the module area-specific resistance ranged from 1.25 Ocm2 to just over 2 Ocm2. Total H2 production rate decreased from 5.7 Nm3/hr to a steady state value of 0.7 Nm3/hr. The decrease was primarily due to cell degradation. Post test examination by Ceramatec showed that the hydrogen electrode appeared to be in good condition. The oxygen evolution electrode does show delamination in operation and an apparent foreign layer deposited at the electrolyte interface. Post test examination by Argonne National Laboratory showed that the O2-electrode delaminated from the electrolyte near the edge. One possible reason for this delamination is excessive pressure buildup with high O2 flow in the over-sintered region. According to post test examination at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the electrochemical reactions have been recognized as one of the prevalent causes of their degradation. Specifically, two important degradation mechanisms were examined: (1) transport of Crcontaining species from steel interconnects into the oxygen electrode and LSC bond layers in SOECs, and (2) cation segregation and phase separation in the bond layer. INL conducted a workshop October 27, 2008 to discuss possible causes of degradation in a SOEC stack. Generally, it was agreed that the following are major degradation issues relating to SOECs: • Delamination of the O2-electrode and bond layer on the steam/O2-electrode side • Contaminants (Ni, Cr, Si, etc.) on reaction sites

  9. Two stage bioethanol refining with multi litre stacked microbial fuel cell and microbial electrolysis cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sugnaux, Marc; Happe, Manuel; Cachelin, Christian Pierre; Gloriod, Olivier; Huguenin, Gérald; Blatter, Maxime; Fischer, Fabian

    2016-12-01

    Ethanol, electricity, hydrogen and methane were produced in a two stage bioethanol refinery setup based on a 10L microbial fuel cell (MFC) and a 33L microbial electrolysis cell (MEC). The MFC was a triple stack for ethanol and electricity co-generation. The stack configuration produced more ethanol with faster glucose consumption the higher the stack potential. Under electrolytic conditions ethanol productivity outperformed standard conditions and reached 96.3% of the theoretically best case. At lower external loads currents and working potentials oscillated in a self-synchronized manner over all three MFC units in the stack. In the second refining stage, fermentation waste was converted into methane, using the scale up MEC stack. The bioelectric methanisation reached 91% efficiency at room temperature with an applied voltage of 1.5V using nickel cathodes. The two stage bioethanol refining process employing bioelectrochemical reactors produces more energy vectors than is possible with today's ethanol distilleries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Analysis of cavitation effect for water purifier using electrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Dong Ho; Ko, Han Seo; Lee, Seung Ho

    2015-11-01

    Water is a limited and vital resource, so it should not be wasted by pollution. A development of new water purification technology is urgent nowadays since the original and biological treatments are not sufficient. The microbubble-aided method was investigated for removal of algal in this study since it overcomes demerits of the existing purification technologies. Thus, the cavitation effect in a venturi-type tube using the electrolysis was analyzed. Ruthenium-coated titanium plates were used as electrodes. Optimum electrode interval and applied power were determined for the electrolysis. Then, the optimized electrodes were installed in the venturi-type tube for generating cavitation. The cavitation effect could be enhanced without any byproduct by the bubbly flow induced by the electrolysis. The optimum mass flow rate and current were determined for the cavitation with the electrolysis. Finally, the visualization techniques were used to count the cell number of algal and microbubbles for the confirmation of the performance. As a result, the energy saving and high efficient water purifier was fabricated in this study. This work was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Korean government (MEST) (No. 2013R1A2A2A01068653).

  11. HYFIRE: a tokamak/high-temperature electrolysis system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fillo, J.A.; Powell, J.P.; Benenati, R.; Varljen, T.C.; Chi, J.W.H.; Karbowski, J.S.

    1981-01-01

    The HYFIRE studies to date have investigated a number of technical approaches for using the thermal energy produced in a high-temperature Tokamak blanket to provide the electrical and thermal energy required to drive a high-temperature (> 1000 0 C) water electrolysis process. Current emphasis is on two design points, one consistent with electrolyzer peak inlet temperatures of 1400 0 C, which is an extrapolation of present experience, and one consistent with a peak electrolyzer temperature of 1100 0 C. This latter condition is based on current laboratory experience with high-temperature solid electrolyte fuel cells. Our major conclusion to date is that the technical integration of fusion and high-temperature electrolysis appears to be feasible and that overall hydrogen production efficiencies of 50 to 55% seem possible

  12. Hydrogen from renewable energy - Photovoltaic/water electrolysis as an exemplary approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sprafka, R. J.; Tison, R. R.; Escher, W. J. D.

    1984-01-01

    A feasibility study has been conducted for a NASA Kennedy Space Center liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen production facility using solar cell arrays as the power source for electrolysis. The 100 MW output of the facility would be split into 67.6 and 32 MW portions for electrolysis and liquefaction, respectively. The solar cell array would cover 1.65 sq miles, and would be made up of 249 modular 400-kW arrays. Hydrogen and oxygen are generated at either dispersed or centralized water electrolyzers. The yearly hydrogen output is projected to be 5.76 million lbs, with 8 times that much oxygen; these fuel volumes can support approximately 18 Space Shuttle launches/year.

  13. Anion-selective materials with 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane functional groups for advanced alkaline water electrolysis

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Hnát, J.; Plevová, M.; Žitka, Jan; Paidar, M.; Bouzek, K.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 248, 10 September (2017), s. 547-555 ISSN 0013-4686 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA16-20728S Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : water electrolysis * alkaline environment * anion-selective membrane Subject RIV: CG - Electrochemistry OBOR OECD: Electrochemistry (dry cells, batteries, fuel cells, corrosion metals, electrolysis) Impact factor: 4.798, year: 2016

  14. High Temperature and Pressure Alkaline Electrolysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Allebrod, Frank

    against conventional technologies for hydrogen production, such as natural gas reforming, the production and investment costs have to be reduced. A reduction of the investment costs may be achieved by increasing the operational pressure and temperature of the electrolyzer, as this will result in: 1.......3 A cm-2 combined with relatively small production costs may lead to both reduced investment and operating costs for hydrogen and oxygen production. One of the produced electrolysis cells was operated for 350 h. Based on the successful results a patent application covering this novel cell was filed...

  15. Hydrogen production by alkaline water electrolysis

    OpenAIRE

    Santos, Diogo M. F.; Sequeira, César A. C.; Figueiredo, José L.

    2013-01-01

    Water electrolysis is one of the simplest methods used for hydrogen production. It has the advantage of being able to produce hydrogen using only renewable energy. To expand the use of water electrolysis, it is mandatory to reduce energy consumption, cost, and maintenance of current electrolyzers, and, on the other hand, to increase their efficiency, durability, and safety. In this study, modern technologies for hydrogen production by water electrolysis have been investigated. In this article...

  16. Innovative anode materials and architectured cells for high temperature steam electrolysis operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ogier, Tiphaine

    2012-01-01

    In order to improve the electrochemical performances of cells for high temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE), innovative oxygen electrode materials have been studied. The compounds Ln_2NiO_4_+_δ (Ln = La, Pr or Nd), Pr_4Ni_3O_1_0_±_δ and La_0_,_6S_r0_,_4Fe_0_,_8Co_0_,_2O_3_-_δ have been selected for their mixed electronic and ionic conductivity. First, their physical and chemical properties have been investigated. Then, the electrodes were shaped on symmetrical half cells,adding a thin ceria-based interlayer between the electrode and the yttria doped zirconia-based electrolyte. These architectured cells lead to low polarization resistances (RP≤ 0.1 Ω.cm"2 at 800 C) as well as reduced anodic over potentials. An electrochemical model has been developed in order to describe and analyze the experimental polarization curves.The electrode with the lower overpotential, i.e. Pr_2NiO_4_+δ, has been selected and characterized into complete cermet-supported cells. Under HTSE operation, at 800 C, a high current density was measured, close to i = -0.9 A.cm"-"2 for a cell voltage equals to 1.3 V, the conversion rate being about 60%. (author) [fr

  17. Can high temperature steam electrolysis function with geothermal heat?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sigurvinsson, J.; Mansilla, C.; Werkoff, F.; Lovera, P.

    2007-01-01

    It is possible to improve the performance of electrolysis processes by operating at a high temperature. This leads to a reduction in electricity consumption but requires a part of the energy necessary for the dissociation of water to be in the form of thermal energy. Iceland produces low cost electricity and very low cost geothermal heat. However, the temperature of geothermal heat is considerably lower than the temperature required at the electrolyser's inlet, making heat exchangers necessary to recuperate part of the heat contained in the gases at the electrolyser's outlet. A techno-economic optimisation model devoted to a high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) process which includes electrolysers as well as a high temperature heat exchanger network was created. Concerning the heat exchangers, the unit costs used in the model are based on industrial data. For the electrolyser cells, the unit cost scaling law and the physical sub-model we used were formulated using analogies with solid oxide fuel cells. The method was implemented in a software tool, which performs the optimisation using genetic algorithms. The first application of the method is done by taking into account the prices of electricity and geothermal heat in the Icelandic context. It appears that even with a geothermal temperature as low as 230 degrees C, the HTE could compete with alkaline electrolysis. (authors)

  18. NASA fuel cell applications for space: Endurance test results on alkaline fuel cell electrolyzer components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sheibley, D.W.

    1984-01-01

    Fuel cells continue to play a major role in manned spacecraft power generation. The Gemini and Apollo programs used fuel cell power plants as the primary source of mission electrical power, with batteries as the backup. The current NASA use for fuel cells is in the Orbiter program. Here, low temperature alkaline fuel cells provide all of the on-board power with no backup power source. Three power plants per shipset are utilized; the original power plant contained 32-cell substacks connected in parallel. For extended life and better power performance, each power plant now contains three 32-cell substacks connected in parallel. One of the possible future applications for fuel cells will be for the proposed manned Space Station in low earth orbit (LEO)(1, 2, 3). By integrating a water electrolysis capability with a fuel cell (a regenerative fuel cell system), a multikilowatt energy storage capability ranging from 35 kW to 250 kW can be achieved. Previous development work on fuel cell and electrolysis systems would tend to minimize the development cost of this energy storage system. Trade studies supporting initial Space Station concept development clearly show regenerative fuel cell (RFC) storage to be superior to nickel-cadmium and nickel-hydrogen batteries with regard to subsystem weight, flexibility in design, and integration with other spacecraft systems when compared for an initial station power level ranging from 60 kW to 75 kW. The possibility of scavenging residual O 2 and H 2 from the Shuttle external tank for use in fuel cells for producing power also exists

  19. Iron migration from the anode surface in alumina electrolysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhuravleva, Elena N.; Drozdova, Tatiana N.; Ponomareva, Svetlana V. [Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, 660041 (Russian Federation); Kirik, Sergei D., E-mail: kiriksd@yandex.ru [Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, 660041 (Russian Federation); Institute of Chemistry and Chemical Technology SB RAS, Krasnoyarsk, 660036 (Russian Federation)

    2013-01-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Corrosion destruction of two-component iron-based alloys in high-temperature aluminum electrolysis in the cryolite alumina melt has been studied. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer It was found that at the first stage oxidative polarization of iron atoms on the anode surface into Fe{sup 2+} takes place. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Fe{sup 2+} interacts with cryolite melt producing FeF{sub 2}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer FeF{sub 2} gives oxides FeAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}, Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}, Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The participation of oxygen in the corrosion has not been observed. - Abstract: Corrosion destruction of two-component iron-based alloys used as an anode in high-temperature alumina electrolysis in the melt of NaF/KF/AlF{sub 3} electrolyte has been considered. Ni, Si, Cu, Cr, Mn, Al, Ti in the amount of up to 10% have been tested as the dopants to an anode alloys. The composition of the corrosion products has been studied using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and electron microprobe analysis. It has been established that the anode corrosion is induced by a surface electrochemical polarization and iron atom oxidation. Iron ions come into an exchange interaction with the fluoride components of the melted electrolyte, producing FeF{sub 2}. The last interacts with oxyfluoride species transforming into the oxide forms: FeAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}, Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}, Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Due to the low solubility, the iron oxides are accumulated in the near-electrode sheath. The only small part of iron from anode migrates to cathode that makes an production of high purity aluminum of a real task. The alloy dopants are also subjected to corrosion in accordance with electromotive series resulting corrosion tunnels on the anode surface. The oxides are final compounds which collect in the same area. The corrosion products form an anode shell which is electronic conductor at electrolysis temperature. The

  20. Phosphate recovery as struvite within a single chamber microbial electrolysis cell

    KAUST Repository

    Cusick, Roland D.; Logan, Bruce E.

    2012-01-01

    An energy efficient method of concurrent hydrogen gas and struvite (MgNH 4PO 4·6H 2O) production was investigated based on bioelectrochemically driven struvite crystallization at the cathode of a single chamber microbial electrolysis struvite

  1. LARGE-SCALE HYDROGEN PRODUCTION FROM NUCLEAR ENERGY USING HIGH TEMPERATURE ELECTROLYSIS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Brien, James E.

    2010-01-01

    Hydrogen can be produced from water splitting with relatively high efficiency using high-temperature electrolysis. This technology makes use of solid-oxide cells, running in the electrolysis mode to produce hydrogen from steam, while consuming electricity and high-temperature process heat. When coupled to an advanced high temperature nuclear reactor, the overall thermal-to-hydrogen efficiency for high-temperature electrolysis can be as high as 50%, which is about double the overall efficiency of conventional low-temperature electrolysis. Current large-scale hydrogen production is based almost exclusively on steam reforming of methane, a method that consumes a precious fossil fuel while emitting carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Demand for hydrogen is increasing rapidly for refining of increasingly low-grade petroleum resources, such as the Athabasca oil sands and for ammonia-based fertilizer production. Large quantities of hydrogen are also required for carbon-efficient conversion of biomass to liquid fuels. With supplemental nuclear hydrogen, almost all of the carbon in the biomass can be converted to liquid fuels in a nearly carbon-neutral fashion. Ultimately, hydrogen may be employed as a direct transportation fuel in a 'hydrogen economy.' The large quantity of hydrogen that would be required for this concept should be produced without consuming fossil fuels or emitting greenhouse gases. An overview of the high-temperature electrolysis technology will be presented, including basic theory, modeling, and experimental activities. Modeling activities include both computational fluid dynamics and large-scale systems analysis. We have also demonstrated high-temperature electrolysis in our laboratory at the 15 kW scale, achieving a hydrogen production rate in excess of 5500 L/hr.

  2. Hydrogen production from high temperature electrolysis and fusion reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dang, V.D.; Steinberg, J.F.; Issacs, H.S.; Lazareth, O.; Powell, J.R.; Salzano, F.J.

    1978-01-01

    Production of hydrogen from high temperature electrolysis of steam coupled with a fusion reactor is studied. The process includes three major components: the fusion reactor, the high temperature electrolyzer and the power conversion cycle each of which is discussed in the paper. Detailed process design and analysis of the system is examined. A parametric study on the effect of process efficiency is presented

  3. Water electrolysis for hydrogen production in Brazilian perspective

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saliba-Silva, Adonis Marcelo; Carvalho, Fatima M.S.; Bergamaschi, Vanderlei Sergio; Linardi, Marcelo [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (CCCH/IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Center], Email: saliba@ipen.br

    2009-07-01

    Hydrogen is a promising energy carrier, which potentially could replace the fossil fuels used in the transportation and distributed energy sector of Brazilian economy. Fossil fuels are polluting by carbogenic emissions from their combustion, being so co-responsible for present global warming. However, no large scale, cost-effective, environmentally non-carbogenic hydrogen production process is currently available for commercialization. There are feasible possibilities to use electrolysis as one of the main sources of hydrogen, especially thinking on combination with renewable sources of energy, mainly eolic and solar. In this work some perspectives for Brazilian energy context is presented, where electrolysis combined with renewable power source and fuel cell power generation would be a good basis to improve the distributed energy supply for remote areas, where the electricity grid is not present or is deficient. (author)

  4. Status of the INL high-temperature electrolysis research program –experimental and modeling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    J. E. O' Brien; C. M. Stoots; M. G. McKellar; E. A. Harvego; K. G. Condie; G. K. Housley; J. S. Herring; J. J. Hartvigsen

    2009-04-01

    This paper provides a status update on the high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) research and development program at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), with an overview of recent large-scale system modeling results and the status of the experimental program. System analysis results have been obtained using the commercial code UniSim, augmented with a custom high-temperature electrolyzer module. The process flow diagrams for the system simulations include an advanced nuclear reactor as a source of high-temperature process heat, a power cycle and a coupled steam electrolysis loop. Several reactor types and power cycles have been considered, over a range of reactor coolant outlet temperatures. In terms of experimental research, the INL has recently completed an Integrated Laboratory Scale (ILS) HTE test at the 15 kW level. The initial hydrogen production rate for the ILS test was in excess of 5000 liters per hour. Details of the ILS design and operation will be presented. Current small-scale experimental research is focused on improving the degradation characteristics of the electrolysis cells and stacks. Small-scale testing ranges from single cells to multiple-cell stacks. The INL is currently in the process of testing several state-of-the-art anode-supported cells and is working to broaden its relationship with industry in order to improve the long-term performance of the cells.

  5. Power to fuel using electrolysis and CO2 capture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg; Graves, Christopher R.; Chatzichristodoulou, Christodoulos

    2014-01-01

    % of the cost of H2 produced by electrolysis originates from electricity cost. How much more depends on the actual electricity price and depends further on efficiency, investment cost and lifetime of electrolyzer. Investment costs are inversely proportional the current density at a given cell voltage...

  6. Recycling Carbon Dioxide into Sustainable Hydrocarbon Fuels: Electrolysis of Carbon Dioxide and Water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graves, Christopher Ronald

    Great quantities of hydrocarbon fuels will be needed for the foreseeable future, even if electricity based energy carriers begin to partially replace liquid hydrocarbons in the transportation sector. Fossil fuels and biomass are the most common feedstocks for production of hydrocarbon fuels. However, using renewable or nuclear energy, carbon dioxide and water can be recycled into sustainable hydrocarbon fuels in non-biological processes which remove oxygen from CO2 and H2O (the reverse of fuel combustion). Capture of CO2 from the atmosphere would enable a closed-loop carbon-neutral fuel cycle. The purpose of this work was to develop critical components of a system that recycles CO2 into liquid hydrocarbon fuels. The concept is examined at several scales, beginning with a broad scope analysis of large-scale sustainable energy systems and ultimately studying electrolysis of CO 2 and H2O in high temperature solid oxide cells as the heart of the energy conversion, in the form of three experimental studies. The contributions of these studies include discoveries about electrochemistry and materials that could significantly improve the overall energy use and economics of the CO2-to-fuels system. The broad scale study begins by assessing the sustainability and practicality of the various energy carriers that could replace petroleum-derived hydrocarbon fuels, including other hydrocarbons, hydrogen, and storage of electricity on-board vehicles in batteries, ultracapacitors, and flywheels. Any energy carrier can store the energy of any energy source. This sets the context for CO2 recycling -- sustainable energy sources like solar and wind power can be used to provide the most energy-dense, convenient fuels which can be readily used in the existing infrastructure. The many ways to recycle CO2 into hydrocarbons, based on thermolysis, thermochemical loops, electrolysis, and photoelectrolysis of CO2 and/or H 2O, are critically reviewed. A process based on high temperature co-electrolysis

  7. Treatment of high salt oxidized modified starch waste water using micro-electrolysis, two-phase anaerobic aerobic and electrolysis for reuse

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yi, Xuenong; Wang, Yulin

    2017-06-01

    A combined process of micro-electrolysis, two-phase anaerobic, aerobic and electrolysis was investigated for the treatment of oxidized modified starch wastewater (OMSW). Optimum ranges for important operating variables were experimentally determined and the treated water was tested for reuse in the production process of corn starch. The optimum hydraulic retention time (HRT) of micro-electrolysis, methanation reactor, aerobic process and electrolysis process were 5, 24, 12 and 3 h, respectively. The addition of iron-carbon fillers to the acidification reactor was 200 mg/L while the best current density of electrolysis was 300 A/m2. The biodegradability was improved from 0.12 to 0.34 by micro-electrolysis. The whole treatment was found to be effective with removal of 96 % of the chemical oxygen demand (COD), 0.71 L/day of methane energy recovery. In addition, active chlorine production (15,720 mg/L) was obtained by electrolysis. The advantage of this hybrid process is that, through appropriate control of reaction conditions, effect from high concentration of salt on the treatment was avoided. Moreover, the process also produced the material needed in the production of oxidized starch while remaining emission-free and solved the problem of high process cost.

  8. Basic study of alkaline water electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manabe, A.; Kashiwase, M.; Hashimoto, T.; Hayashida, T.; Kato, A.; Hirao, K.; Shimomura, I.; Nagashima, I.

    2013-01-01

    In order to realize future hydrogen society, hydrogen production systems must meet the large demand of hydrogen usage. Alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) would be one of the candidate technologies to produce hydrogen on a large scale from renewable energy. We have conducted basic research into AWE, trying to reveal technical issues under zero gap system in new cell technology. The zero gap system contributes lower cell voltage without causing any major operating problems compared with conventional finite gap cell. However, it was observed that Ni base electrodes showed corrosion phenomena in a number of test trials including steady operating conditions and several shut-downs. Activated Raney Ni alloy coating for anode material had an advantage for oxygen overvoltage. It showed a saving of around 100 mV at 40 A/dm 2 (0.4 A/cm 2 ) against Ni bare anodes. In the Chlor–Alkali (C/A) industry, thermal decomposition coating of mixed noble metal on Ni substrate is commonly used for advanced activated cathodes. It showed very low hydrogen over-potential of around 100 mV in AWE. To achieve better cell performance, separator selection is very important. We evaluated several separators including ion exchange membrane (IEM) to understand the basic function in AWE. IEM for C/A electrolysis showed high cell voltage (over 2.2 V) but low O 2 impurity in H 2 gas. Hydrogen purity was over 99.95%. Porous separators made of polypropylene showed 1.76 V at 40 A/dm 2 (0.4 A/cm 2 ), 80 °C. But there was a weakness on the durability for continuous operation. Proper selection of separator is important in an actual plant for effective and safe cell operation. The concept of safety operation is referred to by diffusion coefficient of hydrogen

  9. Experiment Plan of High Temperature Steam and Carbon dioxide Co-electrolysis for Synthetic Gas Production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoon, Duk-Joo; Ko, Jae-Hwa

    2008-01-01

    Currently, Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) come into the spotlight in the middle of the energy technologies of the future for highly effective conversion of fossil fuels into electricity without carbon dioxide emission. The SOFC is a reversible cell. By applying electrical power to the cell, which is solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC), it is possible to produce synthetic gas (syngas) from high temperature steam and carbon dioxide. The produced syngas (hydrogen and carbon monoxide) can be used for synthetic fuels. This SOEC technology can use high temperature from VHTRs for high efficiency. This paper describes KEPRI's experiment plan of high temperature steam and carbon co-electrolysis for syngas production using SOEC technology

  10. High Temperature Co-electrolysis of Steam and CO2 in an SOC stack: Performance and Durability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chen, Ming; Høgh, Jens Valdemar Thorvald; Nielsen, Jens Ulrik

    2012-01-01

    C and -0.5 A/cm2 with no long term degradation, as long as the inlet gases to the Ni/YSZ electrode were cleaned [3]. In this work, co-electrolysis of steam and carbon dioxide was studied in a TOFC® 10-cell stack, containing 3 different types ofNi/YSZ electrode supported cells with a footprint of 12X12 cm2....... The stack was operated at 800 oC and -0.75 A/cm2 with 60% conversion for a period of 1000 hours. One type of the cells showed no long term degradation but actually activation during the entire electrolysis period, while the other two types degraded. The performance and durability of the different cell types...... is discussed with respect to cell material composition and microstructure. The results of this study show that long term electrolysis is feasible without notable degradation also at lower temperature (800 oC) and higher current density (-0.75 A/cm2)....

  11. Determination of the Electronics Charge--Electrolysis of Water Method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venkatachar, Arun C.

    1985-01-01

    Presents an alternative method for measuring the electronic charge using data from the electrolysis of acidified distilled water. The process (carried out in a commercially available electrolytic cell) has the advantage of short completion time so that students can determine electron charge and mass in one laboratory period. (DH)

  12. A Decade of Improvements for Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells. Long-Term Degradation Rate from 40%/Kh to 0.4 % Kh

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hauch, Anne; Brodersen, Karen; Chen, Ming

    2016-01-01

    Solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC) have the potential for efficient large-scale conversion from electrical energy to chemical energy stored in fuels, such as hydrogen or synthetic hydrocarbon fuels by use of well-known catalysis processes. Key issues for the break-through of this technology...... are to provide inexpensive, reliable, high performing and long-term stable SOEC for stack and system applications. At DTU Energy (formerly Department of Fuel Cells and Solid State Chemistry, Risø National Laboratory), research within SOEC for more than a decade has led to long-term degradation rates on cell...

  13. Co-electrolysis of CO2 and H2O in solid oxide cells: Performance and durability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Graves, Christopher R.; Ebbesen, Sune; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

    2011-01-01

    This study examines the initial performance and durability of a solid oxide cell applied for co-electrolysis of CO2 and H2O. Such a cell, when powered by renewable/nuclear energy, could be used to recycle CO2 into sustainable hydrocarbon fuels. Polarization curves and electrochemical impedance...... systematically varied test conditions enabled clear visual identification of five electrode processes that contribute to the cell resistance. The processes could be assigned to each electrode and to gas concentration effects by examining their dependence on gas composition changes and temperature. This study...

  14. Hydrogen production by high temperature electrolysis of water vapour and nuclear reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jean-Pierre Py; Alain Capitaine

    2006-01-01

    This paper presents hydrogen production by a nuclear reactor (High Temperature Reactor, HTR or Pressurized Water Reactor, PWR) coupled to a High Temperature Electrolyser (HTE) plant. With respect to the coupling of a HTR with a HTE plant, EDF and AREVA NP had previously selected a combined cycle HTR scheme to convert the reactor heat into electricity. In that case, the steam required for the electrolyser plant is provided either directly from the steam turbine cycle or from a heat exchanger connected with such cycle. Hydrogen efficiency production is valued using high temperature electrolysis. Electrolysis production of hydrogen can be performed with significantly higher thermal efficiencies by operating in the steam phase than in the water phase. The electrolysis performance is assessed with solid oxide and solid proton electrolysis cells. The efficiency from the three operating conditions (endo-thermal, auto-thermal and thermo-neutral) of a high temperature electrolysis process is evaluated. The technical difficulties to use the gases enthalpy to heat the water are analyzed, taking into account efficiency and technological challenges. EDF and AREVA NP have performed an analysis to select an optimized process giving consideration to plant efficiency, plant operation, investment and production costs. The paper provides pathways and identifies R and D actions to reach hydrogen production costs competitive with those of other hydrogen production processes. (authors)

  15. Upgrading of straw hydrolysate for production of hydrogen and phenols in a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thygesen, Anders; Marzorati, Massimo; Boon, Nico

    2011-01-01

    In a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC), hydrolysate produced by hydrothermal treatment of wheat straw was used for hydrogen production during selective recovery of phenols. The average H2 production rate was 0.61 m3 H2/m3 MEC·day and equivalent to a rate of 0.40 kg COD/m3 MEC·day. The microbial...... the energy content in the consumed compounds and the cell voltage of 0.7 V. The highest hydrogen production was equivalent to 0.8 kg COD/m3 MEC·day and was obtained at pH 7–8 and 25°C. Accumulation of 53% w/v phenolic compounds in the liquor was obtained by stepwise addition of the hydrolysate during...

  16. Clean hydrogen generation through the electrocatalytic oxidation of ethanol in a Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysis Cell (PEMEC): Effect of the nature and structure of the catalytic anode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamy, Claude; Jaubert, Thomas; Baranton, Stève; Coutanceau, Christophe

    2014-01-01

    The electrocatalytic oxidation of ethanol was investigated in a Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysis Cell (PEMEC) working at low temperature (20°C) on several Pt-based catalysts (Pt/C, PtSn/C, PtSnRu/C) in order to produce very clean hydrogen by electrolysis of a biomass compound. The electrocatalytic activity was determined by cyclic voltammetry and the rate of hydrogen evolution was measured for each catalyst at different current densities. The cell voltages UEtOH were recorded as a function of time for each current density. At 100 mA cm-2, i.e. 0.5 A with the 5 cm2 surface area PEMEC used, the cell voltage did not exceed 0.9 V for an evolution rate of about 220 cm3 of hydrogen per hour and the electrical energy consumed was less than 2.3 kWh (Nm3)-1, i.e. less than one half of the energy needed for water electrolysis (4.7 kWh (Nm3)-1 at UH2O = 2 V). This result is valid for the decomposition of any organic compound, particularly those originated from biomass resource, provided that their electro-oxidation rate is sufficient (>100 mA cm-2) at a relatively low cell voltage (Ucell < 1 V) which necessitates the development of efficient electrocatalysts for the electrochemical decomposition of this compound.

  17. Design considerations for a 10-kW integrated hydrogen-oxygen regenerative fuel cell system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoberecht, M. A.; Miller, T. B.; Rieker, L. L.; Gonzalez-Sanabria, O. D.

    1984-01-01

    Integration of an alkaline fuel cell subsystem with an alkaline electrolysis subsystem to form a regenerative fuel cell (RFC) system for low earth orbit (LEO) applications characterized by relatively high overall round trip electrical efficiency, long life, and high reliability is possible with present state of the art technology. A hypothetical 10 kW system computer modeled and studied based on data from ongoing contractual efforts in both the alkaline fuel cell and alkaline water electrolysis areas. The alkaline fuel cell technology is under development utilizing advanced cell components and standard Shuttle Orbiter system hardware. The alkaline electrolysis technology uses a static water vapor feed technique and scaled up cell hardware is developed. The computer aided study of the performance, operating, and design parameters of the hypothetical system is addressed.

  18. Tritium test of the tritium processing components under the Annex III US-Japan Collaboration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konishi, Satoshi; Yoshida, Hiroshi; Naruse, Yuji; Binning, K.E.; Carlson, R.V.; Bartlit, J.R.; Anderson, J.L.

    1993-03-01

    The process ready components for Fuel Cleanup System were tested at the TSTA under the US-Japan Collaboration program. Palladium diffuser for tritium purification and Ceramic Electrolysis Cell for decomposition of tritiated water respectively were tested with pure tritium for years. The characteristics of the components with hydrogen isotopes, effects of impurities, and long-term reliability of the components were studied. It was concluded that these components are suitable and attractive for fusion fuel processing systems. (author)

  19. Carbon dioxide electrolysis using a ceramic electrolyte. [for space processing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erstfeld, T. E.; Mullins, O., Jr.; Williams, R. J.

    1979-01-01

    This paper discusses the results of an experimental study of the electrical aspects of carbon dioxide electrolysis using a ceramic electrolyte. The electrolyte compositions used in this study are 8% Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2, 7.5% CaO stabilized ZrO2, and 5% Y2O3 stabilized ThO2. Results indicate that the 8% Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 is the best material to use for electrolysis, in terms of current as a function of voltage and temperature, and in terms of efficiency of oxide ion flow through it. The poorest results were obtained with the 5% Y2O3 stabilized ThO2 composition. An electrolysis system which might be employed to reclaim oxygen and carbon from effluents of space manufacturing, assuming that an industry would have to electrolyze 258,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, is predicted to require a total cell area of 110,000 sq m of 1 mm thickness and electrical capacity of 441 MW.

  20. Proton-conductive nano zeolite-PVA composite film as a new water-absorbing electrolyte for water electrolysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Nishihara

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available In this study, organic-inorganic composite electrolyte membranes are developed for a novel water-absorbing porous electrolyte water electrolysis cell. As the materials of the composite electrolyte membrane, 80 wt% of a proton-conducting nano zeolite (H-MFI as an electrolyte and 20 wt% of poly(vinyl alcohol (PVA as a cross-linkable matrix are used. The nano zeolite is prepared by a milling process. The nano zeolite-PVA composite membrane precursors are prepared by spraying onto a substrate, followed by cross-linking. The resulting nano zeolite-cross-linked PVA composite films are then evaluated for their properties such as proton conductivity as electrolyte membranes for the water-absorbing porous electrolyte water electrolysis cell. It is confirmed that conventional materials such as zeolites and PVA can be used for the water electrolysis as an electrolyte.

  1. Development of an advanced static feed water electrolysis module. [for spacecraft

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schubert, F. H.; Wynveen, R. A.; Jensen, F. C.; Quattrone, P. D.

    1975-01-01

    A Static Feed Water Electrolysis Module (SFWEM) was developed to produce 0.92 kg/day (2.0 lb/day) of oxygen (O2). Specific objectives of the program's scope were to (1) eliminate the need for feed water cavity degassing, (2) eliminate the need for subsystem condenser/separators, (3) increase current density capability while decreasing electrolysis cell power (i.e., cell voltage) requirements, and (4) eliminate subsystem rotating parts and incorporate control and monitor instrumentation. A six-cell, one-man capacity module having an active area of 0.00929 sq m (0.10 sq ft) per cell was designed, fabricated, assembled, and subjected to 111 days (2664 hr) of parametric and endurance testing. The SFWEM was successfully operated over a current density range of 0 to 1076 mA/sq cm (0 to 1000 ASF), pressures of ambient to 2067 kN/sq m (300 psia), and temperatures of ambient to 366 K (200 F). During a 94-day endurance test, the SFWEM successfully demonstrated operation without the need for feed water compartment degassing.

  2. Al/sub 2/S/sub 3/ preparation and use in electrolysis process for aluminum production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, C.C.; Loutfy, R.O.; Yao, N.P.

    A continuous process for producing aluminum sulfide and for electrolyzing the aluminum sulfide to form metallic aluminum in which the aluminum sulfide is produced from aluminum oxide and COS or CS/sub 2/ in the presence of a chloride melt which also serves as the electrolysis bath. Circulation between the reactor and electrolysis cell is carried out to maintain the desired concentration of aluminum sulfide in the bath.

  3. Flow maldistribution in the anode of a polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysis cell employing interdigitated channels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olesen, Anders Christian; Kær, Søren Knudsen

    2014-01-01

    of liquid water towards the catalytic layer of the electrode. As opposed to the more common serpentine and parallel channels, interdigitated channels force liquid water through the porous gas diffusion layer (GDL) of the electrode. This improves the supply of water, however it increases pressure losses......-circular cell design on the distribution of water in the anode. In the electrolysis of water using PEMEC the anode is fed by demineralized water. Throughout the anode, oxygen is produced and a two-phase flow develops. Interdigitated channels assist in avoiding that gaseous oxygen obstructs the transport......: water stoichiometry, temperature, GDL permeability and thickness. In conclusion, it is found that the interdigitated flow field results in an uneven distribution across the cell and that the extent depends strongly on the permeability and weaker on the remaining parameters....

  4. Microbial electrolysis desalination and chemical-production cell for CO2 sequestration

    KAUST Repository

    Zhu, Xiuping

    2014-05-01

    Mineral carbonation can be used for CO2 sequestration, but the reaction rate is slow. In order to accelerate mineral carbonation, acid generated in a microbial electrolysis desalination and chemical-production cell (MEDCC) was examined to dissolve natural minerals rich in magnesium/calcium silicates (serpentine), and the alkali generated by the same process was used to absorb CO2 and precipitate magnesium/calcium carbonates. The concentrations of Mg2+ and Ca2+ dissolved from serpentine increased 20 and 145 times by using the acid solution. Under optimal conditions, 24mg of CO2 was absorbed into the alkaline solution and 13mg of CO2 was precipitated as magnesium/calcium carbonates over a fed-batch cycle (24h). Additionally, the MEDCC removed 94% of the COD (initially 822mg/L) and achieved 22% desalination (initially 35g/L NaCl). These results demonstrate the viability of this process for effective CO2 sequestration using renewable organic matter and natural minerals. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

  5. Hydrogen electrolysis using a NASICON solid protonic conductor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gulens, J.; Longhurst, T.H.; Kuriakose, A.K.; Canaday, J.D.

    1988-09-01

    A protonic conductor based on a bonded NASICON disc has been used for hydrogen electrolysis at 300 K. Currents up to 200 mA can be passed through the disc, and the electrolysis proceeds with 100% current efficiency. The resistance of the ceramic is affected by its extent of hydration. Degradation and failure of the ceramic occurs at the cathode as a result of electrolysis.

  6. Heavy water production by alkaline water electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kamath, Sachin; Sandeep, K.C.; Bhanja, Kalyan; Mohan, Sadhana; Sugilal, G.

    2014-01-01

    Several heavy water isotope production processes are reported in literature. Water electrolysis in combination with catalytic exchange CECE process is considered as a futuristic process to increase the throughput and reduce the cryogenic distillation load but the application is limited due to the high cost of electricity. Any improvement in the efficiency of electrolyzers would make this process more attractive. The efficiency of alkaline water electrolysis is governed by various phenomena such as activation polarization, ohmic polarization and concentration polarization in the cell. A systematic study on the effect of these factors can lead to methods for improving the efficiency of the electrolyzer. A bipolar and compact type arrangement of the alkaline water electrolyzer leads to increased efficiency and reduced inventory in comparison to uni-polar tank type electrolyzers. The bipolar type arrangement is formed when a number of single cells are stacked together. Although a few experimental studies have been reported in the open literature, CFD simulation of a bipolar compact alkaline water electrolyzer with porous electrodes is not readily available.The principal aim of this study is to simulate the characteristics of a single cell compact electrolyzer unit. The simulation can be used to predict the Voltage-Current Density (V-I) characteristics, which is a measure of the efficiency of the process.The model equations were solved using COMSOL multi-physics software. The simulated V-I characteristic is compared with the experimental data

  7. Solid polymer electrolyte water electrolysis preprototype subsystem. [oxygen production for life support systems on space stations

    Science.gov (United States)

    1979-01-01

    Hardware and controls developed for an electrolysis demonstration unit for use with the life sciences payload program and in NASA's regenerative life support evaluation program are described. Components discussed include: the electrolysis module; power conditioner; phase separator-pump and hydrogen differential regulator; pressure regulation of O2, He, and N2; air-cooled heat exchanger; water accumulator; fluid flow sight gage assembly; catalytic O2/H2 sensor; gas flow sensors; low voltage power supply; 100 Amp DC contactor assembly; and the water purifier design.

  8. Micro-electrolysis technology for industrial wastewater treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Yi-Zhong; Zhang, Yue-Feng; Li, Wei

    2003-05-01

    Experiments were conducted to study the role of micro-electrolysis in removing chromaticity and COD and improving the biodegradability of wastewater from pharmaceutical, dye-printing and papermaking plants. Results showed that the use of micro-electrolysis technology could remove more than 90% of chromaticity and more than 50% of COD and greatly improved the biodegradability of pharmaceutical wastewater. Lower initial pH could be advantageous to the removal of chromaticity. A retention time of 30 minutes was recommended for the process design of micro-electrolysis. For the use of micro-electrolysis in treatment of dye-printing wastewater, the removal rates of both chromaticity and COD were increased from neutral condition to acid condition for disperse blue wastewater; more than 90% of chromaticity and more than 50% of COD could be removed in neutral condition for vital red wastewater.

  9. Determination of the efficiency of ethanol oxidation in a proton exchange membrane electrolysis cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altarawneh, Rakan M.; Majidi, Pasha; Pickup, Peter G.

    2017-05-01

    Products and residual ethanol in the anode and cathode exhausts of an ethanol electrolysis cell (EEC) have been analyzed by proton NMR and infrared spectrometry under a variety of operating conditions. This provides a full accounting of the fate of ethanol entering the cell, including the stoichiometry of the ethanol oxidation reaction (i.e. the average number of electrons transferred per ethanol molecule), product distribution and the crossover of ethanol and products through the membrane. The reaction stoichiometry (nav) is the key parameter that determines the faradaic efficiency of both EECs and direct ethanol fuel cells. Values determined independently from the product distribution, amount of ethanol consumed, and a simple electrochemical method based on the dependence of the current on the flow rate of the ethanol solution are compared. It is shown that the electrochemical method yields results that are consistent with those based on the product distribution, and based on the consumption of ethanol when crossover is accounted for. Since quantitative analysis of the cathode exhaust is challenging, the electrochemical method provides a valuable alternative for routine determination of nav, and hence the faradaic efficiency of the cell.

  10. Modeling Degradation in Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells - Volume II

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Manohar Motwani

    2011-09-01

    Idaho National Laboratory has an ongoing project to generate hydrogen from steam using solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs). To accomplish this, technical and degradation issues associated with the SOECs will need to be addressed. This report covers various approaches being pursued to model degradation issues in SOECs. An electrochemical model for degradation of SOECs is presented. The model is based on concepts in local thermodynamic equilibrium in systems otherwise in global thermodynamic non-equilibrium. It is shown that electronic conduction through the electrolyte, however small, must be taken into account for determining local oxygen chemical potential,, within the electrolyte. The within the electrolyte may lie out of bounds in relation to values at the electrodes in the electrolyzer mode. Under certain conditions, high pressures can develop in the electrolyte just near the oxygen electrode/electrolyte interface, leading to oxygen electrode delamination. These predictions are in accordance with the reported literature on the subject. Development of high pressures may be avoided by introducing some electronic conduction in the electrolyte. By combining equilibrium thermodynamics, non-equilibrium (diffusion) modeling, and first-principles, atomic scale calculations were performed to understand the degradation mechanisms and provide practical recommendations on how to inhibit and/or completely mitigate them.

  11. Elimination of heavy metals from leachates by membrane electrolysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fischer, R. [Technische Universitaet Dresden, Institut fuer Siedlungs- und Industriewasserwirtschaft, Mommsenstrasse 13, 01062 Dresden (Germany); Seidel, H. [UFZ-Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Department Bioremediation, Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig (Germany); Rahner, D. [Technische Universitaet Dresden, Institut fuer Physikalische Chemie und Eektrochemie, Mommsenstrasse 13, D-01062 Dresden (Germany); Morgenstern, P. [UFZ-Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Department Analytik, Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig (Germany); Loeser, C. [Technische Universitaet Dresden, Institut fuer Lebensmittel- und Bioverfahrenstechnik, Bergstrasse 120, D-01062 Dresden (Germany)

    2004-10-01

    The elimination of heavy metals from bioleaching process waters (leachates) by electrolysis was studied in the anode and cathode region of a membrane electrolysis cell at current densities of 5-20 mA/cm{sup 2} using various electrode materials. The leaching waters containing a wide range of dissolved heavy metals, were high in sulfate, and had pH values of approx. 3. In preliminary tests using a rotating disc electrode the current density-potential curve (CPK) was recorded at a rotation velocity of 0, 1000 and 2000 rpm and a scan rate of 10 mV/s in order to collect information on the influence of transport processes on the electrochemical processes taking place at the electrodes. The electrochemical deposition-dissolution processes at the cathode are strongly dependent on the hydrodynamics. Detailed examination of the anodic oxidation of dissolved Mn(II) indicated that the manganese dioxide which formed adhered well to the electrode surface but in the cathodic return run it was again reduced. Electrode pairs of high-grade steel, lead and coal as well as material combinations were used to investigate heavy metal elimination in a membrane electrolysis cell. Using high-grade steel, lead and carbon electrode pairs, the reduction and deposition of Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni and some Cd in metallic or hydroxide form were observed in an order of 10-40 % in the cathode chamber. The dominant process in the anode chamber was the precipitation of manganese dioxide owing to the oxidation of dissolved Mn(II). Large amounts of heavy metals were co-precipitated by adsorption onto the insoluble MnO{sub 2}. High-grade steel and to some extent lead anodes were dissolved and hence were proven unsuitable as an anode material. These findings were largely confirmed by experiments using combination electrodes of coal and platinized titanium as an anode material and steel as a cathode material.The results indicate that electrochemical metal separation in the membrane electrolysis cell can represent a

  12. Treatment of oilfield wastewater by combined process of micro-electrolysis, Fenton oxidation and coagulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhenchao

    2017-12-01

    In this study, a combined process was developed that included micro-electrolysis, Fenton oxidation and coagulation to treat oilfield fracturing wastewater. Micro-electrolysis and Fenton oxidation were applied to reduce chemical oxygen demand (COD) organic load and to enhance organic components gradability, respectively. Orthogonal experiment were employed to investigate the influence factors of micro-electrolysis and Fenton oxidation on COD removal efficiency. For micro-electrolysis, the optimum conditions were: pH, 3; iron-carbon dosage, 50 mg/L; mass ratio of iron-carbon, 2:3; reaction time, 60 min. For Fenton oxidation, a total reaction time of 90 min, a H 2 O 2 dosage of 12 mg/L, with a H 2 O 2 /Fe 2+ mole ratio of 30, pH of 3 were selected to achieve optimum oxidation. The optimum conditions in coagulation process: pH, cationic polyacrylamide dosage, mixing speed and time is 4.3, 2 mg/L, 150 rpm and 30 s, respectively. In the continuous treatment process under optimized conditions, the COD of oily wastewater fell 56.95%, 46.23%, 30.67%, respectively, from last stage and the total COD removal efficiency reached 83.94% (from 4,314 to 693 mg/L). In the overall treatment process under optimized conditions, the COD of oily wastewater was reduced from 4,314 to 637 mg/L, and the COD removal efficiency reached 85.23%. The contribution of each stage is 68.45% (micro-electrolysis), 24.07% (Fenton oxidation), 7.48% (coagulation), respectively. Micro-electrolysis is the uppermost influencing process on COD removal. Compared with the COD removal efficiency of three processes on raw wastewater under optimized conditions: the COD removal efficiency of single micro-electrolysis, single Fenton oxidation, single coagulation is 58.34%, 44.88% and 39.72%, respectively. Experiments proved the effect of combined process is marvelous and the overall water quality of the final effluent could meet the class III national wastewater discharge standard of petrochemical industry of China

  13. From Oxygen Generation to Metals Production: In Situ Resource Utilization by Molten Oxide Electrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khetpal, Deepak; Ducret, Andrew C.; Sadoway, Donald R.

    2003-01-01

    For the exploration of other bodies in the solar system, electrochemical processing is arguably the most versatile technology for conversion of local resources into usable commodities: by electrolysis one can, in principle, produce (1) breathable oxygen, (2) silicon for the fabrication of solar cells, (3) various reactive metals for use as electrodes in advanced storage batteries, and (4) structural metals such as steel and aluminum. Even so, to date there has been no sustained effort to develop such processes, in part due to the inadequacy of the database. The objective here is to identify chemistries capable of sustaining molten oxide electrolysis in the cited applications and to examine the behavior of laboratory-scale cells designed to generate oxygen and to produce metal. The basic research includes the study of the underlying high-temperature physical chemistry of oxide melts representative of lunar regolith and of Martian soil. To move beyond empirical approaches to process development, the thermodynamic and transport properties of oxide melts are being studied to help set the limits of composition and temperature for the processing trials conducted in laboratory-scale electrolysis cells. The goal of this investigation is to deliver a working prototype cell that can use lunar regolith and Martian soil to produce breathable oxygen along with metal by-product. Additionally, the process can be generalized to permit adaptation to accommodate different feedstock chemistries, such as those that will be encountered on other bodies in the solar system. The expected results of this research include: (1) the identification of appropriate electrolyte chemistries; (2) the selection of candidate anode and cathode materials compatible with electrolytes named above; and (3) performance data from a laboratory-scale cell producing oxygen and metal. On the strength of these results it should be possible to assess the technical viability of molten oxide electrolysis for in

  14. Electrolysis byproduct D2O provides a third way to mitigate CO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schenewerk, William Ernest

    2009-01-01

    Rapid atomic power deployment may be possible without using fast breeder reactors or making undue demands on uranium resource. Using by-product D2O and thorium-U233 in CANDU and RBMK piles may circumvent need for either fast breeder reactors or seawater uranium. Atmospheric CO2 is presently increasing 2.25%/year in proportion to 2.25%/year exponential fossil fuel consumption increase. Roughly 1/3 anthropologic CO2 is removed by various CO2 sinks. CO2 removal is modelled as being proportional to 45-year-earlier CO2 amount above 280 ppm-C Water electrolysis produces roughly 0.1 kg-D20/kWe-y. Material balance assumes each electrolysis stage increases D2O bottoms concentration times 3. Except for first two electrolysis stages, all water from hydrogen consumption is returned to electrolysis. The unique characteristic of this process is the ability to economically burn all deuterium-enriched H2 in vehicles. Condensate from vehicles returns to appropriate electrolysis stage. Fuel cell condensate originally from reformed natural gas may augment second-sage feed. Atomic power expansion is 5%/year, giving 55000 GWe by 2100. World primary energy increases 2.25%/y, exceeding 4000 EJ/y by 2100. CO2 maximum is roughly 600 ppm-C around year 2085. CO2 declines back below 300 ppm-C by 2145 if the 45-year-delay seawater sink remains effective

  15. Energy-Efficient and Environmentally Friendly Solid Oxide Membrane Electrolysis Process for Magnesium Oxide Reduction: Experiment and Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guan, Xiaofei; Pal, Uday B.; Powell, Adam C.

    2014-06-01

    This paper reports a solid oxide membrane (SOM) electrolysis experiment using an LSM(La0.8Sr0.2MnO3-δ)-Inconel inert anode current collector for production of magnesium and oxygen directly from magnesium oxide at 1423 K (1150 °C). The electrochemical performance of the SOM cell was evaluated by means of various electrochemical techniques including electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, potentiodynamic scan, and electrolysis. Electronic transference numbers of the flux were measured to assess the magnesium dissolution in the flux during SOM electrolysis. The effects of magnesium solubility in the flux on the current efficiency and the SOM stability during electrolysis are discussed. An inverse correlation between the electronic transference number of the flux and the current efficiency of the SOM electrolysis was observed. Based on the experimental results, a new equivalent circuit of the SOM electrolysis process is presented. A general electrochemical polarization model of SOM process for magnesium and oxygen gas production is developed, and the maximum allowable applied potential to avoid zirconia dissociation is calculated as well. The modeling results suggest that a high electronic resistance of the flux and a relatively low electronic resistance of SOM are required to achieve membrane stability, high current efficiency, and high production rates of magnesium and oxygen.

  16. ANALYSIS OF A POSSIBLE REDUCTION IN ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN WATER ELECTROLYSIS REACTION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aurel George POPESCU

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available It was experimentally observed that the electrolysis reaction continues a short period of time - time torelax c - after the cell power supply is interrupted. This paper presents an analysis of transient phenomenaoccurring and pr opose technical solutions

  17. Lunar Metal Oxide Electrolysis with Oxygen and Photovoltaic Array Production Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curreri, P. A.; Ethridge, E.; Hudson, S.; Sen, S.

    2006-01-01

    This paper presents the results of a Marshall Space Flight Center funded effort to conduct an experimental demonstration of the processing of simulated lunar resources by the molten oxide electrolysis (MOE) process to produce oxygen and metal from lunar resources to support human exploration of space. Oxygen extracted from lunar materials can be used for life support and propellant, and silicon and metallic elements produced can be used for in situ fabrication of thin-film solar cells for power production. The Moon is rich in mineral resources, but it is almost devoid of chemical reducing agents, therefore, molten oxide electrolysis, MOE, is chosen for extraction, since the electron is the most practical reducing agent. MOE was also chosen for following reasons. First, electrolytic processing offers uncommon versatility in its insensitivity to feedstock composition. Secondly, oxide melts boast the twin key attributes of highest solubilizing capacity for regolith and lowest volatility of any candidate electrolytes. The former is critical in ensuring high productivity since cell current is limited by reactant solubility, while the latter simplifies cell design by obviating the need for a gas-tight reactor to contain evaporation losses as would be the case with a gas or liquid phase fluoride reagent operating at such high temperatures. In the experiments reported here, melts containing iron oxide were electrolyzed in a low temperature supporting oxide electrolyte (developed by D. Sadoway, MIT). The production of oxygen and reduced iron were observed. Electrolysis was also performed on the supporting electrolyte with JSC-1 Lunar Simulant. The cell current for the supporting electrolyte alone is negligible while the current for the electrolyte with JSC-1 shows significant current and a peak at about -0.6 V indicating reductive reaction in the simulant.

  18. Phosphate recovery as struvite within a single chamber microbial electrolysis cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cusick, Roland D; Logan, Bruce E

    2012-03-01

    An energy efficient method of concurrent hydrogen gas and struvite (MgNH(4)PO(4)·6H(2)O) production was investigated based on bioelectrochemically driven struvite crystallization at the cathode of a single chamber microbial electrolysis struvite-precipitation cell (MESC). The MESC cathodes were either stainless steel 304 mesh or flat plates. Phosphate removal ranged from 20% to 40%, with higher removals obtained using mesh cathodes than with flat plates. Cathode accumulated crystals were verified as struvite using a scanning electron microscope capable of energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Crystal accumulation did not affect the rate of hydrogen production in struvite reactors. The rate of struvite crystallization (g/m(2)-h) and hydrogen production (m(3)/m(3)-d) were shown to be dependent on applied voltage and cathode material. Overall energy efficiencies (substrate and electricity) were high (73 ± 4%) and not dependent on applied voltage. These results show that MESCs may be useful both as a method for hydrogen gas and struvite production. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Repression of hydrogen uptake using conjugated oligoelectrolytes in microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Hou, Huijie

    2014-11-01

    Copyright © 2014, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. DSBN+, a conjugated oligoelectrolyte (COE), was added to microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) to improve hydrogen recovery. The volume of hydrogen gas recovered in a fedbatch cycle of mixed culture MECs increased by 126× compared to controls (no COE addition), mainly by preventing the loss of hydrogen to methane production. Performance in pure culture MECs fed with Geobacter sulfurreducens increased by factors of 10.5 in terms of energy yield, 2.1 in COD removal, and 11.8 in hydrogen yield. Hydrogen gas recycling was reduced, and the volume of hydrogen gas recovered increased by 6.5× compared to controls. Minimal methane production and a lack of hydrogen gas uptake by G. sulfurreducens suggested that the COEs increased hydrogen recoveries by interfering with hydrogen uptake by hydrogenotrophic methanogens but also by exoelectrogenic bacteria. COEs may therefore be useful for inhibiting the activities of certain hydrogenases, although the mechanism of inhibition needs further investigation.

  20. Phosphate recovery as struvite within a single chamber microbial electrolysis cell

    KAUST Repository

    Cusick, Roland D.

    2012-03-01

    An energy efficient method of concurrent hydrogen gas and struvite (MgNH 4PO 4·6H 2O) production was investigated based on bioelectrochemically driven struvite crystallization at the cathode of a single chamber microbial electrolysis struvite-precipitation cell (MESC). The MESC cathodes were either stainless steel 304 mesh or flat plates. Phosphate removal ranged from 20% to 40%, with higher removals obtained using mesh cathodes than with flat plates. Cathode accumulated crystals were verified as struvite using a scanning electron microscope capable of energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Crystal accumulation did not affect the rate of hydrogen production in struvite reactors. The rate of struvite crystallization (g/m 2-h) and hydrogen production (m 3/m 3-d) were shown to be dependent on applied voltage and cathode material. Overall energy efficiencies (substrate and electricity) were high (73±4%) and not dependent on applied voltage. These results show that MESCs may be useful both as a method for hydrogen gas and struvite production. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

  1. Repression of hydrogen uptake using conjugated oligoelectrolytes in microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Hou, Huijie; Chen, Xiaofen; Liu, Jia; Zhu, Xiuping; Bazan, Guillermo C.; Logan, Bruce E.

    2014-01-01

    Copyright © 2014, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. DSBN+, a conjugated oligoelectrolyte (COE), was added to microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) to improve hydrogen recovery. The volume of hydrogen gas recovered in a fedbatch cycle of mixed culture MECs increased by 126× compared to controls (no COE addition), mainly by preventing the loss of hydrogen to methane production. Performance in pure culture MECs fed with Geobacter sulfurreducens increased by factors of 10.5 in terms of energy yield, 2.1 in COD removal, and 11.8 in hydrogen yield. Hydrogen gas recycling was reduced, and the volume of hydrogen gas recovered increased by 6.5× compared to controls. Minimal methane production and a lack of hydrogen gas uptake by G. sulfurreducens suggested that the COEs increased hydrogen recoveries by interfering with hydrogen uptake by hydrogenotrophic methanogens but also by exoelectrogenic bacteria. COEs may therefore be useful for inhibiting the activities of certain hydrogenases, although the mechanism of inhibition needs further investigation.

  2. Design considerations for a 10-KW integrated hydrogen-oxygen regenerative fuel cell system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoberecht, M.A.; Gonzalez-Sanabria, O.D.; Miller, T.B.; Rieker, L.L.

    1984-01-01

    Integration of an alkaline fuel cell subsystem with an alkaline electrolysis subsystem to form a regenerative fuel cell (RFC) system for low-earth-orbit (LEO) applications characterized by relatively high overall round-trip electrical efficiency, long life, and high reliability is possible with present state-of-the-art technology. A hypothetical 10-kW system is being computer modeled and studied based on data from ongoing contractual efforts in both the alkaline fuel cell and alkaline water electrolysis areas. The alkaline fuel cell technology is being developed under an NASA-LeRC program with United Technologies Corporation (UTC), utilizing advanced cell components and standard Shuttle-Orbiter system hardware. The alkaline electrolysis technology is that of Life Systems, Inc. (LSI), which uses a static water vapor feed technique and scaled-up cell hardware being developed under an NASA-LeRC program. This paper addresses the computeraided study of the performance, operating, and design parameters of the hypothetical system

  3. Comparison of complex effluent treatability in different bench scale microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Ullery, Mark L.

    2014-10-01

    A range of wastewaters and substrates were examined using mini microbial electrolysis cells (mini MECs) to see if they could be used to predict the performance of larger-scale cube MECs. COD removals and coulombic efficiencies corresponded well between the two reactor designs for individual samples, with 66-92% of COD removed for all samples. Current generation was consistent between the reactor types for acetate (AC) and fermentation effluent (FE) samples, but less consistent with industrial (IW) and domestic wastewaters (DW). Hydrogen was recovered from all samples in cube MECs, but gas composition and volume varied significantly between samples. Evidence for direct conversion of substrate to methane was observed with two of the industrial wastewater samples (IW-1 and IW-3). Overall, mini MECs provided organic treatment data that corresponded well with larger scale reactor results, and therefore it was concluded that they can be a useful platform for screening wastewater sources. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

  4. Anode microbial communities produced by changing from microbial fuel cell to microbial electrolysis cell operation using two different wastewaters

    KAUST Repository

    Kiely, Patrick D.; Cusick, Roland; Call, Douglas F.; Selembo, Priscilla A.; Regan, John M.; Logan, Bruce E.

    2011-01-01

    Conditions in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) differ from those in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) due to the intrusion of oxygen through the cathode and the release of H2 gas into solution. Based on 16S rRNA gene clone libraries, anode communities in reactors fed acetic acid decreased in species richness and diversity, and increased in numbers of Geobacter sulfurreducens, when reactors were shifted from MFCs to MECs. With a complex source of organic matter (potato wastewater), the proportion of Geobacteraceae remained constant when MFCs were converted into MECs, but the percentage of clones belonging to G. sulfurreducens decreased and the percentage of G. metallireducens clones increased. A dairy manure wastewater-fed MFC produced little power, and had more diverse microbial communities, but did not generate current in an MEC. These results show changes in Geobacter species in response to the MEC environment and that higher species diversity is not correlated with current. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

  5. Water electrolysis system refurbishment and testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenough, B. M.

    1972-01-01

    The electrolytic oxygen generator for the back-up water electrolysis system in a 90-day manned test was refurbished, improved and subjected to a 182-day bench test. The performance of the system during the test demonstrated the soundness of the basic electrolysis concept, the high development status of the automatic controls which allowed completely hands-off operation, and the capability for orbital operation. Some design improvements are indicated.

  6. Durability of the Solid Oxide Cells for Co-Electrolysis of Steam and Carbon Dioxide under High Current Densities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tao, Youkun

    Production of hydrogen and syngas (CO + H2) using solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) has become increasingly attractive due to high oil price, the capability for conversion and storage of intermittent energy from renewable sources and the general interest in hydrogen energy and carbon...... severe percolation loss of Ni particles. The blocking of the Ni-YSZ TPBs by impurities (e.g. SiOx) also contributed to the fast degradation of SOECs in the initial test period. However, the post-test observation revealed dominating SiOx inclusions inside the Ni grain close to the electrolyte, instead...

  7. Test Plan for Long-Term Operation of a Ten-Cell High Temperature Electrolysis Stack

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    James E. O'Brien; Carl M. Stoots; J. Stephen Herring

    2008-01-01

    This document defines a test plan for a long-term (2500 Hour) test of a ten-cell high-temperature electrolysis stack to be performed at INL during FY09 under the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative. This test was originally planned for FY08, but was removed from our work scope as a result of the severe budget cuts in the FY08 NHI Program. The purpose of this test is to evaluate stack performance degradation over a relatively long time period and to attempt to identify some of the degradation mechanisms via post-test examination. This test will be performed using a planar ten-cell Ceramatec stack, with each cell having dimensions of 10 cm x 10 cm. The specific makeup of the stack will be based on the results of a series of shorter duration ten-cell stack tests being performed during FY08, funded by NGNP. This series of tests was aimed at evaluating stack performance with different interconnect materials and coatings and with or without brazed edge rails. The best performing stack from the FY08 series, in which five different interconnect/coating/edge rail combinations were tested, will be selected for the FY09 long-term test described herein

  8. Influence from sea water constituents on the efficiency of water electrolysis by PEM-cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Agersted, Karsten; Bentzen, Janet Jonna; Yde-Andersen, S.

    Among the sea-water specific impurities tested, magnesium has the most profound effect on PEM-cell degradation. Significant amounts of the cation was retrieved in the NAFION®-membrane structure after testing. Degradation was seen from a magnesium concentration as low as 3 10-7 mol/l, and increasing...... with concentration it led to a 86% increase of the area specific resistance at a concentration of 3 10-5 mol/l; equivalent to a conductivity of ~5 μS/cm. Other species (Cl-, Na+, SO4 2- ) seems to affect, though slowly, the performance negatively. If PEM will be used for electrolysis it seems therefore necessary...... to purify the feed water to ~1 μS/cm or even further while particularly focusing on the concentrations of polyvalent cations. e.g. magnesium....

  9. Optimization studies of bio-hydrogen production in a coupled microbial electrolysis-dye sensitized solar cell system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ajayi, Folusho Francis; Kim, Kyoung-Yeol; Chae, Kyu-Jung; Choi, Mi-Jin; Chang, In Seop; Kim, In S

    2010-03-01

    Bio-hydrogen production in light-assisted microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) with a dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) was optimized by connecting multiple MECs to a single dye (N719) sensitized solar cell (V(OC) approx. 0.7 V). Hydrogen production occurred simultaneously in all the connected MECs when the solar cell was irradiated with light. The amount of hydrogen produced in each MEC depends on the activity of the microbial catalyst on their anode. Substrate (acetate) to hydrogen conversion efficiencies ranging from 42% to 65% were obtained from the reactors during the experiment. A moderate light intensity of 430 W m(-2) was sufficient for hydrogen production in the coupled MEC-DSSC. A higher light intensity of 915 W m(-2), as well as an increase in substrate concentration, did not show any improvement in the current density due to limitation caused by the rate of microbial oxidation on the anode. A significant reduction in the surface area of the connected DSSC only showed a slight effect on current density in the coupled MEC-DSSC system when irradiated with light.

  10. Chemically durable polymer electrolytes for solid-state alkaline water electrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Eun Joo; Capuano, Christopher B.; Ayers, Katherine E.; Bae, Chulsung

    2018-01-01

    Generation of high purity hydrogen using electrochemical splitting of water is one of the most promising methods for sustainable fuel production. The materials to be used as solid-state electrolytes for alkaline water electrolyzer require high thermochemical stability against hydroxide ion attack in alkaline environment during the operation of electrolysis. In this study, two quaternary ammonium-tethered aromatic polymers were synthesized and investigated for anion exchange membrane (AEM)-based alkaline water electrolyzer. The membranes properties including ion exchange capacity (IEC), water uptake, swelling degree, and anion conductivity were studied. The membranes composed of all C-C bond polymer backbones and flexible side chain terminated by cation head groups exhibited remarkably good chemical stability by maintaining structural integrity in 1 M NaOH solution at 95 °C for 60 days. Initial electrochemical performance and steady-state operation performance were evaluated, and both membranes showed a good stabilization of the cell voltage during the steady-state operation at the constant current density at 200 mA/cm2. Although both membranes in current form require improvement in mechanical stability to afford better durability in electrolysis operation, the next generation AEMs based on this report could lead to potentially viable AEM candidates which can provide high electrolysis performance under alkaline operating condition.

  11. Integrated hydrogen production process from cellulose by combining dark fermentation, microbial fuel cells, and a microbial electrolysis cell

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Aijie

    2011-03-01

    Hydrogen gas production from cellulose was investigated using an integrated hydrogen production process consisting of a dark fermentation reactor and microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as power sources for a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC). Two MFCs (each 25mL) connected in series to an MEC (72mL) produced a maximum of 0.43V using fermentation effluent as a feed, achieving a hydrogen production rate from the MEC of 0.48m 3 H 2/m 3/d (based on the MEC volume), and a yield of 33.2mmol H 2/g COD removed in the MEC. The overall hydrogen production for the integrated system (fermentation, MFC and MEC) was increased by 41% compared with fermentation alone to 14.3mmol H 2/g cellulose, with a total hydrogen production rate of 0.24m 3 H 2/m 3/d and an overall energy recovery efficiency of 23% (based on cellulose removed) without the need for any external electrical energy input. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

  12. Integrated hydrogen production process from cellulose by combining dark fermentation, microbial fuel cells, and a microbial electrolysis cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Aijie; Sun, Dan; Cao, Guangli; Wang, Haoyu; Ren, Nanqi; Wu, Wei-Min; Logan, Bruce E

    2011-03-01

    Hydrogen gas production from cellulose was investigated using an integrated hydrogen production process consisting of a dark fermentation reactor and microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as power sources for a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC). Two MFCs (each 25 mL) connected in series to an MEC (72 mL) produced a maximum of 0.43 V using fermentation effluent as a feed, achieving a hydrogen production rate from the MEC of 0.48 m(3) H(2)/m(3)/d (based on the MEC volume), and a yield of 33.2 mmol H(2)/g COD removed in the MEC. The overall hydrogen production for the integrated system (fermentation, MFC and MEC) was increased by 41% compared with fermentation alone to 14.3 mmol H(2)/g cellulose, with a total hydrogen production rate of 0.24 m(3) H(2)/m(3)/d and an overall energy recovery efficiency of 23% (based on cellulose removed) without the need for any external electrical energy input. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Reversibility of the SOFC for the hydrogen production by high temperature electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brisse, A.; Marrony, M.; Perednis, D.; Schefold, J.; Jose-Garcia, M.; Zahid, M.

    2007-01-01

    The behaviour of two SOFC cells in electrolysis mode is studied. The performances of these solid oxide cells, reversible at 800 C and for current densities between 0 and -0.42 A/cm 2 , are presented. A weaker polarisation resistance has been measured for the cell containing a mixed conductor as oxygen electrode. For each cell, a limitation by gaseous diffusion has been observed under current. This phenomenon appears for current densities which are higher for the mixed conductor cell as oxygen electrode. (O.M.)

  14. Degradation of solid oxide cells during co-electrolysis of steam and carbon dioxide at high current densities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tao, Youkun; Ebbesen, Sune Dalgaard; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

    2016-01-01

    and ∼15 μm LSM–YSZ oxygen electrode. The gas conversion was 45% at −1.5 A cm−2 and 60% at −2.0 A cm−2, and the operating durations were up to 700 h. The detailed electrochemical analysis revealed significant increase of the ohmic resistance, oxide ion transport resistance in the Ni–YSZ composite......In this work, the durability of Ni–YSZ based solid oxide cells was investigated during co-electrolysis of steam and carbon dioxide (45% H2O + 45% CO2 + 10% H2) at current density of −1.5 or −2.0 A cm−2. The cell consists of ∼300 μm Ni–YSZ support, ∼10 μm Ni–YSZ electrode, ∼10 μm YSZ electrolyte...

  15. The impact of anode acclimation strategy on microbial electrolysis cell treating hydrogen fermentation effluent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiaohu; Zhang, Ruizhe; Qian, Yawei; Angelidaki, Irini; Zhang, Yifeng

    2017-07-01

    The impact of different anode acclimation methods for enhancing hydrogen production in microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) was investigated in this study. The anodes were first acclimated in microbial fuel cells using acetate, butyrate and corn stalk fermentation effluent (CSFE) as substrate before moving into MECs, respectively. Subsequently, CSFE was used as feedstock in all the three MECs. The maximum hydrogen yield with the anode pre-acclimated with butyrate (5.21±0.24L H 2 /L CSFE) was higher than that pre-acclimated with acetate (4.22±0.19L H 2 /L CSFE) and CSFE (4.55±0.14L H 2 /L CSFE). The current density (480±11A/m 3 ) and hydrogen production rate (4.52±0.13m 3 /m 3 /d) with the anode pre-acclimated with butyrate were also higher that another two reactors. These results demonstrated that the anode biofilm pre-acclimated with butyrate has significant advantages in CSFE treatment and could improve the performance of hydrogen production in MEC. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Methanobacterium Dominates Biocathodic Archaeal Communities in Methanogenic Microbial Electrolysis Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Siegert, Michael

    2015-07-06

    © 2015 American Chemical Society. Methane is the primary end product from cathodic current in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) in the absence of methanogenic inhibitors, but little is known about the archaeal communities that develop in these systems. MECs containing cathodes made from different materials (carbon brushes, or plain graphite blocks or blocks coated with carbon black and platinum, stainless steel, nickel, ferrihydrite, magnetite, iron sulfide, or molybdenum disulfide) were inoculated with anaerobic digester sludge and acclimated at a set potential of -600 mV (versus a standard hydrogen electrode). The archaeal communities on all cathodes, except those coated with platinum, were predominated by Methanobacterium (median 97% of archaea). Cathodes with platinum contained mainly archaea most similar to Methanobrevibacter. Neither of these methanogens were abundant (<0.1% of archaea) in the inoculum, and therefore their high abundance on the cathode resulted from selective enrichment. In contrast, bacterial communities on the cathode were more diverse, containing primarily δ-Proteobacteria (41% of bacteria). The lack of a consistent bacterial genus on the cathodes indicated that there was no similarly selective enrichment of bacteria on the cathode. These results suggest that the genus Methanobacterium was primarily responsible for methane production in MECs when cathodes lack efficient catalysts for hydrogen gas evolution. (Figure Presented).

  17. Mathematical Analysis of High-Temperature Co-electrolysis of CO2 and O2 Production in a Closed-Loop Atmosphere Revitalization System

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Michael G. McKellar; Manohar S. Sohal; Lila Mulloth; Bernadette Luna; Morgan B. Abney

    2010-03-01

    NASA has been evaluating two closed-loop atmosphere revitalization architectures based on Sabatier and Bosch carbon dioxide, CO2, reduction technologies. The CO2 and steam, H2O, co-electrolysis process is another option that NASA has investigated. Utilizing recent advances in the fuel cell technology sector, the Idaho National Laboratory, INL, has developed a CO2 and H2O co-electrolysis process to produce oxygen and syngas (carbon monoxide, CO and hydrogen, H2 mixture) for terrestrial (energy production) application. The technology is a combined process that involves steam electrolysis, CO2 electrolysis, and the reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction. A number of process models have been developed and analyzed to determine the theoretical power required to recover oxygen, O2, in each case. These models include the current Sabatier and Bosch technologies and combinations of those processes with high-temperature co-electrolysis. The cases of constant CO2 supply and constant O2 production were evaluated. In addition, a process model of the hydrogenation process with co-electrolysis was developed and compared. Sabatier processes require the least amount of energy input per kg of oxygen produced. If co-electrolysis replaces solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) electrolysis within the Sabatier architecture, the power requirement is reduced by over 10%, but only if heat recuperation is used. Sabatier processes, however, require external water to achieve the lower power results. Under conditions of constant incoming carbon dioxide flow, the Sabatier architectures require more power than the other architectures. The Bosch, Boudouard with co-electrolysis, and the hydrogenation with co-electrolysis processes require little or no external water. The Bosch and hydrogenation processes produce water within their reactors, which aids in reducing the power requirement for electrolysis. The Boudouard with co-electrolysis process has a higher electrolysis power requirement because carbon

  18. Heterogeneous anion conducting membranes based on linear and crosslinked KOH doped polybenzimidazole for alkaline water electrolysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aili, David; Hansen, Martin Kalmar; Renzaho, Richard Fulgence

    2013-01-01

    Polybenzimidazole is a highly hygroscopic polymer that can be doped with aqueous KOH to give a material with high ion conductivity in the 10−2Scm−1 range, which in combination with its low gas permeability makes it an interesting electrolyte material for alkaline water electrolysis. In this study...... on their linear counterpart. The technical feasibility of the membranes was evaluated by the preliminary water electrolysis tests showing performance comparable to that of commercially available cell separators with great potential of further improvement....

  19. Thermodynamic analysis of the efficiency of high-temperature steam electrolysis system for hydrogen production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mingyi, Liu; Bo, Yu; Jingming, Xu; Jing, Chen

    High-temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE), a reversible process of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) in principle, is a promising method for highly efficient large-scale hydrogen production. In our study, the overall efficiency of the HTSE system was calculated through electrochemical and thermodynamic analysis. A thermodynamic model in regards to the efficiency of the HTSE system was established and the quantitative effects of three key parameters, electrical efficiency (η el), electrolysis efficiency (η es), and thermal efficiency (η th) on the overall efficiency (η overall) of the HTSE system were investigated. Results showed that the contribution of η el, η es, η th to the overall efficiency were about 70%, 22%, and 8%, respectively. As temperatures increased from 500 °C to 1000 °C, the effect of η el on η overall decreased gradually and the η es effect remained almost constant, while the η th effect increased gradually. The overall efficiency of the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) coupled with the HTSE system under different conditions was also calculated. With the increase of electrical, electrolysis, and thermal efficiency, the overall efficiencies were anticipated to increase from 33% to a maximum of 59% at 1000 °C, which is over two times higher than that of the conventional alkaline water electrolysis.

  20. A microbial fluidized electrode electrolysis cell (MFEEC) for enhanced hydrogen production

    KAUST Repository

    Liu, Jia

    2014-12-01

    A microbial fluidized electrode electrolysis cell (MFEEC) was used to enhance hydrogen gas production from dissolved organic matter. Flowable granular activated carbon (GAC) particles were used to provide additional surface area for growth of exoelectrogenic bacteria. The use of this exoelectrogenic biofilm on the GAC particles with fluidization produced higher current densities and hydrogen gas recoveries than controls (no recirculation or no GAC), due to intermittent contact of the capacitive particles with the anode. The total cumulative charge of 1688C m-2 with the MFEEC reactor (a recirculation flow rate of 19 mL min-1) was 20% higher than that of the control reactor (no GAC). The highest hydrogen gas yield of 0.82 ± 0.01 mol-H2/mol-acetate (17 mL min-1) was 39% higher than that obtained without recirculation (0.59 ± 0.01 mol-H 2/mol-acetate), and 116% higher than that of the control (no GAC, without recirculation). These results show that flowable GAC particles provide a useful approach for enhancing hydrogen gas production in bioelectrochemical systems. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Development of Non-Platinum Catalysts for Intermediate Temperature Water Electrolysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nikiforov, Aleksey Valerievich; Petrushina, Irina Michailovna; Bjerrum, Niels J.

    2014-01-01

    Water electrolysis is recognized as an efficient energy storage (in the form of hydrogen) supplement in renewable energy production. However, industrial alkaline water electrolyzers are rather ineffective and space requiring for a commercial use in connection with energy storage. The most effective...... modern water electrolyzers are based on polymeric proton-conducting membrane electrolytes (PEM), e.g. Nafion®, a perfluorocarbon-sulfonic acid polymer. These electrolyzers work at temperatures up to around 80 °C, and, in extreme cases, up to 130-140 °C. The most developed PEM electrolyzers...... as electrolytes for the intermediate temperature applications, such as CsHSO4, KHSO45. The most successful systems have been developed with CsH2PO4 (solid acid fuel cells (SAFCs) and Sn0.9In0.1P2O7 electrolytes6,7. While developing materials for the promising medium temperature electrolysis systems...

  2. Fused salt electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ares, Osvaldo; Botbol, Jose.

    1989-01-01

    Working conditions for zirconium preparation by fused salt electrolysis were studied. For such purpose, a cell was built for operation under argon atmosphere. A graphite crucible served as anode, with steel cathodes. Proper design allowed cathode rechange under the inert atmosphere. Cathodic deposits of zirconium powder occluded salts from the bath. After washing with both water and hydrochloric acid, the metallic powder was consolidated by fusion. Optimum operating conditions were found to arise from an electrolyte of 12% potassium hexafluorzirconate -88% sodium chloride, at 820 deg C and 5 A/cm 2 cathodic current density. Deposits contained 35% of metal and current efficiency reached 66%. The powder contained up to 600 ppm of chlorine and 1.700 ppm of fluorine; after fusion, those amounts decreased to 2 ppm and 3 ppm respectively, with low proportion of metallic impurities. Though oxygen proportion was 4.500 ppm, it should be lowered by improving working conditions, as well as working on an ampler scale. (Author)

  3. The electrolysis of water: An actuation principle for MEMS with a big opportunity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rusu, C.R.; Neagu, Cristina; Jansen, Henricus V.; Gardeniers, Johannes G.E.; Elwenspoek, Michael Curt

    In this paper the theory of water electrolysis in a closed electrochemical cell, that contains two electrodes, an electrolyte and a pressure sensor is described. From the leakage and electrochemical experiments done with this macrocell it is possible to obtain information about the applicability of

  4. Efficiency of tritium measurement in the environmental water by electrolysis enrichment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koganezawa, T.; Iida, T. [Nagoya Univ., Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya, Aichi (Japan); Sakuma, Y.; Yamanishi, H. [National Inst. for Fusion Science, Toki, Gifu (Japan); Ogata, Y. [Nagoya Univ., School of Health Sciences, Nagoya, Aichi (Japan); Tsuji, N. [Japan Air-conditioning Service Co. and Ltd., Nagoya, Aichi (Japan); Kakiuchi, M. [Gakushuin Univ., Faculty of Science, Tokyo (Japan); Satake, H. [Toyama Univ., Faculty of Science, Toyama (Japan)

    2002-06-01

    Now tritium concentration in the environmental water is 0.5-2 Bq{center_dot}L{sup -1} in Japan. Tritium concentration cannot be measured accurately by liquid scintillation method, because the minimum detectable limits of liquid scintillation method is 0.5 Bq{center_dot}L{sup -1}. Therefore, one needs to enrich tritium concentration in the environmental water. Although the most popular method for tritium enrichment is electrolysis, the electrolysis takes much time and labor for distilling sample water at before and after the electrolysis. The purpose of this study is to investigate the possibility of more convenient method for tritium measurement. The method substitutes filtration for distillation at before electrolysis and omits distillation at after electrolysis. The method enables by using the electrolysis with solid polymer electrode. We performed two kinds of experiment to confirm the possibility of the method. First, impurities eluted from electrolysis installation with ultra pure water as sample was measured. Some impurities were eluted into the sample, but they brought noneffective quenching. Secondly, we applied new method to the environmental waters. Substituting for distillation, two filtration, 0.1 {mu}m filtration and reverse osmosis method, were investigated. Impurities in the samples by the filtrations were somewhat higher than that by the distillation, they brought noneffective quenching. We, however, observed distemper of the electrolysis happened by electrolysing filtered sample. Distillation is substituted filtration at before enrichment and omitted at after enrichment, leaving the influence of quenching out of consideration. (author)

  5. Efficiency of tritium measurement in the environmental water by electrolysis enrichment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koganezawa, T.; Iida, T.; Sakuma, Y.; Yamanishi, H.; Ogata, Y.; Tsuji, N.; Kakiuchi, M.; Satake, H.

    2002-01-01

    Now tritium concentration in the environmental water is 0.5-2 Bq·L -1 in Japan. Tritium concentration cannot be measured accurately by liquid scintillation method, because the minimum detectable limits of liquid scintillation method is 0.5 Bq·L -1 . Therefore, one needs to enrich tritium concentration in the environmental water. Although the most popular method for tritium enrichment is electrolysis, the electrolysis takes much time and labor for distilling sample water at before and after the electrolysis. The purpose of this study is to investigate the possibility of more convenient method for tritium measurement. The method substitutes filtration for distillation at before electrolysis and omits distillation at after electrolysis. The method enables by using the electrolysis with solid polymer electrode. We performed two kinds of experiment to confirm the possibility of the method. First, impurities eluted from electrolysis installation with ultra pure water as sample was measured. Some impurities were eluted into the sample, but they brought noneffective quenching. Secondly, we applied new method to the environmental waters. Substituting for distillation, two filtration, 0.1 μm filtration and reverse osmosis method, were investigated. Impurities in the samples by the filtrations were somewhat higher than that by the distillation, they brought noneffective quenching. We, however, observed distemper of the electrolysis happened by electrolysing filtered sample. Distillation is substituted filtration at before enrichment and omitted at after enrichment, leaving the influence of quenching out of consideration. (author)

  6. Electrolysis with diamond anodes: Eventually, there are refractory species!

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mena, Ismael F; Cotillas, Salvador; Díaz, Elena; Sáez, Cristina; Rodríguez, Juan J; Cañizares, P; Mohedano, Ángel F; Rodrigo, Manuel A

    2018-03-01

    In this work, synthetic wastewater polluted with ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium (Bmim) bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (NTf 2 ) undergoes four electrolytic treatments with diamond anodes (bare electrolysis, electrolysis enhanced with peroxosulfate promoters, irradiated with UV light and with US) and results obtained were compared with those obtained with the application of Catalytic Wet Peroxide Oxidation (CWPO). Despite its complex heterocyclic structure, Bmim + cation is successfully depleted with the five technologies tested, being transformed into intermediates that eventually can be mineralized. Photoelectrolysis attained the lowest concentration of intermediates, while CWPO is the technology less efficient in their degradation. However, the most surprising result is that concentration of NTf 2 - anion does not change during the five advanced oxidation processes tested, pointing out its strong refractory character, being the first species that exhibits this character in wastewater undergoing electrolysis with diamond. This means that the hydroxyl and sulfate radicals mediated oxidation and the direct electrolysis are inefficient for breaking the C-S, C-F and S-N bounds of the NTf 2 - anion, which is a very interesting mechanistic information to understand the complex processes undergone in electrolysis with diamond. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Design and Modelling of a Microfluidic Electro-Lysis Device with Controlling Plates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenkins, A.; Chen, C. P.; Spearing, S.; Monaco, L. A.; Steele, A.; Flores, G.

    2006-04-01

    Many Lab-on-Chip applications require sample pre-treatment systems. Using electric fields to perform cell lysis in bio-MEMS systems has provided a powerful tool which can be integrated into Lab-on-a- Chip platforms. The major design considerations for electro-lysis devices include optimal geometry and placement of micro-electrodes, cell concentration, flow rates, optimal electric field (e.g. pulsed DC vs. AC), etc. To avoid electrolysis of the flowing solution at the exposed electrode surfaces, magnitudes and the applied voltages and duration of the DC pulse, or the AC frequency of the AC, have to be optimized for a given configuration. Using simulation tools for calculation of electric fields has proved very useful, for exploring alternative configurations and operating conditions for achieving electro cell-lysis. To alleviate the problem associated with low electric fields within the microfluidics channel and the high voltage demand on the contact electrode strips, two ''control plates'' are added to the microfluidics configuration. The principle of placing the two controlling plate-electrodes is based on the electric fields generated by a combined insulator/dielectric (glass/water) media. Surface charges are established at the insulator/dielectric interface. This paper discusses the effects of this interface charge on the modification of the electric field of the flowing liquid/cell solution.

  8. Preliminary estimations on the heat recovery method for hydrogen production by the high temperature steam electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koh, Jae Hwa; Yoon, Duck Joo

    2009-01-01

    As a part of the project 'development of hydrogen production technologies by high temperature electrolysis using very high temperature reactor', we have developed an electrolyzer model for high temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) system and carried out some preliminary estimations on the effects of heat recovery on the HTSE hydrogen production system. To produce massive hydrogen by using nuclear energy, the HTSE process is one of the promising technologies with sulfur-iodine and hybrid sulfur process. The HTSE produces hydrogen through electrochemical reaction within the solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC), which is a reverse reaction of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The HTSE system generally operates in the temperature range of 700∼900 .deg. C. Advantages of HTSE hydrogen production are (a) clean hydrogen production from water without carbon oxide emission, (b) synergy effect due to using the current SOFC technology and (c) higher thermal efficiency of system when it is coupled nuclear reactor. Since the HTSE system operates over 700 .deg. C, the use of heat recovery is an important consideration for higher efficiency. In this paper, four different heat recovery configurations for the HTSE system have been investigated and estimated

  9. High-temperature electrolysis of CO2-enriched mixtures by using fuel-electrode supported La0.6Sr0.4CoO3/YSZ/Ni-YSZ solid oxide cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Si-Won; Bae, Yonggyun; Yoon, Kyung Joong; Lee, Jong-Ho; Lee, Jong-Heun; Hong, Jongsup

    2018-02-01

    To mitigate CO2 emissions, its reduction by high-temperature electrolysis using solid oxide cells is extensively investigated, for which excessive steam supply is assumed. However, such condition may degrade its feasibility due to massive energy required for generating hot steam, implying the needs for lowering steam demand. In this study, high-temperature electrolysis of CO2-enriched mixtures by using fuel-electrode supported La0.6Sr0.4CoO3/YSZ/Ni-YSZ solid oxide cells is considered to satisfy such needs. The effect of internal and external steam supply on its electrochemical performance and gas productivity is elucidated. It is shown that the steam produced in-situ inside the fuel-electrode by a reverse water gas shift reaction may decrease significantly the electrochemical resistance of dry CO2-fed operations, attributed to self-sustaining positive thermo-electrochemical reaction loop. This mechanism is conspicuous at low current density, whereas it is no longer effective at high current density in which total reactant concentrations for electrolysis is critical. To overcome such limitations, a small amount of external steam supply to the CO2-enriched feed stream may be needed, but this lowers the CO2 conversion and CO/H2 selectivity. Based on these results, it is discussed that there can be minimum steam supply sufficient for guaranteeing both low electrochemical resistance and high gas productivity.

  10. Factors in electrode fabrication for performance enhancement of anion exchange membrane water electrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Min Kyung; Park, Hee-Young; Choe, Seunghoe; Yoo, Sung Jong; Kim, Jin Young; Kim, Hyoung-Juhn; Henkensmeier, Dirk; Lee, So Young; Sung, Yung-Eun; Park, Hyun S.; Jang, Jong Hyun

    2017-04-01

    To improve the cell performance for alkaline anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE), the effects of the amount of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) non-ionomeric binder in the anode and the hot-pressing conditions during the fabrication of the membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) on cell performances are studied. The electrochemical impedance data indicates that hot-pressing at 50 °C for 1 min during MEA construction can reduce the polarization resistance of AEMWE by ∼12%, and increase the initial water electrolysis current density at 1.8 V (from 195 to 243 mA cm-2). The electrochemical polarization and impedance results also suggest that the AEMWE performance is significantly affected by the content of PTFE binder in the anode electrode, and the optimal content is found to be 9 wt% between 5 and 20 wt%. The AEMWE device fabricated with the optimized parameters exhibits good water splitting performance (299 mA cm-2 at 1.8 V) without noticeable degradation in voltage cycling operations.

  11. Energy-positive wastewater treatment and desalination in an integrated microbial desalination cell (MDC)-microbial electrolysis cell (MEC)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yan; Styczynski, Jordyn; Huang, Yuankai; Xu, Zhiheng; McCutcheon, Jeffrey; Li, Baikun

    2017-07-01

    Simultaneous removal of nitrogen in municipal wastewater, metal in industrial wastewater and saline in seawater was achieved in an integrated microbial desalination cell-microbial electrolysis cell (MDC-MEC) system. Batch tests showed that more than 95.1% of nitrogen was oxidized by nitrification in the cathode of MDC and reduced by heterotrophic denitrification in the anode of MDC within 48 h, leading to the total nitrogen removal rate of 4.07 mg L-1 h-1. Combining of nitrogen removal and desalination in MDC effectively solved the problem of pH fluctuation in anode and cathode, and led to 63.7% of desalination. Power generation of MDC (293.7 mW m-2) was 2.9 times higher than the one without salt solution. The electric power of MDC was harvested by a capacitor circuit to supply metal reduction in a MEC, and 99.5% of lead (II) was removed within 48 h. A kinetic MDC model was developed to elucidate the correlation of voltage output and desalination efficiency. Ratio of wastewater and sea water was calculated for MDC optimal operation. Energy balance of nutrient removal, metal removal and desalination in the MDC-MEC system was positive (0.0267 kW h m-3), demonstrating the promise of utilizing low power output of MDCs.

  12. Tritium experiments on components for fusion fuel processing at the Tritium Systems Test Assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konishi, S.; Yoshida, H.; Naruse, Y.; Carlson, R.V.; Binning, K.E.; Bartlit, J.R.; Anderson, J.L.

    1990-01-01

    Under a collaborative agreement between US and Japan, two tritium processing components, a palladium diffuser and a ceramic electrolysis cell have been tested with tritium for application to a Fuel Cleanup System (FCU) for plasma exhaust processing at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The fundamental characteristics, compatibility with tritium, impurities effects with tritium, and long-term behavior of the components, were studied over a three year period. Based on these studies, an integrated process loop, ''JAERI Fuel Cleanup System'' equipped with above components was installed at the TSTA for full scale demonstration of the plasma exhaust reprocessing

  13. Titanium metal obtention by fused salts electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perillo, P.M.; Ares, Osvaldo; Botbol, Jose.

    1989-01-01

    Potassium fluorotitanate dissolved in fused sodium chloride or potassium chloride may be electrolyzed under an inert gas atmosphere. Solid electrolysis products are formed on the cathode which contains titanium metal, sodium chloride, lower fluorotitanates and small quantities of alkali metal fluorotitanate. The extraction of titanium from the electrolysis products may be carried out by aqueous leaching (removal of chloride salts of alkali metals and a certain amount of fluorotitanates). Titanium metal obtained is relatively pure. (Author)

  14. Intermediate Temperature Steam Electrolysis with Phosphate-Based Electrolytes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Prag, Carsten Brorson

    as the technological issues and challenges faced. A setup suitable for intermediate temperature electrolysis has been constructed in order to accommodate testing in the IT region. This included the evaluation of multiple generations of components such as end plates and flow plates. Chemical vapour deposition...... treatment step of the synthesis. It was found that initial heating of the synthesis precursors to 270 _C gave a high quality sample in a reproducible fashion. Investigations of two additional novel phosphates was attempted. These were phosphoric acid treated Nb5P7O30 and a mixture of Bi2P4O13, BiPO4 and 2...

  15. Alkaline membrane water electrolysis with non-noble catalysts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kraglund, Mikkel Rykær

    at 1.7 V and 2800 mA cm-2 at 2.0 V. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data showed a 6-fold reduction in ohmic cell resistance compared to conventional materials. Albeit good performance, ex-situ characterization and durability tests showed that polymer backbone and membrane stability remained......As renewable energy sources reach higher grid penetration, large scale energy storage solutions are becoming increasingly important. Hydrogen produced with renewable energy by water electrolysis is currently the only option to solve this challenge on a global scale, and green hydrogen is essential...

  16. Test results of six-month test of two water electrolysis systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mills, E. S.; Wells, G. W.

    1972-01-01

    The two water electrolysis systems used in the NASA space station simulation 90-day manned test of a regenerative life support system were refurbished as required and subjected to 26-weeks of testing. The two electrolysis units are both promising systems for oxygen and hydrogen generation and both needed extensive long-term testing to evaluate the performance of the respective cell design and provide guidance for further development. Testing was conducted to evaluate performance in terms of current, pressure, variable oxygen demands, and orbital simulation. An automatic monitoring system was used to record, monitor and printout performance data at one minute, ten minute or one-hour intervals. Performance data is presented for each day of system operation for each module used during the day. Failures are analyzed, remedial action taken to eliminate problems is discussed and recommendations for redesign for future space applications are stated.

  17. Advanced alkaline water electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marini, Stefania; Salvi, Paolo; Nelli, Paolo; Pesenti, Rachele; Villa, Marco; Berrettoni, Mario; Zangari, Giovanni; Kiros, Yohannes

    2012-01-01

    A short review on the fundamental and technological issues relevant to water electrolysis in alkaline and proton exchange membrane (PEM) devices is given. Due to price and limited availability of the platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts they currently employ, PEM electrolyzers have scant possibilities of being employed in large-scale hydrogen production. The importance and recent advancements in the development of catalysts without PGMs are poised to benefit more the field of alkaline electrolysis rather than that of PEM devices. This paper presents our original data which demonstrate that an advanced alkaline electrolyzer with performances rivaling those of PEM electrolyzers can be made without PGM and with catalysts of high stability and durability. Studies on the advantages/limitations of electrolyzers with different architectures do show how a judicious application of pressure differentials in a recirculating electrolyte scheme helps reduce mass transport limitations, increasing efficiency and power density.

  18. Hydrogen production with nickel powder cathode catalysts in microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Selembo, Priscilla A.

    2010-01-01

    Although platinum is commonly used as catalyst on the cathode in microbial electrolysis cells (MEC), non-precious metal alternatives are needed to reduce costs. Cathodes were constructed using a nickel powder (0.5-1 μm) and their performance was compared to conventional electrodes containing Pt (0.002 μm) in MECs and electrochemical tests. The MEC performance in terms of coulombic efficiency, cathodic, hydrogen and energy recoveries were similar using Ni or Pt cathodes, although the maximum hydrogen production rate (Q) was slightly lower for Ni (Q = 1.2-1.3 m3 H2/m3/d; 0.6 V applied) than Pt (1.6 m3 H2/m3/d). Nickel dissolution was minimized by replacing medium in the reactor under anoxic conditions. The stability of the Ni particles was confirmed by examining the cathodes after 12 MEC cycles using scanning electron microscopy and linear sweep voltammetry. Analysis of the anodic communities in these reactors revealed dominant populations of Geobacter sulfurreduces and Pelobacter propionicus. These results demonstrate that nickel powder can be used as a viable alternative to Pt in MECs, allowing large scale production of cathodes with similar performance to systems that use precious metal catalysts. © 2009 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu.

  19. Electromagnetic radiation during electrolysis of heavy water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koval'chuk, E.P.; Yanchuk, O.M.; Reshetnyak, O.V.

    1994-01-01

    The radiation in the visible and ultraviolet spectral regions during electrolysis of heavy water on nickel and palladium cathodes was determined for the first time. A sharp jump of the intensity photon flow was observed at a current density of higher than 125 mA/cm 2 . A hypothesis about the relation of the electrochemiluminescence phenomenon during electrolysis of heavy water with the formation of fresh surfaces in consequence of the hydrogenous corrosion of the cathode material is formulated. ((orig.))

  20. Method of nickel-plating large components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilbuer, K.

    1997-01-01

    The invention concerns a method of nickel-plating components, according to which even large components can be provided with an adequate layer of nickel which is pore- and stress-free and such that water is not lost. According to the invention, the component is heated and, after heating, is pickled, rinsed, scoured, plated in an electrolysis process, and rinsed again. (author)

  1. Treatability studies on different refinery wastewater samples using high-throughput microbial electrolysis cells (MECs)

    KAUST Repository

    Ren, Lijiao; Siegert, Michael; Ivanov, Ivan; Pisciotta, John M.; Logan, Bruce E.

    2013-01-01

    High-throughput microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) were used to perform treatability studies on many different refinery wastewater samples all having appreciably different characteristics, which resulted in large differences in current generation. A de-oiled refinery wastewater sample from one site (DOW1) produced the best results, with 2.1±0.2A/m2 (maximum current density), 79% chemical oxygen demand removal, and 82% headspace biological oxygen demand removal. These results were similar to those obtained using domestic wastewater. Two other de-oiled refinery wastewater samples also showed good performance, with a de-oiled oily sewer sample producing less current. A stabilization lagoon sample and a stripped sour wastewater sample failed to produce appreciable current. Electricity production, organics removal, and startup time were improved when the anode was first acclimated to domestic wastewater. These results show mini-MECs are an effective method for evaluating treatability of different wastewaters. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

  2. Real-time monitoring of a microbial electrolysis cell using an electrical equivalent circuit model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussain, S A; Perrier, M; Tartakovsky, B

    2018-04-01

    Efforts in developing microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) resulted in several novel approaches for wastewater treatment and bioelectrosynthesis. Practical implementation of these approaches necessitates the development of an adequate system for real-time (on-line) monitoring and diagnostics of MEC performance. This study describes a simple MEC equivalent electrical circuit (EEC) model and a parameter estimation procedure, which enable such real-time monitoring. The proposed approach involves MEC voltage and current measurements during its operation with periodic power supply connection/disconnection (on/off operation) followed by parameter estimation using either numerical or analytical solution of the model. The proposed monitoring approach is demonstrated using a membraneless MEC with flow-through porous electrodes. Laboratory tests showed that changes in the influent carbon source concentration and composition significantly affect MEC total internal resistance and capacitance estimated by the model. Fast response of these EEC model parameters to changes in operating conditions enables the development of a model-based approach for real-time monitoring and fault detection.

  3. Treatability studies on different refinery wastewater samples using high-throughput microbial electrolysis cells (MECs)

    KAUST Repository

    Ren, Lijiao

    2013-05-01

    High-throughput microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) were used to perform treatability studies on many different refinery wastewater samples all having appreciably different characteristics, which resulted in large differences in current generation. A de-oiled refinery wastewater sample from one site (DOW1) produced the best results, with 2.1±0.2A/m2 (maximum current density), 79% chemical oxygen demand removal, and 82% headspace biological oxygen demand removal. These results were similar to those obtained using domestic wastewater. Two other de-oiled refinery wastewater samples also showed good performance, with a de-oiled oily sewer sample producing less current. A stabilization lagoon sample and a stripped sour wastewater sample failed to produce appreciable current. Electricity production, organics removal, and startup time were improved when the anode was first acclimated to domestic wastewater. These results show mini-MECs are an effective method for evaluating treatability of different wastewaters. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

  4. Thermal dynamic analysis of sulfur removal from coal by electrolysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, D.; Gao, J.; Meng, F. [Qinghua University, Beijing (China). Dept. of Thermal Engineering

    2002-06-01

    The electrolytic reactions about sulfur removal from coal were studied by using chemical thermal dynamic analysis. According to the thermodynamical data, the Gibbs free energy value of the electrolytic reactions of pyritic and organic sulfur removal from coal is higher than zero. So, these electrolytic reactions are not spontaneous chemical reactions. In order to carry out desulfurisation by electrolysis, a certain voltage is necessary and important. Because theoretic decomposition voltage of pyrite and some parts of organic sulfur model compound is not very high, electrolysis reactions are easily to be carried out by using electrolysis technology. Mn ion and Fe ion are added into electrolysis solutions to accelerate the desulfurisation reaction. The electrolytic decomposition of coal is discussed. Because the theoretical decomposition voltage of some organic model compound is not high, the coal decomposition might happen. 17 refs., 4 tabs.

  5. Site-Dependent Environmental Impacts of Industrial Hydrogen Production by Alkaline Water Electrolysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan Christian Koj

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Industrial hydrogen production via alkaline water electrolysis (AEL is a mature hydrogen production method. One argument in favor of AEL when supplied with renewable energy is its environmental superiority against conventional fossil-based hydrogen production. However, today electricity from the national grid is widely utilized for industrial applications of AEL. Also, the ban on asbestos membranes led to a change in performance patterns, making a detailed assessment necessary. This study presents a comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA using the GaBi software (version 6.115, thinkstep, Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany, revealing inventory data and environmental impacts for industrial hydrogen production by latest AELs (6 MW, Zirfon membranes in three different countries (Austria, Germany and Spain with corresponding grid mixes. The results confirm the dependence of most environmental effects from the operation phase and specifically the site-dependent electricity mix. Construction of system components and the replacement of cell stacks make a minor contribution. At present, considering the three countries, AEL can be operated in the most environmentally friendly fashion in Austria. Concerning the construction of AEL plants the materials nickel and polytetrafluoroethylene in particular, used for cell manufacturing, revealed significant contributions to the environmental burden.

  6. Platinum Group Metal-free Catalysts for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in Microbial Electrolysis Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Heyang; He, Zhen

    2017-07-01

    Hydrogen gas is a green energy carrier with great environmental benefits. Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) can convert low-grade organic matter to hydrogen gas with low energy consumption and have gained a growing interest in the past decade. Cathode catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) present a major challenge for the development and future applications of MECs. An ideal cathode catalyst should be catalytically active, simple to synthesize, durable in a complex environment, and cost-effective. A variety of noble-metal free catalysts have been developed and investigated for HER in MECs, including Nickel and its alloys, MoS 2 , carbon-based catalysts and biocatalysts. MECs in turn can serve as a research platform to study the durability of the HER catalysts. This personal account has reviewed, analyzed, and discussed those catalysts with an emphasis on synthesis and modification, system performance and potential for practical applications. It is expected to provide insights into the development of HER catalysts towards MEC applications. © 2017 The Chemical Society of Japan & Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Single exponential decay waveform; a synergistic combination of electroporation and electrolysis (E2 for tissue ablation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nina Klein

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Background Electrolytic ablation and electroporation based ablation are minimally invasive, non-thermal surgical technologies that employ electrical currents and electric fields to ablate undesirable cells in a volume of tissue. In this study, we explore the attributes of a new tissue ablation technology that simultaneously delivers a synergistic combination of electroporation and electrolysis (E2. Method A new device that delivers a controlled dose of electroporation field and electrolysis currents in the form of a single exponential decay waveform (EDW was applied to the pig liver, and the effect of various parameters on the extent of tissue ablation was examined with histology. Results Histological analysis shows that E2 delivered as EDW can produce tissue ablation in volumes of clinical significance, using electrical and temporal parameters which, if used in electroporation or electrolysis separately, cannot ablate the tissue. Discussion The E2 combination has advantages over the three basic technologies of non-thermal ablation: electrolytic ablation, electrochemical ablation (reversible electroporation with injection of drugs and irreversible electroporation. E2 ablates clinically relevant volumes of tissue in a shorter period of time than electrolysis and electroporation, without the need to inject drugs as in reversible electroporation or use paralyzing anesthesia as in irreversible electroporation.

  8. A reversible electrolyzer-fuel cell system based on PEM technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grigoriev, S.A.; Millet, P.; Fateev, V.N.

    2009-01-01

    'Full text': A reversible electrolyzer-fuel cell is an electrochemical system which can be alternatively operated in water electrolysis or H 2 /O 2 (air) fuel cell modes. Whereas proton-exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis and PEM fuel cell technologies are individually well-established, it is still a very challenging task to develop efficient reversible systems which can maintain interesting electrochemical performances during a significant number of cycles. Results reported in this communication are related to R and D on bi-functional catalysts, electrocatalytic layers, gas diffusion layers/current collectors and reversible PEM stack design. Electrodes which do not change their redox status when the operation mode of the cell is switched from electrolysis to fuel cell are more specifically considered. In particular, it is shown that, when the anode is composed of Pt-Ir layers (ca. 0.5/0.5 wt. ratio), best electrochemical performances are obtained (for both for water and hydrogen oxidation reactions) when an Ir layer is placed face-to-face with the membrane. Cathodic electrocatalytic layers made of Pt/C were prepared and optimized by adding PTFE to obtain the required hydrophobic-hydrophilic properties for effective oxygen and protons electro-reduction. Gas diffusion electrodes made of porous carbon materials and bi-porous titanium sheets with appropriate water management properties have also been developed. A two-cell stack with 250 cm 2 active area electrodes has been assembled using the optimized components and successfully tested. Results are rather close to those obtained for individual water electrolysis and H 2 /O 2 fuel cells with the same noble metal loadings and similar operating conditions. For instance, at a current density of 0.2 A/cm 2 , typical cell voltages of ca. 1.55 and 0.70 V were respectively obtained during water electrolysis and H 2 /O 2 fuel cell operation, using Nafion-1135 as solid polymer electrolyte and noble metal loadings 2

  9. Durable SOC stacks for production of hydrogen and synthesis gas by high temperature electrolysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ebbesen, Sune Dalgaard; Høgh, Jens Valdemar Thorvald; Nielsen, Karsten Agersted

    2011-01-01

    . The degradation of the electrolysis cells was found to be influenced by the adsorption of impurities from the applied inlet gases, whereas the application of chromium containing interconnect plates and glass sealings do not seem to influence the durability when operated at 850 °C. Cleaning the inlet gases...

  10. Water vapor pressure over molten KH2PO4 and demonstration of water electrolysis at ∼300ºC

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Berg, Rolf W.; Nikiforov, Aleksey Valerievich; Petrushina, Irina

    2016-01-01

    A new potentially high-efficiency electrolyte for water electrolysis: molten monobasic potassium phosphate, KH2PO4 or KDP has been investigated at temperatures ∼275–325 °C. At these temperatures, KH2PO4 was found to dissociate into H2O gas in equilibrium with a melt mixture of KH2PO4—K2H2P2O7—KPO3...... of water and methane or hydrogen to be 0.40 ± 0.02 or 1.2 ± 0.03. At equilibrium the vapor pressure was much lower than the vapor pressure above liquid water at the same temperature. Electrolysis was realized by passing current through closed ampoules (vacuum sealed quartz glass electrolysis cells...... with platinum electrodes and the electrolyte melt). The formation of mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen gases as well as the water vapor was detected by Raman spectroscopy. In this way it was demonstrated that water is present in the new electrolyte: molten KH2PO4 can be split by electrolysis via the reaction 2H2O...

  11. Modeling of Gas Diffusion in Ni/YSZ Electrodes in CO2 and Co-electrolysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Duhn, Jakob Dragsbæk; Jensen, Anker Degn; Wedel, Stig

    2017-01-01

    Carbon formation may occur during CO2 and CO2/H2O electrolysis using solid oxide electrolyzer cells due to the Boudouard reaction (2CO →  CO2 + C(s)). Formed carbon may disintegrate the cell structure and it is therefore of importance to be able to predict when carbon is formed, and take actions...

  12. Treatment of process water containing heavy metals with a two-stage electrolysis procedure in a membrane electrolysis cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fischer, R.; Krebs, P. [Technische Universitaet Dresden, Institut fuer Siedlungs- und Industriewasserwirtschaft, Mommsenstrasse 13, 01062 Dresden (Germany); Seidel, H. [UFZ-Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Department Bioremediation, Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig (Germany); Morgenstern, P. [UFZ-Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Department Analytik, Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig (Germany); Foerster, H.J.; Thiele, W. [Eilenburger Elektrolyse- und Umwelttechnik GmbH, Ziegelstrasse 2, D-04838 Eilenburg (Germany)

    2005-04-01

    The capability of a two-stage electrochemical treatment for the regeneration of acidic heavy-metal containing process water was examined. The process water came from sediment bioleaching and was characterized by a wide spectrum of dissolved metals, a high sulfate content, and a pH of about 3. In the modular laboratory model cell used, the anode chamber and the cathode chamber were separated by a central chamber fitted with an ion exchanger membrane on either side. The experiments were carried out applying a platinum anode and a graphite cathode at a current density of 0.1 A/cm{sup 2}. The circulation flow of the process water in the batch process amounted to 35 L/h, the electrolysis duration was 5.5 h at maximum and the total electrolysis current was about 1 A. In the first stage, the acidic process water containing metals passed through the cathode chamber. In the second stage, the cathodically pretreated process water was electrolyzed anodically. In the cathode chamber the main load of dissolved Cu, Zn, Cr and Pb was eliminated. The sulfuric acid surplus of 3-4 g/L decreased to about 1 g/L, the pH rose from initially 3.0 to 4-5, but the desired pH of 9-10 was not achieved. Precipitation in the proximity to the cathode evidently takes place at a higher pH than farther away. The dominant process in the anode chamber was the precipitation of amorphous MnO{sub 2} owing to the oxidation of dissolved Mn(II). The further depletion of the remaining heavy metals in the cathodically pretreated process water by subsequent anodic treatment was nearly exhaustive, more than 99 % of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn were removed from the leachate. The high depletion of heavy metals might be due to both the sorption on MnO{sub 2} precipitates and/or basic ferrous sulfate formed anodically, and the migration of metal ions through the cation exchanger membrane via the middle chamber into the cathode chamber. In the anode chamber, the sulfuric acid content increased to 6-7 g/L and the

  13. Current as an indicator of ammonia concentration during wastewater treatment in an integrated microbial electrolysis cell - Nitrification system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhao, Nannan; Angelidaki, Irini; Zhang, Yifeng

    2018-01-01

    with synthetic ammonia-rich wastewater. A good linear relationship (R2 = 0.9419) was observed between current (0.5130–3.906 mA) and ammonia levels (0–62.1 mg NH4+-N/L). Such linear relationship was always obtained regardless of the tested external power supply or wastewater pH. The external electrochemical cell......A key challenge for ammonia monitoring during nitrogen removal process is the extra cost and toxic reagent consuming. Herein the feasibility of current generated by an integrated microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) - nitrification reactor as an indicator of initial ammonia levels (NH3/NH4......+) in wastewater was explored. In this loop system, ammonia was first oxidized to nitrate in the nitrification reactor, and then the effluent was introduced into the cathode of MEC where nitrate was reduced as electron acceptor. The correlation between current and ammonia concentration was first investigated...

  14. Optimization of membrane stack configuration for efficient hydrogen production in microbial reverse-electrodialysis electrolysis cells coupled with thermolytic solutions

    KAUST Repository

    Luo, Xi

    2013-07-01

    Waste heat can be captured as electrical energy to drive hydrogen evolution in microbial reverse-electrodialysis electrolysis cells (MRECs) by using thermolytic solutions such as ammonium bicarbonate. To determine the optimal membrane stack configuration for efficient hydrogen production in MRECs using ammonium bicarbonate solutions, different numbers of cell pairs and stack arrangements were tested. The optimum number of cell pairs was determined to be five based on MREC performance and a desire to minimize capital costs. The stack arrangement was altered by placing an extra low concentration chamber adjacent to anode chamber to reduce ammonia crossover. This additional chamber decreased ammonia nitrogen losses into anolyte by 60%, increased the coulombic efficiency to 83%, and improved the hydrogen yield to a maximum of 3.5mol H2/mol acetate, with an overall energy efficiency of 27%. These results improve the MREC process, making it a more efficient method for renewable hydrogen gas production. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

  15. Comparison of cathode catalyst binders for the hydrogen evolution reaction in microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Ivanov, Ivan

    2017-06-02

    Nafion is commonly used as a catalyst binder in many types of electrochemical cells, but less expensive binders are needed for the cathodes in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) which are operated in neutral pH buffers, and reverse electrodialysis stacks (RED),which use thermolytic solutions such as ammonium bicarbonate. Six different binders were examined based on differences in ion exchange properties (anionic: Nafion, BPSH20, BPSH40, S-Radel; cationic: Q-Radel; and neutral: Radel, BAEH) and hydrophobicity based on water uptake (0%, Radel; 17–56% for the other binders). BPSH40 had similar performance to Nafion based on steady-state polarization single electrode experiments in a neutral pH phosphate buffer, and slightly better performance in ammonium bicarbonate. Three different Mo-based catalysts were examined as alternatives to Pt, with MoB showing the best performance under steady-state polarization. In MECs, MoB/BPSH40 performed similarly to Pt with Nafion or Radel binders. The main distinguishing feature of the BPSH40 was that it is very hydrophilic, and thus it had a greater water content (56%) than the other binders (0–44%). These results suggest the binders for hydrogen evolution in MECs should be designed to have a high water content without sacrificing ionic or electronic conductivity in the electrode.

  16. Comparison of cathode catalyst binders for the hydrogen evolution reaction in microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Ivanov, Ivan; Ahn, YongTae; Poirson, Thibault; Hickner, Michael A.; Logan, Bruce

    2017-01-01

    Nafion is commonly used as a catalyst binder in many types of electrochemical cells, but less expensive binders are needed for the cathodes in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) which are operated in neutral pH buffers, and reverse electrodialysis stacks (RED),which use thermolytic solutions such as ammonium bicarbonate. Six different binders were examined based on differences in ion exchange properties (anionic: Nafion, BPSH20, BPSH40, S-Radel; cationic: Q-Radel; and neutral: Radel, BAEH) and hydrophobicity based on water uptake (0%, Radel; 17–56% for the other binders). BPSH40 had similar performance to Nafion based on steady-state polarization single electrode experiments in a neutral pH phosphate buffer, and slightly better performance in ammonium bicarbonate. Three different Mo-based catalysts were examined as alternatives to Pt, with MoB showing the best performance under steady-state polarization. In MECs, MoB/BPSH40 performed similarly to Pt with Nafion or Radel binders. The main distinguishing feature of the BPSH40 was that it is very hydrophilic, and thus it had a greater water content (56%) than the other binders (0–44%). These results suggest the binders for hydrogen evolution in MECs should be designed to have a high water content without sacrificing ionic or electronic conductivity in the electrode.

  17. High performance of nitrogen and phosphorus removal in an electrolysis-integrated biofilter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Y; Xie, Y W; Zhang, Q; Yu, Y X; Yang, L Y

    A novel electrolysis-integrated biofilter system was developed in this study to evaluate the intensified removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from contaminated water. Two laboratory-scale biofilter systems were established, one with electrolysis (E-BF) and one without electrolysis (BF) as control. The dynamics of intensified nitrogen and phosphorus removal and the changes of inflow and outflow water qualities were also evaluated. The total nitrogen (TN) removal rate was 94.4% in our newly developed E-BF, but only 74.7% in the control BF. Ammonium removal rate was up to 95% in biofilters with or without electrolysis integration with an influent ammonium concentration of 40 mg/L, and the accumulation of nitrate and nitrite was much lower in the effluent of E-BF than that of BF. Thus electrolysis plays an important role in TN removal especially the nitrate and nitrite removal. Phosphorus removal was significantly enhanced, exceeding 90% in E-BF by chemical precipitation, physical adsorption, and flocculation of phosphorus because of the in situ formation of ferric ions by the anodizing of sacrificial iron anodes. Results from this study indicate that the electrolysis integrated biofilter is a promising solution for intensified nitrogen and phosphorus removal.

  18. Treatment of chitin-producing wastewater by micro-electrolysis-contact oxidization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yue-ping; Xu, Xin-hua; Chen, Hai-feng

    2004-04-01

    The technique of micro-electrolysis-contact oxidization was exploited to treat chitin-producing wastewater. Results showed that Fe-C micro-electrolysis can remove about 30% COD(cr), raise pH from 0.7 to 5.5. The COD(cr) removal efficiency by biochemical process can be more than 80%. During a half year's operation, the whole system worked very stably and had good results, as proved by the fact that every quality indicator of effluent met the expected discharge standards; which means that chitin wastewater can be treated by the technique of micro-electrolysis, contact oxidization.

  19. A monetary comparison of energy recovered from microbial fuel cells and microbial electrolysis cells fed winery or domestic wastewaters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cusick, Roland D.; Kiely, Patrick D.; Logan, Bruce E. [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, H2E Center, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)

    2010-09-15

    Microbial fuel (MFCs) and electrolysis cells (MECs) can be used to recover energy directly as electricity or hydrogen from organic matter. Organic removal efficiencies and values of the different energy products were compared for MFCs and MECs fed winery or domestic wastewater. TCOD removal (%) and energy recoveries (kWh/kg-COD) were higher for MFCs than MECs with both wastewaters. At a cost of 4.51/kg-H{sub 2} for winery wastewater and 3.01/kg-H{sub 2} for domestic wastewater, the hydrogen produced using MECs cost less than the estimated merchant value of hydrogen (6/kg-H{sub 2}). 16S rRNA clone libraries indicated the predominance of Geobacter species in anodic microbial communities in MECs for both wastewaters, suggesting low current densities were the result of substrate limitations. The results of this study show that energy recovery and organic removal from wastewater are more effective with MFCs than MECs, but that hydrogen production from wastewater fed MECs can be cost effective. (author)

  20. Thermodynamic evaluation of geothermal energy powered hydrogen production by PEM water electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yilmaz, Ceyhun; Kanoglu, Mehmet

    2014-01-01

    Thermodynamic energy and exergy analysis of a PEM water electrolyzer driven by geothermal power for hydrogen production is performed. For this purpose, work is produced from a geothermal resource by means of the organic Rankine cycle; the resulting work is used as a work input for an electrolysis process; and electrolysis water is preheated by the waste geothermal water. The first and second-law based performance parameters are identified for the considered system and the system performance is evaluated. The effects of geothermal water and electrolysis temperatures on the amount of hydrogen production are studied and these parameters are found to be proportional to each other. We consider a geothermal resource at 160 °C available at a rate of 100 kg/s. Under realistic operating conditions, 3810 kW power can be produced in a binary geothermal power plant. The produced power is used for the electrolysis process. The electrolysis water can be preheated to 80 °C by the geothermal water leaving the power plant and hydrogen can be produced at a rate of 0.0340 kg/s. The energy and exergy efficiencies of the binary geothermal power plant are 11.4% and 45.1%, respectively. The corresponding efficiencies for the electrolysis system are 64.0% and 61.6%, respectively, and those for the overall system are 6.7% and 23.8%, respectively. - Highlights: • Thermodynamic analysis of hydrogen production by PEM electrolysis powered by geothermal energy. • Power is used for electrolyser; used geothermal water is for preheating electrolysis water. • Effect of geothermal water and electrolysis temperatures on the amount of hydrogen production. • Hydrogen can be produced at a rate of 0.0340 kg/s for a resource at 160 °C available at 100 kg/s. • Energy and exergy efficiencies of the overall system are 6.7% and 23.8%, respectively

  1. The micro-electrolysis technique in waste water treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiti Zhou; Weihen Yang; Fenglin Yang; Xuemin Xiang; Yulu Wang

    1997-01-01

    The micro-electrolysis is one of the efficient methods to treat some kinds of waste water. The experiments have shown its high efficiency in sewage treatment and some kinds of industrial waste water. It is suitable for pre-treatment of high concentrated waste water and deep treatment of waste water for reuse purpose. The disadvantage of micro-electrolysis is its high energy consumption in case of high electrolyte concentration. (author) 2 figs., 11 tabs., 2 refs

  2. The micro-electrolysis technique in waste water treatment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiti Zhou; Weihen Yang; Fenglin Yang; Xuemin Xiang; Yulu Wang [Dalian Univ. of Technology, Dalian (China)

    1997-12-31

    The micro-electrolysis is one of the efficient methods to treat some kinds of waste water. The experiments have shown its high efficiency in sewage treatment and some kinds of industrial waste water. It is suitable for pre-treatment of high concentrated waste water and deep treatment of waste water for reuse purpose. The disadvantage of micro-electrolysis is its high energy consumption in case of high electrolyte concentration. (author) 2 figs., 11 tabs., 2 refs.

  3. Polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis: Restraining degradation in the presence of fluctuating power

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rakousky, Christoph; Reimer, Uwe; Wippermann, Klaus; Kuhri, Susanne; Carmo, Marcelo; Lueke, Wiebke; Stolten, Detlef

    2017-02-01

    Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) water electrolysis generates 'green' hydrogen when conducted with electricity from renewable - but fluctuating - sources like wind or solar photovoltaic. Unfortunately, the long-term stability of the electrolyzer performance is still not fully understood under these input power profiles. In this study, we contrast the degradation behavior of our PEM water electrolysis single cells that occurs under operation with constant and intermittent power and derive preferable operating states. For this purpose, five different current density profiles are used, of which two were constant and three dynamic. Cells operated at 1 A cm-2 show no degradation. However, degradation was observed for the remaining four profiles, all of which underwent periods of high current density (2 A cm-2). Hereby, constant operation at 2 A cm-2 led to the highest degradation rate (194 μV h-1). Degradation can be greatly reduced when the cells are operated with an intermittent profile. Current density switching has a positive effect on durability, as it causes reversible parts of degradation to recover and results in a substantially reduced degradation per mole of hydrogen produced. Two general degradation phenomena were identified, a decreased anode exchange current density and an increased contact resistance at the titanium porous transport layer (Ti-PTL).

  4. Modeling and optimization of proton-conducting solid oxide electrolysis cell: Conversion of CO2 into value-added products

    Science.gov (United States)

    Namwong, Lawit; Authayanun, Suthida; Saebea, Dang; Patcharavorachot, Yaneeporn; Arpornwichanop, Amornchai

    2016-11-01

    Proton-conducting solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC-H+) are a promising technology that can utilize carbon dioxide to produce syngas. In this work, a detailed electrochemical model was developed to predict the behavior of SOEC-H+ and to prove the assumption that the syngas is produced through a reversible water gas-shift (RWGS) reaction. The simulation results obtained from the model, which took into account all of the cell voltage losses (i.e., ohmic, activation, and concentration losses), were validated using experimental data to evaluate the unknown parameters. The developed model was employed to examine the structural and operational parameters. It is found that the cathode-supported SOEC-H+ is the best configuration because it requires the lowest cell potential. SOEC-H+ operated favorably at high temperatures and low pressures. Furthermore, the simulation results revealed that the optimal S/C molar ratio for syngas production, which can be used for methanol synthesis, is approximately 3.9 (at a constant temperature and pressure). The SOEC-H+ was optimized using a response surface methodology, which was used to determine the optimal operating conditions to minimize the cell potential and maximize the carbon dioxide flow rate.

  5. Enhancing the efficiency of zero valent iron by electrolysis: Performance and reaction mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Zhaokun; Lai, Bo; Yang, Ping

    2018-03-01

    Electrolysis was applied to enhance the efficiency of micron-size zero valent iron (mFe 0 ) and thereby promote p-nitrophenol (PNP) removal. The rate of PNP removal by mFe 0 with electrolysis was determined in cylindrical electrolysis reactor that employed annular aluminum plate cathode as a function of experimental factors, including initial pH, mFe 0 dosage and current density. The rate constants of PNP removal by Ele-mFe 0 were 1.72-144.50-fold greater than those by pristine mFe 0 under various tested conditions. The electrolysis-induced improvement could be primarily ascribed to stimulated mFe 0 corrosion, as evidenced by Fe 2+ release. The application of electrolysis could extend the working pH range of mFe 0 from 3.0 to 6.0 to 3.0-10.0 for PNP removal. Additionally, intermediates analysis and scavengers experiments unraveled the reduction capacity of mFe 0 was accelerated in the presence of electrolysis instead of oxidation. Moreover, the electrolysis effect could also delay passivation of mFe 0 under acidic condition, as evidenced by SEM-EDS, XRD, and XPS analysis after long-term operation. This is mainly due to increased electromigration meaning that iron corrosion products (iron hydroxides and oxides) are not primarily formed in the vicinity of the mFe 0 or at its surface. In the presence of electrolysis, the effect of electric field significantly promoted the efficiency of electromigration, thereby enhanced mFe 0 corrosion and eventually accelerated the PNP removal rates. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Operational Modelling of High Temperature Electrolysis (HTE)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patrick Lovera; Franck Blein; Julien Vulliet

    2006-01-01

    Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) and High Temperature Electrolysis (HTE) work on two opposite processes. The basic equations (Nernst equation, corrected by a term of over-voltage) are thus very similar, only a few signs are different. An operational model, based on measurable quantities, was finalized for HTE process, and adapted to SOFCs. The model is analytical, which requires some complementary assumptions (proportionality of over-tensions to the current density, linearization of the logarithmic term in Nernst equation). It allows determining hydrogen production by HTE using a limited number of parameters. At a given temperature, only one macroscopic parameter, related to over-voltages, is needed for adjusting the model to the experimental results (SOFC), in a wide range of hydrogen flow-rates. For a given cell, this parameter follows an Arrhenius law with a satisfactory precision. The prevision in HTE process is compared to the available experimental results. (authors)

  7. Advances in the electrolysis of tritiated water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pierini, G.; Spelta, B.; Maffei, S.; Modica, G.; Perez, G.; Possagno, E.

    1988-01-01

    The exhaust plasma processing plant, proposed a few years ago as an alternative to the Tritium Systems Test Assembly plant in operation at Los Alamos National Laboratory, required further research in such areas as low liquid inventory electrolytic cell and the types of separator or membrane resistant to beta radiation. Moreover, it was suggested that the value of the separation factors among H/sub 2/, D/sub 2/, and T/sub 2/ should be checked during electrolysis at high D/sub 2/O concentration in a alkaline medium by using different materials for the cathode. The results of experimental work carried out in these directions have shown the feasibility of the process, although some improvements can still be made in the optimization of the separators and in the design of the cell. The research carried out at the Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy, with support from other institutes, is described

  8. Enrichment of extremophilic exoelectrogens in microbial electrolysis cells using Red Sea brine pools as inocula

    KAUST Repository

    Chehab, Noura A.

    2017-05-03

    Applying microbial electrochemical technologies for the treatment of highly saline or thermophilic solutions is challenging due to the lack of proper inocula to enrich for efficient exoelectrogens. Brine pools from three different locations (Valdivia, Atlantis II and Kebrit) in the Red Sea were investigated as potential inocula sources for enriching exoelectrogens in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) under thermophilic (70°C) and hypersaline (25% salinity) conditions. Of these, only the Valdivia brine pool produced high and consistent current 6.8 ± 2.1 A/m2-anode in MECs operated at a set anode potential of +0.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl (+0.405 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode). These results show that exoelectrogens are present in these extreme environments and can be used to startup MEC under thermophilic and hypersaline conditions. Bacteroides was enriched on the anode of the Valdivia MEC, but it was not detected in the open circuit voltage reactor seeded with the Valdivia brine pool.

  9. Development of solid electrolytes for water electrolysis at intermediate temperatures. Task 3 report; Annual report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Linkous, C.A.; Anderson, R.; Kopitzke, R.W.

    1995-12-01

    This project is an attempt to synthesize and fabricate proton exchange membranes for hydrogen production via water electrolysis that can take advantage of the better kinetic and thermodynamic conditions that exist at higher temperatures. Current PEM technology is limited to the 125--150 C range. Based on previous work evaluating thermohydrolytic stability, some 5 families of polymers were chosen as viable candidates: polyether ketones, polyether sulfones, fluorinated polyimides, polybenzimidazoles, and polyphenyl quinoxalines. Several of these have been converted into ionomers via sulfonation and fashioned into membranes for evaluation. In particular, the sulfonated polyetheretherketone, or SPEEK, was tested for water uptake, thermo-conductimetric analysis, and performance as the solid electrolyte material in an electrolysis cell. Results comparable to commercial perfluorocarbon sulfonates were obtained.

  10. Performance Testing of Molten Regolith Electrolysis with Transfer of Molten Material for the Production of Oxygen and Metals on the Moon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sibille, Laurent; Sadoway, Donald; Tripathy, Prabhat; Standish, Evan; Sirk, Aislinn; Melendez, Orlando; Stefanescu, Doru

    2010-01-01

    Previously, we have demonstrated the production of oxygen by electrolysis of molten regolith simulants at temperatures near 1600 C. Using an inert anode and suitable cathode, direct electrolysis (no supporting electrolyte) of the molten silicate is carried out, resulting in the production of molten metallic products at the cathode and oxygen gas at the anode. Initial direct measurements of current efficiency have confirmed that the process offer potential advantages of high oxygen production rates in a smaller footprint facility landed on the moon, with a minimum of consumables brought from Earth. We now report the results of a scale-up effort toward the goal of achieving production rates equivalent to 1 metric ton O2/year, a benchmark established for the support of a lunar base. We previously reported on the electrochemical behavior of the molten electrolyte as dependent on anode material, sweep rate and electrolyte composition in batches of 20-200g and at currents of less than 0.5 A. In this paper, we present the results of experiments performed at currents up to 10 Amperes) and in larger volumes of regolith simulant (500 g - 1 kg) for longer durations of electrolysis. The technical development of critical design components is described, including: inert anodes capable of passing continuous currents of several Amperes, container materials selection, direct gas analysis capability to determine the gas components co-evolving with oxygen. To allow a continuous process, a system has been designed and tested to enable the withdrawal of cathodically-reduced molten metals and spent molten oxide electrolyte. The performance of the withdrawal system is presented and critiqued. The design of the electrolytic cell and the configuration of the furnace were supported by modeling the thermal environment of the system in an effort to realize a balance between external heating and internal joule heating. We will discuss the impact these simulations and experimental findings have

  11. Electrode Kinetics and Gas Conversion in Solid Oxide Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Njodzefon, Jean-Claude

    The solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) converts hydrogen, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon fuels (directly) into electricity with very high efficiencies and has demonstrated almost comparable performance when operated in reverse mode as a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC). In this case electrical (and...... thermal) energy is stored as chemical energy of reaction products. To this end, the cells are fed with steam (H2O electrolysis), carbon dioxide (CO2 electrolysis) or a mixture of both (H2O/CO2 co-electrolysis) and of course electrical (ΔG) and thermal (TΔS) energies for the splitting of reactant compounds...... of the solid oxide cell (SOC) and independent of polarization mode (fuel cell mode or electrolysis mode), the current flowing through the cell is limited by processes such as adsorption and desorption of reactants or products, diffusion through the porous electrodes, activation or charge transfer...

  12. Examination of protein degradation in continuous flow, microbial electrolysis cells treating fermentation wastewater

    KAUST Repository

    Nam, Joo-Youn

    2014-11-01

    © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. Cellulose fermentation wastewaters (FWWs) contain short chain volatile fatty acids and alcohols, but they also have high concentrations of proteins. Hydrogen gas production from FWW was examined using continuous flow microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), with a focus on fate of the protein. H2 production rates were 0.49±0.05m3/m3-d for the FWW, compared to 0.63±0.02m3/m3-d using a synthetic wastewater containing only acetate (applied potential of 0.9V). Total organic matter removal was 76±6% for the FWW, compared to 87±5% for acetate. The MEC effluent became relatively enriched in protein (69%) compared to that in the original FWW (19%). Protein was completely removed using higher applied voltages (1.0 or 1.2V), but current generation was erratic due to more positive anode potentials (-113±38mV, Eap=1.2V; -338±38mV, 1.0V; -0.426±4mV, 0.9V). Bacteria on the anodes with FWW were primarily Deltaproteobacteria, while Archaea were predominantly Methanobacterium.

  13. High hydrogen production from glycerol or glucose by electrohydrogenesis using microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Selembo, Priscilla A.

    2009-07-01

    The use of glycerol for hydrogen gas production was examined via electrohydrogenesis using microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). A hydrogen yield of 3.9 mol-H2/mol was obtained using glycerol, which is higher than that possible by fermentation, at relatively high rates of 2.0 ± 0.4 m3/m3 d (Eap = 0.9 V). Under the same conditions, hydrogen was produced from glucose at a yield of 7.2 mol-H2/mol and a rate of 1.9 ± 0.3 m3/m3 d. Glycerol was completely removed within 6 h, with 56% of the electrons in intermediates (primarily 1,3-propanediol), with the balance converted to current, intracellular storage products or biomass. Glucose was removed within 5 h, but intermediates (mainly propionate) accounted for only 19% of the electrons. Hydrogen was also produced using the glycerol byproduct of biodiesel fuel production at a rate of 0.41 ± 0.1 m3/m3 d. These results demonstrate that electrohydrogenesis is an effective method for producing hydrogen from either pure glycerol or glycerol byproducts of biodiesel fuel production. © 2009 International Association for Hydrogen Energy.

  14. Comparison of two modified coal ash ferric-carbon micro-electrolysis ceramic media for pretreatment of tetracycline wastewater.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Kunlun; Jin, Yang; Yue, Qinyan; Zhao, Pin; Gao, Yuan; Wu, Suqing; Gao, Baoyu

    2017-05-01

    Application of modified sintering ferric-carbon ceramics (SFC) and sintering-free ferric-carbon ceramics (SFFC) based on coal ash and scrap iron for pretreatment of tetracycline (TET) wastewater was investigated in this article. Physical property, morphological character, toxic metal leaching content, and crystal component were studied to explore the application possibility of novel ceramics in micro-electrolysis reactors. The influences of operating conditions including influent pH, hydraulic retention time (HRT), and air-water ratio (A/W) on the removal of tetracycline were studied. The results showed that SFC and SFFC were suitable for application in micro-electrolysis reactors. The optimum conditions of SFC reactor were pH of 3, HRT of 7 h, and A/W of 10. For SFFC reactor, the optimum conditions were pH of 2, HRT of 7 h, and A/W of 15. In general, the TET removal efficiency of SFC reactor was better than that of SFFC reactor. However, the harden resistance of SFFC was better than that of SFC. Furthermore, the biodegradability of TET wastewater was improved greatly after micro-electrolysis pretreatment for both SFC and SFFC reactors.

  15. A Small-Scale and Low-Cost Apparatus for the Electrolysis of Water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eggeen, Per-Odd; Kvittingen, Lise

    2004-01-01

    The construction of two simple, inexpensive apparatuses that clearly show the electrolysis of water are described. Traditionally the electrolysis of water is conducted in a Hofmann apparatus which is expensive and fragile.

  16. A cost-effective nanoporous ultrathin film electrode based on nanoporous gold/IrO2 composite for proton exchange membrane water electrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Yachao; Guo, Xiaoqian; Shao, Zhigang; Yu, Hongmei; Song, Wei; Wang, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Hongjie; Yi, Baolian

    2017-02-01

    A cost-effective nanoporous ultrathin film (NPUF) electrode based on nanoporous gold (NPG)/IrO2 composite has been constructed for proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis. The electrode was fabricated by integrating IrO2 nanoparticles into NPG through a facile dealloying and thermal decomposition method. The NPUF electrode is featured in its 3D interconnected nanoporosity and ultrathin thickness. The nanoporous ultrathin architecture is binder-free and beneficial for improving electrochemical active surface area, enhancing mass transport and facilitating releasing of oxygen produced during water electrolysis. Serving as anode, a single cell performance of 1.728 V (@ 2 A cm-2) has been achieved by NPUF electrode with a loading of IrO2 and Au at 86.43 and 100.0 μg cm-2 respectively, the electrolysis voltage is 58 mV lower than that of conventional electrode with an Ir loading an order of magnitude higher. The electrolysis voltage kept relatively constant up to 300 h (@250 mA cm-2) during the course of durability test, manifesting that NPUF electrode is promising for gas evolution.

  17. Use of sodium salt electrolysis in the process of continuous ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    This paper presents test results concerning the selection of sodium salt for the technology of continuous modification of the EN AC-AlSi12 alloy, which is based on electrolysis of sodium salts, occurring directly in a crucible with liquid alloy. Sodium ions formed as a result of the sodium salt dissociation and the electrolysis are ...

  18. Durability evaluation of reversible solid oxide cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiaoyu; O'Brien, James E.; O'Brien, Robert C.; Housley, Gregory K.

    2013-11-01

    An experimental investigation on the performance and durability of single solid oxide cells (SOCs) is under way at the Idaho National Laboratory. Reversible operation of SOCs includes electricity generation in the fuel cell mode and hydrogen generation in the electrolysis mode. Degradation is a more significant issue when operating SOCs in the electrolysis mode. In order to understand and mitigate the degradation issues in high temperature electrolysis, single SOCs with different configurations from several manufacturers have been evaluated for initial performance and long-term durability. Cells were obtained from four industrial partners. Cells from Ceramatec Inc. and Materials and Systems Research Inc. (MSRI) showed improved durability in electrolysis mode compared to previous stack tests. Cells from Saint Gobain Advanced Materials Inc. (St. Gobain) and SOFCPower Inc. demonstrated stable performance in the fuel cell mode, but rapid degradation in the electrolysis mode, especially at high current density. Electrolyte-electrode delamination was found to have a significant impact on degradation in some cases. Enhanced bonding between electrolyte and electrode and modification of the electrode microstructure helped to mitigate degradation. Polarization scans and AC impedance measurements were performed during the tests to characterize cell performance and degradation.

  19. Hydrogen Production from Nuclear Energy via High Temperature Electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    James E. O'Brien; Carl M. Stoots; J. Stephen Herring; Grant L. Hawkes

    2006-01-01

    This paper presents the technical case for high-temperature nuclear hydrogen production. A general thermodynamic analysis of hydrogen production based on high-temperature thermal water splitting processes is presented. Specific details of hydrogen production based on high-temperature electrolysis are also provided, including results of recent experiments performed at the Idaho National Laboratory. Based on these results, high-temperature electrolysis appears to be a promising technology for efficient large-scale hydrogen production

  20. Impact of low-concentrated acidic electrolysed water obtained by membrane electrolysis on the decontamination of meat microbiota

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brychcy Ewa

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The influence of acidic electrolysed water (AEW treatment on inactivation of pure bacterial cultures inoculated onto the surface of agarised media and surface microbiota of pork meat were examined. Low-concentrated AEW (low concentration of sodium chloride and low current electrolysis was generated by electrolysis (5 or 10 min of 0.001% or 0.01% NaCl solution. The number of viable microorganisms was determined using a plate count method. The effect of AEW on bacterial cell morphology were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM. After treatment with AEW, a significant, about 3.00 log reduction of Pseudomonas fluorescens, Yersinia enterocolitica, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Listeria monocytogenes, and Micrococcus luteus populations was observed. In the AEW treatment of pork, the highest reduction of total number of microorganisms (2.1 log reduction, yeast and moulds (2.5-2.6 log reduction, and psychrotrophs (more than 1 log reduction was observed after spraying with 0.001% NaCl subjected to 10 min electrolysis. SEM revealed disruption and lysis of E. coli and S. aureus cells treated with AEW, suggesting a bactericidal effect. Higher available chlorine concentration (0.37-8.45 mg/L, redox potential (863.1-1049.8 mV, and lower pH (2.73-3.70 had an influence on the shape of bacteria and the number of breaks in the bacterial membrane.

  1. Removal of pigments from molasses wastewater by combining micro-electrolysis with biological treatment method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Ben; Tian, Xiaofei; Yu, Lian; Wu, Zhenqiang

    2016-12-01

    Pigments in molasses wastewater (MWW) effluent, such as melanoidins, were considered as kinds of the most recalcitrant and hazardous colorant contaminants to the environment. In this study, de-coloring the MWW by a synergistic combination of micro-electrolysis with bio-treatment was performed. Aiming to a high de-colorization yield, levels of nutrition source supplies, MWW dilution ratio, and micro-electrolysis reaction time were optimized accordingly. For a diluted (50 %, v/v) MWW, an maximum overall de-colorization yield (97.1 ± 0.5 %, for absorbance at 475 nm) was achieved through the bio-electrolysis treatment. In electrolysis bio-treatment, the positive effect of micro-electrolysis was also revealed by a promoted growth of fungal biomass as well as activities of ligninolytic enzymes. Activities of lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase, and laccase were promoted by 111.2, 103.9, and 7.7 %, respectively. This study also implied that the bio-treatment and the micro-electrolysis had different efficiencies on removal of pigments with distinct polarities.

  2. Suppressed Sr segregation and performance of directly assembled La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ oxygen electrode on Y2O3-ZrO2 electrolyte of solid oxide electrolysis cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ai, Na; He, Shuai; Li, Na; Zhang, Qi; Rickard, William D. A.; Chen, Kongfa; Zhang, Teng; Jiang, San Ping

    2018-04-01

    Active and stable oxygen electrode is probably the most important in the development of solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) technologies. Herein, we report the successful development of mixed ionic and electronic conducting (MIEC) La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ (LSCF) perovskite oxides directly assembled on barrier-layer-free yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte as highly active and stable oxygen electrodes of SOECs. Electrolysis polarization effectively induces the formation of electrode/electrolyte interface, similar to that observed under solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) operation conditions. However, in contrast to the significant performance decay under SOFC operation conditions, the cell with directly assembled LSCF oxygen electrodes shows excellent stability, tested for 300 h at 0.5 A cm-2 and 750 °C under SOEC operation conditions. Detailed microstructure and phase analysis reveal that Sr segregation is inevitable for LSCF electrode, but anodic polarization substantially suppresses Sr segregation and migration to the electrode/electrolyte interface, leading to the formation of stable and efficient electrode/electrolyte interface for water and CO2 electrolysis under SOECs operation conditions. The present study demonstrates the feasibility of using directly assembled MIEC cobaltite based oxygen electrodes on barrier-layer-free YSZ electrolyte of SOECs.

  3. A comprehensive review of microbial electrolysis cells (MEC reactor designs and configurations for sustainable hydrogen gas production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abudukeremu Kadier

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Hydrogen gas has tremendous potential as an environmentally acceptable energy carrier for vehicles. A cutting edge technology called a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC can achieve sustainable and clean hydrogen production from a wide range of renewable biomass and wastewaters. Enhancing the hydrogen production rate and lowering the energy input are the main challenges of MEC technology. MEC reactor design is one of the crucial factors which directly influence on hydrogen and current production rate in MECs. The rector design is also a key factor to up-scaling. Traditional MEC designs incorporated membranes, but it was recently shown that membrane-free designs can lead to both high hydrogen recoveries and production rates. Since then multiple studies have developed reactors that operate without membranes. This review provides a brief overview of recent advances in research on scalable MEC reactor design and configurations.

  4. Status on the Component Models Developed in the Modelica Framework: High-Temperature Steam Electrolysis Plant & Gas Turbine Power Plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suk Kim, Jong [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); McKellar, Michael [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Bragg-Sitton, Shannon M. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Boardman, Richard D. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2016-10-01

    This report has been prepared as part of an effort to design and build a modeling and simulation (M&S) framework to assess the economic viability of a nuclear-renewable hybrid energy system (N-R HES). In order to facilitate dynamic M&S of such an integrated system, research groups in multiple national laboratories have been developing various subsystems as dynamic physics-based components using the Modelica programming language. In fiscal year (FY) 2015, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) performed a dynamic analysis of two region-specific N-R HES configurations, including the gas-to-liquid (natural gas to Fischer-Tropsch synthetic fuel) and brackish water reverse osmosis desalination plants as industrial processes. In FY 2016, INL has developed two additional subsystems in the Modelica framework: a high-temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) plant and a gas turbine power plant (GTPP). HTSE has been proposed as a high priority industrial process to be integrated with a light water reactor (LWR) in an N-R HES. This integrated energy system would be capable of dynamically apportioning thermal and electrical energy (1) to provide responsive generation to the power grid and (2) to produce alternative industrial products (i.e., hydrogen and oxygen) without generating any greenhouse gases. A dynamic performance analysis of the LWR/HTSE integration case was carried out to evaluate the technical feasibility (load-following capability) and safety of such a system operating under highly variable conditions requiring flexible output. To support the dynamic analysis, the detailed dynamic model and control design of the HTSE process, which employs solid oxide electrolysis cells, have been developed to predict the process behavior over a large range of operating conditions. As first-generation N-R HES technology will be based on LWRs, which provide thermal energy at a relatively low temperature, complementary temperature-boosting technology was suggested for integration with the

  5. The Interconversion of Electrical and Chemical Energy: The Electrolysis of Water and the Hydrogen-Oxygen Fuel Cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roffia, Sergio; And Others

    1988-01-01

    Discusses some of the drawbacks of using a demonstration of the electrolysis of water to illustrate the interconversion between electrical and chemical energy. Illustrates a simple apparatus allowing demonstration of this concept while overcoming these drawbacks. (CW)

  6. Development of planar SOE/SOFC reversible cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kusunoki, A.; Matsubara, H.; Kikuoka, Y.; Yanagi, C.; Kugimiya, K.; Yoshino, M.; Tokura, M.; Watanabe, K.; Ueda, S.; Sumi, M.; Miyamoto, H.; Tokunaga, S.

    1993-01-01

    A new energy storage system using SOE/SOFC (solid oxide electrolysis-solid oxide fuel cells) reversible cells is presented, where a unit cell works as a fuel cell during a period of high electric power demand and alternately works as an electrolysis cell during a period of low power demand. A planar cell configuration is used which allows for a compact and low cost energy storage and load leveling system for power stations. Tests were performed to verify the reversibility of the planar cell, at 1000 deg C, with YSZ (Yttria stabilized zirconia) as the solid electrolyte, to improve the cell performance by reducing the overvoltage in electrolysis, and to obtain fundamental characteristics of a reversible cell. 3 figs

  7. Water vapor pressure over molten KH_2PO_4 and demonstration of water electrolysis at ∼300 °C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berg, R.W.; Nikiforov, A.V.; Petrushina, I.M.; Bjerrum, N.J.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • The vapor pressure over molten KH_2PO_4 was measured by Raman spectroscopy to be about 8 bars at ∼300 °C. • Raman spectroscopy shows that molten KH_2PO_4 under its own vapor pressure contains much dissolved water. • It is demonstrated spectroscopically that water electrolysis is possible in KH_2PO_4 electrolyte forming H_2 and O_2 at 300 °C. • Molten KH_2PO_4 is a possible electrolyte for water electrolysis. - Abstract: A new potentially high-efficiency electrolyte for water electrolysis: molten monobasic potassium phosphate, KH_2PO_4 or KDP has been investigated at temperatures ∼275–325 °C. At these temperatures, KH_2PO_4 was found to dissociate into H_2O gas in equilibrium with a melt mixture of KH_2PO_4−K_2H_2P_2O_7−KPO_3−H_2O. The water vapor pressure above the melt, when contained in a closed ampoule, was determined quantitatively vs. temperature by use of Raman spectroscopy with methane or hydrogen gas as an internal calibration standard, using newly established relative ratios of Raman scattering cross sections of water and methane or hydrogen to be 0.40 ± 0.02 or 1.2 ± 0.03. At equilibrium the vapor pressure was much lower than the vapor pressure above liquid water at the same temperature. Electrolysis was realized by passing current through closed ampoules (vacuum sealed quartz glass electrolysis cells with platinum electrodes and the electrolyte melt). The formation of mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen gases as well as the water vapor was detected by Raman spectroscopy. In this way it was demonstrated that water is present in the new electrolyte: molten KH_2PO_4 can be split by electrolysis via the reaction 2H_2O → 2H_2 + O_2 at temperatures ∼275–325 °C. At these temperatures, before the start of the electrolysis, the KH_2PO_4 melt gives off H_2O gas that pressurizes the cell according to the following dissociations: 2KH_2PO_4 ↔ K_2H_2P_2O_7 + H_2O ↔ 2KPO_3 + 2H_2O. The spectra show however that the water by

  8. Hydrogen production through small capacity water electrolysis systems; Production d'hydrogene par electrolyse de l'eau. Application a des systemes de petite capacite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schulz, Ph. [TotalFinaElf, la Defense 6, 92 - Courbevoie (France)

    2002-01-01

    Less than 1 % of the world's hydrogen is produced by electrolysis of water, in large plants mainly in connection with hydropower. For users requiring extremely pure hydrogen, electrolysis can be a convenient mean of obtaining the required hydrogen quality, where cheap electricity is available. This paper aims at presenting the latest technical developments of small capacity electrolyzers, that could fuel hydrogen cells or internal combustion engines. (author)

  9. Design of a water electrolysis flight experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, M. Gene; Grigger, David J.; Thompson, C. Dean; Cusick, Robert J.

    1993-01-01

    Supply of oxygen (O2) and hydrogen (H2) by electolyzing water in space will play an important role in meeting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) needs and goals for future space missios. Both O2 and H2 are envisioned to be used in a variety of processes including crew life support, spacecraft propulsion, extravehicular activity, electrical power generation/storage as well as in scientific experiment and manufacturing processes. The Electrolysis Performance Improvement Concept Study (EPICS) flight experiment described herein is sponsored by NASA Headquarters as a part of the In-Space Technology Experiment Program (IN-STEP). The objective of the EPICS is to further contribute to the improvement of the SEF technology, specifially by demonstrating and validating the SFE electromechanical process in microgravity as well as investigating perrformance improvements projected possible in a microgravity environment. This paper defines the experiment objective and presents the results of the preliminary design of the EPICS. The experiment will include testing three subscale self-contained SFE units: one containing baseline components, and two units having variations in key component materials. Tests will be conducted at varying current and thermal condition.

  10. Impact of low gravity on water electrolysis operation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powell, F. T.; Schubert, F. H.; Lee, M. G.

    1989-01-01

    Advanced space missions will require oxygen and hydrogen utilities for several important operations including the following: (1) propulsion; (2) electrical power generation and storage; (3) environmental control and life support; (4) extravehicular activity; (5) in-space manufacturing and (6) in-space science activities. An experiment suited to a Space Shuttle standard middeck payload has been designed for the Static Feed Water Electrolysis technology which has been viewed as being capable of efficient, reliable oxygen and hydrogen generation with few subsystem components. The program included: end use design requirements, phenomena to be studied, Space Shuttle Orbiter experiment constraints, experiment design and data requirements, and test hardware requirements. The objectives are to obtain scientific and engineering data for future research and development and to focus on demonstrating and monitoring for safety of a standard middeck payload.

  11. Nitrogen removal from wastewater through microbial electrolysis cells and cation exchange membrane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haddadi, Sakineh; Nabi-Bidhendi, Gholamreza; Mehrdadi, Nasser

    2014-02-17

    Vulnerability of water resources to nutrients led to progressively stricter standards for wastewater effluents. Modification of the conventional procedures to meet the new standards is inevitable. New technologies should give a priority to nitrogen removal. In this paper, ammonium chloride and urine as nitrogen sources were used to investigate the capacity of a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) configured by cation exchange membrane (CEM) for electrochemical removal of nitrogen over open-and closed-circuit potentials (OCP and CCP) during biodegradation of organic matter. Results obtained from this study indicated that CEM was permeable to both organic and ammonium nitrogen over OCP. Power substantially mediated ammonium migration from anodic wastewater to the cathode, as well. With a urine rich wastewater in the anode, the maximum rate of ammonium intake into the cathode varied from 34.2 to 40.6 mg/L.h over CCP compared to 10.5-14.9 mg/L.h over OCP. Ammonium separation over CCP was directly related to current. For 1.46-2.12 mmol electron produced, 20.5-29.7 mg-N ammonium was removed. Current also increased cathodic pH up to 12, a desirable pH for changing ammonium ion to ammonia gas. Results emphasized the potential for MEC in control of ammonium through ammonium separation and ammonia volatilization provided that membrane characteristic is considered in their development.

  12. Conversion of laser energy to chemical energy by the photoassisted electrolysis of water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wrighton, M. S.

    1976-01-01

    Ultraviolet irradiation of the n-type semiconductor TiO2 crystal electrode of an aqueous electrochemical cell evolves O2 at the TiO2 electrode and H2 at the Pt electrode. The gases are typically evolved in a 2:1 (H2:O2) volume ratio. The photoassisted reaction seems to require applied voltages, but values as low as 0.25 V do allow the photoassisted electrolysis to proceed. Prolonged irradiation in either acid or base evolves the gaseous products in amounts which clearly demonstrate that the reaction is catalytic with respect to the TiO2. The wavelength response of the TiO2 and the correlation of product yield and current are reported. The results support the claim that TiO2 is a true photoassistance agent for the electrolysis of water. Minimum optical storage efficiencies of the order of 1 percent can be achieved by the production of H2.

  13. Recovery of nitrogen and water from landfill leachate by a microbial electrolysis cell-forward osmosis system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Mohan; Molitor, Hannah; Brazil, Brian; Novak, John T; He, Zhen

    2016-01-01

    A microbial electrolysis cell (MEC)-forward osmosis (FO) system was previously reported for recovering ammonium and water from synthetic solutions, and here it has been advanced with treating landfill leachate. In the MEC, 65.7±9.1% of ammonium could be recovered in the presence of cathode aeration. Without aeration, the MEC could remove 54.1±10.9% of ammonium from the leachate, but little ammonia was recovered. With 2M NH4HCO3 as the draw solution, the FO process achieved 51% water recovery from the MEC anode effluent in 3.5-h operation, higher than that from the raw leachate. The recovered ammonia was used as a draw solute in the FO for successful water recovery from the treated leachate. Despite the challenges with treating returning solution from the FO, this MEC-FO system has demonstrated the potential for resource recovery from wastes, and provide a new solution for sustainable leachate management. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Syntrophic interactions drive the hydrogen production from glucose at low temperature in microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Lu, Lu

    2012-11-01

    H2 can be obtained from glucose by fermentation at mesophilic temperatures, but here we demonstrate that hydrogen can also be obtained from glucose at low temperatures using microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). H2 was produced from glucose at 4°C in single-chamber MECs at a yield of about 6mol H2mol-1 glucose, and at rates of 0.25±0.03-0.37±0.04m3 H2m-3d-1. Pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene and electrochemical analyses showed that syntrophic interactions combining glucose fermentation with the oxidization of fermentation products by exoelectrogens was the predominant pathway for current production at a low temperature other than direct glucose oxidization by exoelectrogens. Another syntrophic interaction, methanogenesis and homoacetogenesis, which have been found in 25°C reactors, were not detected in MECs at 4°C. These results demonstrate the feasibility of H2 production from abundant biomass of carbohydrates at low temperature in MECs. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

  15. Enrichment of extremophilic exoelectrogens in microbial electrolysis cells using Red Sea brine pools as inocula.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shehab, Noura A; Ortiz-Medina, Juan F; Katuri, Krishna P; Hari, Ananda Rao; Amy, Gary; Logan, Bruce E; Saikaly, Pascal E

    2017-09-01

    Applying microbial electrochemical technologies for the treatment of highly saline or thermophilic solutions is challenging due to the lack of proper inocula to enrich for efficient exoelectrogens. Brine pools from three different locations (Valdivia, Atlantis II and Kebrit) in the Red Sea were investigated as potential inocula sources for enriching exoelectrogens in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) under thermophilic (70°C) and hypersaline (25% salinity) conditions. Of these, only the Valdivia brine pool produced high and consistent current 6.8±2.1A/m 2 -anode in MECs operated at a set anode potential of +0.2V vs. Ag/AgCl (+0.405V vs. standard hydrogen electrode). These results show that exoelectrogens are present in these extreme environments and can be used to startup MEC under thermophilic and hypersaline conditions. Bacteroides was enriched on the anode of the Valdivia MEC, but it was not detected in the open circuit voltage reactor seeded with the Valdivia brine pool. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. A Feasibility Study of Steelmaking by Molten Oxide Electrolysis (TRP9956)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Donald R. Sadoway; Gerbrand Ceder

    2009-12-31

    Molten oxide electrolysis (MOE) is an extreme form of molten salt electrolysis, a technology that has been used to produce tonnage metals for over 100 years - aluminum, magnesium, lithium, sodium and the rare earth metals specifically. The use of carbon-free anodes is the distinguishing factor in MOE compared to other molten salt electrolysis techniques. MOE is totally carbon-free and produces no CO or CO2 - only O2 gas at the anode. This project is directed at assessing the technical feasibility of MOE at the bench scale while determining optimum values of MOE operating parameters. An inert anode will be identified and its ability to sustain oxygen evalution will be demonstrated.

  17. Optimization of catholyte concentration and anolyte pHs in two chamber microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Nam, Joo-Youn

    2012-12-01

    The hydrogen production rate in a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) using a non-buffered saline catholyte (NaCl) can be optimized through proper control of the initial anolyte pH and catholyte NaCl concentration. The highest hydrogen yield of 3.3 ± 0.4 mol H2/mole acetate and gas production rate of 2.2 ± 0.2 m3 H2/m3/d were achieved here with an initial anolyte pH = 9 and catholyte NaCl concentration of 98 mM. Further increases in the salt concentration substantially reduced the anolyte pH to as low as 4.6, resulting in reduced MEC performance due to pH inhibition of exoelectrogens. Cathodic hydrogen recovery was high (rcat > 90%) as hydrogen consumption by hydrogenotrophic methanogens was prevented by separating the anode and cathode chambers using a membrane. These results show that the MEC can be optimized for hydrogen production through proper choices in the concentration of a non-buffered saline catholyte and initial anolyte pH in two chamber MECs. Copyright © 2012, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Enhanced performance of solid oxide electrolysis cells by integration with a partial oxidation reactor: Energy and exergy analyses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Visitdumrongkul, Nuttawut; Tippawan, Phanicha; Authayanun, Suthida; Assabumrungrat, Suttichai; Arpornwichanop, Amornchai

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Process design of solid oxide electrolyzer integrated with a partial oxidation reactor is studied. • Effect of key operating parameters of partial oxidation reactor on the electrolyzer performance is presented. • Exergy analysis of the electrolyzer process is performed. • Partial oxidation reactor can enhance the solid oxide electrolyzer performance. • Partial oxidation reactor in the process is the highest exergy destruction unit. - Abstract: Hydrogen production without carbon dioxide emission has received a large amount of attention recently. A solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) can produce pure hydrogen and oxygen via a steam electrolysis reaction that does not emit greenhouse gases. Due to the high operating temperature of SOEC, an external heat source is required for operation, which also helps to improve SOEC performance and reduce operating electricity. The non-catalytic partial oxidation reaction (POX), which is a highly exothermic reaction, can be used as an external heat source and can be integrated with SOEC. Therefore, the aim of this work is to study the effect of operating parameters of non-catalytic POX (i.e., the oxygen to carbon ratio, operating temperature and pressure) on SOEC performance, including exergy analysis of the process. The study indicates that non-catalytic partial oxidation can enhance the hydrogen production rate and efficiency of the system. In terms of exergy analysis, the non-catalytic partial oxidation reactor is demonstrated to be the highest exergy destruction unit due to irreversible chemical reactions taking place, whereas SOEC is a low exergy destruction unit. This result indicates that the partial oxidation reactor should be improved and optimally designed to obtain a high energy and exergy system efficiency.

  19. Synergistic Effects of Micro-electrolysis-Photocatalysis on Water Treatment and Fish Performance in Saline Recirculating Aquaculture System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Zhangying; Wang, Shuo; Gao, Weishan; Li, Haijun; Pei, Luowei; Shen, Mingwei; Zhu, Songming

    2017-03-01

    A new physico-chemical process for TAN (total ammonia nitrogen) removal and disinfection is introduced in saline recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), in which the biofilter is replaced with an integrated electrolysis cell and an activated carbon filter. The electrolysis cell which is based on micro current electrolysis combined with UV-light was self-designed. After the fundamental research, a small pilot scale RAS was operated for 30 days to verify the technical feasibility. The system was stocked by 42 GIFT tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fish with the rearing density of 13 kg/m3. During the experiments, the TAN concentration remained below 1.0 mg/L. The nitrite concentration was lower than 0.2 mg/L and the nitrate concentration had increased continuously to 12.79 mg/L at the end. Furthermore, the concentration of residual chlorine in culture ponds remained below 0.3 mg/L, ORP maintained slight fluctuations in the range of 190~240 mV, and pH of the water showed the downtrend. Tilapia weight increased constantly to 339.3 ± 10 g. For disinfection, the active chlorine generated by electrochemical treatment caused Escherichia coli inactivation. Enzyme activity assay indicated that the activity of glutamate dehydrogenase, carbonic anhydrase and glutamic pyruvic transaminase increased within the normal range. The preliminary feasibility was verified by using this physico-chemical technology in the RAS.

  20. Synergistic Effects of Micro-electrolysis-Photocatalysis on Water Treatment and Fish Performance in Saline Recirculating Aquaculture System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Zhangying; Wang, Shuo; Gao, Weishan; Li, Haijun; Pei, Luowei; Shen, Mingwei; Zhu, Songming

    2017-03-27

    A new physico-chemical process for TAN (total ammonia nitrogen) removal and disinfection is introduced in saline recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), in which the biofilter is replaced with an integrated electrolysis cell and an activated carbon filter. The electrolysis cell which is based on micro current electrolysis combined with UV-light was self-designed. After the fundamental research, a small pilot scale RAS was operated for 30 days to verify the technical feasibility. The system was stocked by 42 GIFT tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fish with the rearing density of 13 kg/m 3 . During the experiments, the TAN concentration remained below 1.0 mg/L. The nitrite concentration was lower than 0.2 mg/L and the nitrate concentration had increased continuously to 12.79 mg/L at the end. Furthermore, the concentration of residual chlorine in culture ponds remained below 0.3 mg/L, ORP maintained slight fluctuations in the range of 190~240 mV, and pH of the water showed the downtrend. Tilapia weight increased constantly to 339.3 ± 10 g. For disinfection, the active chlorine generated by electrochemical treatment caused Escherichia coli inactivation. Enzyme activity assay indicated that the activity of glutamate dehydrogenase, carbonic anhydrase and glutamic pyruvic transaminase increased within the normal range. The preliminary feasibility was verified by using this physico-chemical technology in the RAS.

  1. Uranium metal production by molten salt electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takasawa, Yutaka

    1999-01-01

    Atomic vapor laser isotope separation (AVLIS) is a promising uranium enrichment technology in the next generation. Electrolytic reduction of uranium oxides into uranium metal is proposed for the preparation of uranium metal as a feed material for AVLIS plant. Considering economical performance, continuos process concept and minimizing the amount of radioactive waste, an electrolytic process for producing uranium metal directly from uranium oxides will offer potential advantages over the existing commercial process. Studies of uranium metal by electrolysis in fluoride salts (BaF 2 -LiF-UF 4 (74-11-15 w/o) at 1150-1200degC, using both a laboratory scale apparatus and an engineering scale one, and continuous casting of uranium metal were carried out in order to decide the optimum operating conditions and the design of the industrial electrolytic cells. (author)

  2. Fuel cells 101

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Taylor, B.

    2003-06-01

    A capsule history of fuel cells is given, beginning with the first discovery in 1839 by William Grove, a Welsh judge who, when experimenting with electrolysis discovered that by re-combining the two components of electrolysis (water and oxygen) an electric charge was produced. A century later, in 1958, Francis Thomas Bacon, a British scientist demonstrated the first working fuel cell stack, a technology which was licensed and used in the Apollo spacecraft. In Canada, early research on the development of fuel cells was carried out at the University of Toronto, the Defence Research Establishment and the National Research Council. Most of the early work concentrated on alkaline and phosphoric acid fuel cells. In 1983, Ballard Research began the development of the electrolyte membrane fuel cell, which marked the beginning of Canada becoming a world leader in fuel cell technology development. The paper provides a brief account of how fuel cells work, describes the distinguishing characteristics of the various types of fuel cells (alkaline, phosphoric acid, molten-carbonate, solid oxide, and proton exchange membrane types) and their principal benefits. The emphasis is on proton exchange membrane fuel cells because they are the only fuel cell technology that is appropriate for providing primary propulsion power onboard a vehicle. Since vehicles are by far the greatest consumers of fossil fuels, it follows that proton exchange membrane fuel cells will have the greatest potential impact on both environmental matters and on our reliance on oil as our primary fuel. Various on-going and planned fuel cell demonstration projects are also described. 1 fig.

  3. Electrolysis test of different composite membranes at elevated temperatures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Martin Kalmar

    temperatures, phosphoric acid (H3PO4)[1] and zirconium phosphate (ZrP)[2] were introduced. These composite membranes were tested in an electrolysis setup. A typical electrolysis test was performed at 130°C with a galvanostatic load. Polarization curves were recorded under stationary conditions. Testing...... night at 150°C in a zirconium phosphate saturated 85wt% phosphoric acid solution. Different thicknesses of membranes were tested and as expected, the performance increased when the thickness of the membranes decreased. Furthermore composite membranes only treated with phosphoric acid or only treated...

  4. Hydrothermal synthesis of highly crystalline RuS2 nanoparticles as cathodic catalysts in the methanol fuel cell and hydrochloric acid electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Yanjuan; Li, Nan; Yanagisawa, Kazumichi; Li, Xiaotian; Yan, Xiao

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Highly crystalline RuS 2 nanoparticles have been first synthesized by a “one-step” hydrothermal method. • The product presents a pure cubic phase of stoichiometric ratio RuS 2 with average particle size of 14.8 nm. • RuS 2 nanoparticles were used as cathodic catalysts in methanol fuel cell and hydrochloric acid electrolysis. • The catalyst outperforms commercial Pt/C in methanol tolerance and stability towards Cl − . - Abstract: Highly crystalline ruthenium sulfide (RuS 2 ) nanoparticles have been first synthesized by a “one-step” hydrothermal method at 400 °C, using ruthenium chloride and thiourea as reactants. The products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy/energy disperse spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), thermo gravimetric-differential thermal analyze (TG-DTA), transmission electron microscopy equipped with selected area electron diffraction (TEM/SAED). Fourier transform infrared spectra (IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XRD result illustrates that the highly crystalline product presents a pure cubic phase of stoichiometric ratio RuS 2 and the average particle size is 14.8 nm. SEM and TEM images display the products have irregular shape of 6–25 nm. XPS analyst indicates that the sulfur exists in the form of S 2 2− . Cyclic voltammetry (CV), rotating disk electrode (RDE), chronoamperometry (CA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements are conducted to evaluate the electrocatalytic activity and stability of the highly crystalline RuS 2 nanoparticles in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) for methanol fuel cell and hydrochloric acid electrolysis. The results illustrate that RuS 2 is active towards oxygen reduction reaction. Although the activity of RuS 2 is lower than that of Pt/C, the RuS 2 catalyst outperforms commercial Pt/C in methanol tolerance and stability towards Cl −

  5. Solar water splitting by photovoltaic-electrolysis with a solar-to-hydrogen efficiency over 30%

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Jieyang; Seitz, Linsey C.; Benck, Jesse D.; Huo, Yijie; Chen, Yusi; Ng, Jia Wei Desmond; Bilir, Taner; Harris, James S.; Jaramillo, Thomas F.

    2016-01-01

    Hydrogen production via electrochemical water splitting is a promising approach for storing solar energy. For this technology to be economically competitive, it is critical to develop water splitting systems with high solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiencies. Here we report a photovoltaic-electrolysis system with the highest STH efficiency for any water splitting technology to date, to the best of our knowledge. Our system consists of two polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysers in series with one InGaP/GaAs/GaInNAsSb triple-junction solar cell, which produces a large-enough voltage to drive both electrolysers with no additional energy input. The solar concentration is adjusted such that the maximum power point of the photovoltaic is well matched to the operating capacity of the electrolysers to optimize the system efficiency. The system achieves a 48-h average STH efficiency of 30%. These results demonstrate the potential of photovoltaic-electrolysis systems for cost-effective solar energy storage. PMID:27796309

  6. Two-stage conversion of crude glycerol to energy using dark fermentation linked with microbial fuel cell or microbial electrolysis cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chookaew, Teera; Prasertsan, Poonsuk; Ren, Zhiyong Jason

    2014-03-25

    Crude glycerol is a main byproduct of the biodiesel industry, and the beneficial use of waste glycerol has been a major challenge. This study characterises the conversion of crude glycerol into bioenergy such as H2 and electricity using a two-stage process linking dark fermentation with a microbial fuel cell (MFC) or microbial electrolysis cell (MEC). The results showed that fermentation achieved a maximum H2 rate of 332 mL/L and a yield of 0.55 mol H2/mol glycerol, accompanied by 20% of organic removal. Fed with the raw fermentation products with an initial COD of 7610 mg/L, a two-chamber MFC produced 92 mW/m(2) in power density and removed 50% of COD. The Columbic efficiency was 14%. When fed with 50% diluted fermentation product, a similar power output (90m W/m(2)) and COD removal (49%) were obtained, but the CE doubled to 27%. Similar substrates were used to produce H2 in two-chamber MECs, and the diluted influent had a higher performance, with the highest yield at 106 mL H2/g COD and a CE of 24%. These results demonstrate that dark fermentation linked with MFC/MEC can be a feasible option for conversion of waste glycerol into bioenergy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. The influence of iridium chemical oxidation state on the performance and durability of oxygen evolution catalysts in PEM electrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siracusano, S.; Baglio, V.; Grigoriev, S. A.; Merlo, L.; Fateev, V. N.; Aricò, A. S.

    2017-10-01

    Nanosized Ir-black (3 nm) and Ir-oxide (5 nm) oxygen evolution electrocatalysts showing high performance in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) water electrolysis based on Aquivion® short-side chain ionomer membrane are investigated to understand the role of the Ir oxidation state on the electrocatalytic activity and stability. Despite the smaller mean crystallite size, the Ir-black electrocatalyst shows significantly lower initial performance than the Ir-oxide. During operation at high current density, the Ir-black shows a decrease of cell potential with time whereas the Ir-oxide catalyst shows increasing cell potential resulting in a degradation rate of about 10 μV/h, approaching 1000 h. The unusual behaviour of the Ir-black results from the oxidation of metallic Ir to IrOx. The Ir-oxide catalyst shows instead a hydrated structure on the surface and a negative shift of about 0.5 eV for the Ir 4f binding energy after 1000 h electrolysis operation. This corresponds to the formation of a sub-stoichiometric Ir-oxide on the surface. These results indicate that a hydrated IrO2 with high oxidation state on the surface is favourable in decreasing the oxygen evolution overpotential. Modifications of the Ir chemical oxidation state during operation can affect significantly the catalytic activity and durability of the electrolysis system.

  8. Solid electrolyte fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isaacs, H. S.

    Progress in the development of functioning solid electrolyte fuel cells is summarized. The solid electrolyte cells perform at 1000 C, a temperature elevated enough to indicate high efficiencies are available, especially if the cell is combined with a steam generator/turbine system. The system is noted to be sulfur tolerant, so coal containing significant amounts of sulfur is expected to yield satisfactory performances with low parasitic losses for gasification and purification. Solid oxide systems are electrically reversible, and are usable in both fuel cell and electrolysis modes. Employing zirconium and yttrium in the electrolyte provides component stability with time, a feature not present with other fuel cells. The chemical reactions producing the cell current are reviewed, along with materials choices for the cathodes, anodes, and interconnections.

  9. Multi-electrode continuous flow microbial electrolysis cell for biogas production from acetate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rader, Geoffrey K.; Logan, Bruce E. [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)

    2010-09-15

    Most microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) contain only a single set of electrodes. In order to examine the scalability of a multiple-electrode design, we constructed a 2.5 L MEC containing 8 separate electrode pairs made of graphite fiber brush anodes pre-acclimated for current generation using acetate, and 304 stainless steel mesh cathodes (64 m{sup 2}/m{sup 3}). Under continuous flow conditions and a one day hydraulic retention time, the maximum current was 181 mA (1.18 A/m{sup 2}, cathode surface area; 74 A/m{sup 3}) within three days of operation. The maximum hydrogen production (day 3) was 0.53 L/L-d, reaching an energy efficiency relative to electrical energy input of {eta}{sub E} = 144%. Current production remained relatively steady (days 3-18), but the gas composition dramatically shifted over time. By day 16, there was little H{sub 2} gas recovered and methane production increased from 0.049 L/L-d (day 3) to 0.118 L/L-d. When considering the energy value of both hydrogen and methane, efficiency relative to electrical input remained above 100% until near the end of the experiment (day 17) when only methane gas was being produced. Our results show that MECs can be scaled up primarily based on cathode surface area, but that hydrogen can be completely consumed in a continuous flow system unless methanogens can be completely eliminated from the system. (author)

  10. Multi-electrode continuous flow microbial electrolysis cell for biogas production from acetate

    KAUST Repository

    Rader, Geoffrey K.; Logan, Bruce E.

    2010-01-01

    Most microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) contain only a single set of electrodes. In order to examine the scalability of a multiple-electrode design, we constructed a 2.5 L MEC containing 8 separate electrode pairs made of graphite fiber brush anodes pre-acclimated for current generation using acetate, and 304 stainless steel mesh cathodes (64 m2/m3). Under continuous flow conditions and a one day hydraulic retention time, the maximum current was 181 mA (1.18 A/m2, cathode surface area; 74 A/m 3) within three days of operation. The maximum hydrogen production (day 3) was 0.53 L/L-d, reaching an energy efficiency relative to electrical energy input of ηE = 144%. Current production remained relatively steady (days 3-18), but the gas composition dramatically shifted over time. By day 16, there was little H2 gas recovered and methane production increased from 0.049 L/L-d (day 3) to 0.118 L/L-d. When considering the energy value of both hydrogen and methane, efficiency relative to electrical input remained above 100% until near the end of the experiment (day 17) when only methane gas was being produced. Our results show that MECs can be scaled up primarily based on cathode surface area, but that hydrogen can be completely consumed in a continuous flow system unless methanogens can be completely eliminated from the system. © 2010 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Multi-electrode continuous flow microbial electrolysis cell for biogas production from acetate

    KAUST Repository

    Rader, Geoffrey K.

    2010-09-01

    Most microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) contain only a single set of electrodes. In order to examine the scalability of a multiple-electrode design, we constructed a 2.5 L MEC containing 8 separate electrode pairs made of graphite fiber brush anodes pre-acclimated for current generation using acetate, and 304 stainless steel mesh cathodes (64 m2/m3). Under continuous flow conditions and a one day hydraulic retention time, the maximum current was 181 mA (1.18 A/m2, cathode surface area; 74 A/m 3) within three days of operation. The maximum hydrogen production (day 3) was 0.53 L/L-d, reaching an energy efficiency relative to electrical energy input of ηE = 144%. Current production remained relatively steady (days 3-18), but the gas composition dramatically shifted over time. By day 16, there was little H2 gas recovered and methane production increased from 0.049 L/L-d (day 3) to 0.118 L/L-d. When considering the energy value of both hydrogen and methane, efficiency relative to electrical input remained above 100% until near the end of the experiment (day 17) when only methane gas was being produced. Our results show that MECs can be scaled up primarily based on cathode surface area, but that hydrogen can be completely consumed in a continuous flow system unless methanogens can be completely eliminated from the system. © 2010 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. NOx generation method from recovered nitric acid by electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Y.; Shimizu, H.; Inoue, M.; Fujiso, M.; Shibuya, M.; Iwamoto, F.; Outou, Y.; Ochi, E.; Tsuyuki, T.

    1998-01-01

    An R and D has been conducted on an electrolytic NO x generation process utilizing recovered nitric acid from a PUREX reprocessing plant. The purpose of the study is to drastically reduce the amount of low-level-liquid waste(LLW). The research program phase-1, constituting mainly of electrochemical reaction mechanism study, material balance evaluation and process design study, finished in 1995. The results were presented in the previous papers). The research program phase-2 has started in 1995. The schedule is as follows: FY 1991-1994: Research program phase-1 Basic study using electrolysis equipment with 100-700 cm 2 electrodes FY 1995-1999: Research program phase-2 Process performance test by larger scale electrolysis equipment with 3.6 m 2 electrodes - pilot plant design (FY 1995) - pilot plant construction (FY 1996) - engineering data acquisition (FY 1997-1999). The process consists of many unit operations such as electrolysis, oxidation, nitric acid concentration, NO x compression and storage, NO x recovery, off-gas treatment and acid supplier. This paper outlines the pilot test plant. (author)

  13. Stainless steel anodes for alkaline water electrolysis and methods of making

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soloveichik, Grigorii Lev

    2014-01-21

    The corrosion resistance of stainless steel anodes for use in alkaline water electrolysis was increased by immersion of the stainless steel anode into a caustic solution prior to electrolysis. Also disclosed herein are electrolyzers employing the so-treated stainless steel anodes. The pre-treatment process provides a stainless steel anode that has a higher corrosion resistance than an untreated stainless steel anode of the same composition.

  14. Energy efficient thermochemical conversion of very wet biomass to biofuels by integration of steam drying, steam electrolysis and gasification

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Clausen, Lasse Røngaard

    2017-01-01

    A novel system concept is presented for the thermochemical conversion of very wet biomasses such as sewage sludge and manure. The system integrates steam drying, solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC) and gasification for the production of synthetic natural gas (SNG). The system is analyzed...

  15. Preliminary study of the electrolysis of aluminum sulfide in molten salts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Minh, N.Q.; Loutfy, R.O.; Yao, N.P.

    1983-02-01

    A preliminary laboratory-scale study of the electrolysis of aluminum sulfide in molten salts investigated the (1) solubility of Al/sub 2/S/sub 3/ in molten salts, (2) electrochemical behavior of Al/sub 2/S/sub 3/, and (3) electrolysis of Al/sub 2/S/sub 3/ with the determination of current efficiency as a function of current density. The solubility measurements show that MgCl/sub 2/-NaCl-KCl eutectic electrolyte at 1023 K can dissolve up to 3.3 mol % sulfide. The molar ratio of sulfur to aluminum in the eutectic is about one, which suggests that some sulfur remains undissolved, probably in the form of MgS. The experimental data and thermodynamic calculations suggest that Al/sub 2/S/sub 3/ dissolves in the eutectic to form AlS/sup +/ species in solution. Addition of AlCl/sub 3/ to the eutectic enhances the solubility of Al/sub 2/S/sub 3/; the solubility increases with increasing AlCl/sub 3/ concentration. The electrode reaction mechanism for the electrolysis of Al/sub 2/S/sub 3/ was elucidated by using linear sweep voltammetry. The cathodic reduction of aluminum-ion-containing species to aluminum proceeds by a reversible, diffusion-controlled, three-electron reaction. The anodic reaction involves the two-electron discharge of sulfide-ion-containing species, followed by the fast dimerization of sulfur atoms to S/sub 2/. Electrolysis experiments show that Al/sub 2/S/sub 3/ dissolved in molten MgCl/sub 2/-NaCl-KCl eutectic or in eutectic containing AlCl/sub 3/ can be electrolyzed to produce aluminum and sulfur. In the eutectic at 1023 K, the electrolysis can be conducted up to about 300 mA/cm/sup 2/ for the saturation solubility of Al/sub 2/S/sub 3/. Although these preliminary results are promising, additional studies are needed to elucidate many critical operating parameters before the technical potential of the electrolysis can be accurately assessed. 20 figures, 18 tables.

  16. Performance of single chamber biocatalyzed electrolysis with different types of ion exchange membranes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rozendal, R.A.; Hamelers, H.V.M.; Molenkamp, R.J.; Buisman, C.J.N.

    2007-01-01

    In this paper hydrogen production through biocatalyzed electrolysis was studied for the first time in a single chamber configuration. Single chamber biocatalyzed electrolysis was tested in two configurations: (i) with a cation exchange membrane (CEM) and (ii) with an anion exchange membrane (AEM).

  17. Computational Fluid Dynamics-Population Balance Model Simulation of Effects of Cell Design and Operating Parameters on Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flows and Bubble Distribution Characteristics in Aluminum Electrolysis Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhan, Shuiqing; Wang, Junfeng; Wang, Zhentao; Yang, Jianhong

    2018-02-01

    The effects of different cell design and operating parameters on the gas-liquid two-phase flows and bubble distribution characteristics under the anode bottom regions in aluminum electrolysis cells were analyzed using a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics-population balance model. These parameters include inter-anode channel width, anode-cathode distance (ACD), anode width and length, current density, and electrolyte depth. The simulations results show that the inter-anode channel width has no significant effect on the gas volume fraction, electrolyte velocity, and bubble size. With increasing ACD, the above values decrease and more uniform bubbles can be obtained. Different effects of the anode width and length can be concluded in different cell regions. With increasing current density, the gas volume fraction and electrolyte velocity increase, but the bubble size keeps nearly the same. Increasing electrolyte depth decreased the gas volume fraction and bubble size in particular areas and the electrolyte velocity increased.

  18. Hydrogen production by electrolysis of a phosphate solution on a stainless steel cathode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Silva Munoz, L.; Bergel, A.; Basseguy, R.; Feron, D.

    2010-01-01

    The catalytic properties of phosphate species, already shown on the reduction reaction in anaerobic corrosion of steels, are exploited here for hydrogen production. Phosphate species work as a homogeneous catalyst that enhances the cathodic current at mild pH values. A voltammetric study of the hydrogen evolution reaction is performed using phosphate solutions at different concentrations on 316L stainless steel and platinum rotating disk electrodes. Then, hydrogen is produced in an electrolytic cell using a phosphate solution as the catholyte. Results show that 316L stainless steel electrodes have a stable behaviour as cathodes in the electrolysis of phosphate solutions. Phosphate (1 M, pH 4. 0/5. 0) as the catholyte can equal the performance of a KOH 25%w solution with the advantage of working at mild pH values. The use of phosphate and other weak acids as catalysts of the hydrogen evolution reaction could be a promising technology in the development of electrolysis units that work at mild pH values with low-cost electrodes and construction materials. (authors)

  19. Performance of a pilot-scale continuous flow microbial electrolysis cell fed winery wastewater.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cusick, Roland D; Bryan, Bill; Parker, Denny S; Merrill, Matthew D; Mehanna, Maha; Kiely, Patrick D; Liu, Guangli; Logan, Bruce E

    2011-03-01

    A pilot-scale (1,000 L) continuous flow microbial electrolysis cell was constructed and tested for current generation and COD removal with winery wastewater. The reactor contained 144 electrode pairs in 24 modules. Enrichment of an exoelectrogenic biofilm required ~60 days, which is longer than typically needed for laboratory reactors. Current generation was enhanced by ensuring adequate organic volatile fatty acid content (VFA/SCOD ≥ 0.5) and by raising the wastewater temperature (31 ± 1°C). Once enriched, SCOD removal (62 ± 20%) was consistent at a hydraulic retention time of 1 day (applied voltage of 0.9 V). Current generation reached a maximum of 7.4 A/m(3) by the planned end of the test (after 100 days). Gas production reached a maximum of 0.19 ± 0.04 L/L/day, although most of the product gas was converted to methane (86 ± 6%). In order to increase hydrogen recovery in future tests, better methods will be needed to isolate hydrogen gas produced at the cathode. These results show that inoculation and enrichment procedures are critical to the initial success of larger-scale systems. Acetate amendments, warmer temperatures, and pH control during startup were found to be critical for proper enrichment of exoelectrogenic biofilms and improved reactor performance.

  20. Effect of the type of ion exchange membrane on performance, ion transport, and pH in biocatalyzed electrolysis of wastewater

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rozendal, R.A.; Sleutels, T.H.J.A.; Hamelers, H.V.M.; Buisman, C.J.N.

    2008-01-01

    Previous studies have shown that the application of cation exchange membranes (CEMs) in bioelectrochemical systems running on wastewater can cause operational problems. In this paper the effect of alternative types of ion exchange membrane is studied in biocatalyzed electrolysis cells. Four types of

  1. Optimizing the space-time-yield and the specific energy consumption of molten salt electrolysis processes for the electrowinning of metals in subgroups 4 and 5 of the periodic table of elements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koeck, W.

    1988-04-01

    Disadvantages of molten salt electrolysis are its low space-time-yield (kg/m 3 h) combined with its high specific energy consumption (kWh/kg). These factors essentially determine how electrolysis is applied on an industrial scale. The electrolysis of tantalum was selected as an example representative for other electrolytic processes; this series of tests allow statements also on the winning of the other elements from subgroups 4 and 5 of the periodic table, and on electrolytic aluminium extraction. Optimal operating conditions for direct current electrolysis were determined in the laboratory by varying the current density and the electrolysis temperature. In order to improve the space-time-yield from an existing electrolytic cell with a given electrolyte composition beyond the optimal range of direct current electrolysis, the process of periodic current reversal is applied. In this process, the polarity is reversed for a short time at constant periodic intervals. If the forward time period and the backward time period are chosen in a suitable way, both the current efficiency and the space-time-yield can be improved without increasing the energy consumption. 59 refs., 48 figs., 8 tabs. (Author)

  2. Breaking through the hydrogen cost barrier by using electrolysis loads to access ancillary services and demand response programs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilson, D.; McGillivray, R.

    2009-01-01

    This presentation described the use of hydrogen electrolysis as a load resource for handling grid instability resulting from the increased penetration of intermittent renewable power. In particular, it focused on Hydrogenics, the leading global supplier of industrial scale electrolysis equipment and fuel cells. The presentation included an overview of the current incentive and market value of ancillary services provided by the company and demand responses in a number of grids around the world. There is a link between the amount of ancillary services required by the grid and the penetration level of renewable energy power such as wind and solar. The ability of hydrogen generation from electrolysis to satisfy all the requirements of ancillary services markets was also demonstrated. The economic analysis of hydrogen generation was discussed with particular reference to the cost of hydrogen fully loading all capital, energy and operating costs. The resulting reduction in the cost of hydrogen was compared to the existing markets for hydrogen, including use of hydrogen as a fuel for municipal bus fleets relative to the existing cost of fossil fuel fleets. Current industrial hydrogen merchant and bulk market prices were also compared

  3. Advanced Additive Manufacturing Feedstock from Molten Regolith Electrolysis

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Demonstrate the feasibility of Molten Regolith Electrolysis (MRE) Reactor start by initiating resistive-heating of the regolith past its melting point using...

  4. Efficient treatment of aniline containing wastewater in bipolar membrane microbial electrolysis cell-Fenton system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiaohu; Jin, Xiangdan; Zhao, Nannan; Angelidaki, Irini; Zhang, Yifeng

    2017-08-01

    Aniline-containing wastewater can cause significant environmental problems and threaten the humans's life. However, rapid degradation of aniline with cost-efficient methods remains a challenge. In this work, a novel microbial electrolysis cell with bipolar membrane was integrated with Fenton reaction (MEC-Fenton) for efficient treatment of real wastewater containing a high concentration (4460 ± 52 mg L -1 ) of aniline. In this system, H 2 O 2 was in situ electro-synthesized from O 2 reduction on the graphite cathode and was simultaneously used as source of OH for the oxidation of aniline wastewater under an acidic condition maintained by the bipolar membrane. The aniline was effectively degraded following first-order kinetics at a rate constant of 0.0166 h -1 under an applied voltage of 0.5 V. Meanwhile, a total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency of 93.1 ± 1.2% was obtained, revealing efficient mineralization of aniline. The applicability of bipolar membrane MEC-Fenton system was successfully demonstrated with actual aniline wastewater. Moreover, energy balance showed that the system could be a promising technology for removal of biorefractory organic pollutants from wastewaters. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Hydrogen Generation in Microbial Reverse-Electrodialysis Electrolysis Cells Using a Heat-Regenerated Salt Solution

    KAUST Repository

    Nam, Joo-Youn

    2012-05-01

    Hydrogen gas can be electrochemically produced in microbial reverse-electrodialysis electrolysis cells (MRECs) using current derived from organic matter and salinity-gradient energy such as river water and seawater solutions. Here, it is shown that ammonium bicarbonate salts, which can be regenerated using low-temperature waste heat, can also produce sufficient voltage for hydrogen gas generation in an MREC. The maximum hydrogen production rate was 1.6 m3 H2/m3·d, with a hydrogen yield of 3.4 mol H2/mol acetate at a salinity ratio of infinite. Energy recovery was 10% based on total energy applied with an energy efficiency of 22% based on the consumed energy in the reactor. The cathode overpotential was dependent on the catholyte (sodium bicarbonate) concentration, but not the salinity ratio, indicating high catholyte conductivity was essential for maximizing hydrogen production rates. The direction of the HC and LC flows (co- or counter-current) did not affect performance in terms of hydrogen gas volume, production rates, or stack voltages. These results show that the MREC can be successfully operated using ammonium bicarbonate salts that can be regenerated using conventional distillation technologies and waste heat making the MREC a useful method for hydrogen gas production from wastes. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

  6. Transient nanobubbles in short-time electrolysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Svetovoy, Vitaly; Sanders, Remco G.P.; Elwenspoek, Michael Curt

    2013-01-01

    Water electrolysis in a microsystem is observed and analyzed on a short-time scale of ∼10 μs. The very unusual properties of the process are stressed. An extremely high current density is observed because the process is not limited by the diffusion of electroactive species. The high current is

  7. System Evaluation and Life-Cycle Cost Analysis of a Commercial-Scale High-Temperature Electrolysis Hydrogen Production Plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Edwin A. Harvego; James E. O' Brien; Michael G. McKellar

    2012-11-01

    Results of a system evaluation and lifecycle cost analysis are presented for a commercial-scale high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) central hydrogen production plant. The plant design relies on grid electricity to power the electrolysis process and system components, and industrial natural gas to provide process heat. The HYSYS process analysis software was used to evaluate the reference central plant design capable of producing 50,000 kg/day of hydrogen. The HYSYS software performs mass and energy balances across all components to allow optimization of the design using a detailed process flow sheet and realistic operating conditions specified by the analyst. The lifecycle cost analysis was performed using the H2A analysis methodology developed by the Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Program. This methodology utilizes Microsoft Excel spreadsheet analysis tools that require detailed plant performance information (obtained from HYSYS), along with financial and cost information to calculate lifecycle costs. The results of the lifecycle analyses indicate that for a 10% internal rate of return, a large central commercial-scale hydrogen production plant can produce 50,000 kg/day of hydrogen at an average cost of $2.68/kg. When the cost of carbon sequestration is taken into account, the average cost of hydrogen production increases by $0.40/kg to $3.08/kg.

  8. Electrolysis of a nitrosyl hexafluoro-molybdate in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mougin, Jacques

    1972-01-01

    This thesis addresses the field of irradiated fuel reprocessing, and more particularly the study of the formation of molybdenum hexafluoride (MoF_6) by electrolysis of nitrosyl hexafluoro-molybdate (NOMoF_6) in solution in HF. The author presents the conditions of preparation of an electrolysis in anhydrous HF: solvent purification and control, production of a reference electrode, potential-kinetic study of the behaviour of materials selected for the electrode. The author then addresses the actual hydrolysis of the solution of nitrosyl hexafluoro-molybdate [fr

  9. A study of water electrolysis using ionic polymer-metal composite for solar energy storage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keow, Alicia; Chen, Zheng

    2017-04-01

    Hydrogen gas can be harvested via the electrolysis of water. The gas is then fed into a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) to produce electricity with clean emission. Ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC), which is made from electroplating a proton-conductive polymer film called Nafion encourages ion migration and dissociation of water under application of external voltage. This property has been proven to be able to act as catalyst for the electrolysis of pure water. This renewable energy system is inspired by photosynthesis. By using solar panels to gather sunlight as the source of energy, the generation of electricity required to activate the IPMC electrolyser is acquired. The hydrogen gas is collected as storable fuel and can be converted back into energy using a commercial fuel cell. The goal of this research is to create a round-trip energy efficient system which can harvest solar energy, store them in the form of hydrogen gas and convert the stored hydrogen back to electricity through the use of fuel cell with minimal overall losses. The effect of increasing the surface area of contact is explored through etching of the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) with argon plasma or manually sanding the surface and how it affects the increase of energy conversion efficiency of the electrolyser. In addition, the relationship between temperature and the IPMC is studied. Experimental results demonstrated that increases in temperature of water and changes in surface area contact correlate with gas generation.

  10. A Decade of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Improvements at DTU Energy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hauch, Anne; Brodersen, Karen; Chen, Ming

    2017-01-01

    a short review of the R&D work on SOEC single cells conducted at DTU Energy from 2005 to 2015. The SOEC improvements have involved increasing the of the oxygen electrode performance, elimination of impurities in the feed streams, optimization of processing routes, and fuel electrode structure optimization....... All together, these improvements have led to a decrease in long-term degradation rate from ∼40 %/kh to ∼0.4 %/kh for steam electrolysis at -1 A/cm2, while the initial area specific resistance has been decreased from 0.44 Ωcm2 to 0.15 Ωcm2 at -0.5 A/cm2 and 750 °C....

  11. Degradation of solid oxide cells during co-electrolysis of H2O and CO2: Carbon deposition under high current densities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tao, Youkun; Ebbesen, Sune Dalgaard; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

    2012-01-01

    conversions of the reactants were no more than 66.8 %. Ni-YSZ electrode delamination and carbon nano-fibers could be observed after test at the Ni-YSZ | YSZ electrolyte interface for two of the cells. Thermodynamic calculation shows that the reactant conversion needed for carbon formation is above 99 %, far...... above the experimental conversions. The observed carbon formation may be caused by the gas diffusion limitations at high current densities. Carbon nano-fibers were only observed close to the YSZ electrolyte indicating a large overpotential gradient at the TPBs close to the electrolyte......During co-electrolysis of H2O and CO2 using solid oxide cells (SOCs) the risk of carbon deposition in the Ni-YSZ electrode under high current densities (∼ 2.0 A/cm2) was studied in this work. Five galvanostatic tests were performed at current density between 1.5 and 2.25 A/cm2 and the average...

  12. A numerical study of the gas-liquid, two-phase flow maldistribution in the anode of a high pressure PEM water electrolysis cell

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olesen, Anders Christian; Rømer, Carsten; Kær, Søren Knudsen

    2016-01-01

    In this work, the use of a circular-planar, interdigitated flow field for the anode of a high pressure proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis cell is investigated in a numerical study. While PEM fuel cells have separated flow fields for reactant transport and coolant, it is possible...... causes maldistribution, if land areas of equal width are applied. Moreover, below a water stoichiometry of 350, and at a current density of 1 A/cm2, flow and temperature maldistribution is adversely affected by the presence of the gas phase; particularly gas hold-up near outlet channels can cause......-phase flow model for establishing the effect of geometry and a two-phase flow model for studying the effect of dispersed gas bubbles. Both models account for turbulence and heat transport. By means of the developed models, it is elucidated that the circular-planar shape of the interdigitated flow field...

  13. Fabrication and characterization of solid oxide cells for energy conversion and storage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Chenghao

    2011-12-01

    There has been an increasing interest in clean and renewable energy generation for highlighted energy and environmental concerns. Solid oxide cells (SOCs) have been considered as one of the promising technologies, since they can be operated efficiently both in electrolysis mode by generating hydrogen through steam electrolysis and fuel cell mode by electrochemically combining fuel with oxidant. The present work is devoted to performing a fundamental study of SOC in both fuel cell mode for power generation and electrolysis mode for fuel production. The research work on SOCs that can be operated reversibly for power generation and fuel production has been conducted in the following six projects: (1) High performance solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) Fabrication of novel structured SOEC oxygen electrode with the conventional and commercial solid oxide fuel cell materials by screen-printing and infiltration fabrication methods. The microstructure, electrochemical properties and durability of SOECs has been investigated. It was found that the LSM infiltrated cell has an area specific resistance (ASR) of 0.20 Ω cm2 at 900°C at open circuit voltage with 50% absolute humidity (AH), which is relatively lower than that of the cell with LSM-YSZ oxygen electrode made by a conventional mixing method. Electrolysis cell with LSM infiltrated oxygen electrode has demonstrated stable performance under electrolysis operation with 0.33 A/cm2 and 50 vol.% AH at 800°C. (2) Advanced performance high temperature micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell (MT-SOFC) Phase-inversion, dip-coating, high temperature co-sintering process and impregnation method were used to fabricate micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell. The micro-structure of the micro-tubular fuel cell will be investigated and the power output and thermal robustness has been evaluated. High performance and rapid start-up behavior have been achieved, indicates that the MT-SOFC developed in this work can be a promising technology

  14. Carbon-encapsulated nickel-iron nanoparticles supported on nickel foam as a catalyst electrode for urea electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Mao-Sung; Jao, Chi-Yu; Chuang, Farn-Yih; Chen, Fang-Yi

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Electrochemical process can purify the urea-rich wastewater, producing hydrogen gas. • Carbon-encapsulated nickel iron nanoparticles (CE-NiFe) are prepared by pyrolysis. • An ultra-thin layer of CE-NiFe nanoparticles is attached to the 3D Ni foam. • CE-NiFe nanoparticles escalate both the urea electrolysis and hydrogen evolution. - Abstract: A cyanide-bridged bimetallic coordination polymer, nickel hexacyanoferrate, could be pyrolyzed to form carbon-encapsulated nickel-iron (CE-NiFe) nanoparticles. The formation of nitrogen-doped spherical carbon shell with ordered mesoporous structure prevented the structural damage of catalyst cores and allowed the migration and diffusion of electrolyte into the hollow carbon spheres. An ultra-thin layer of CE-NiFe nanoparticles could be tightly attached to the three-dimensional macroporous nickel foam (NF) by electrophoretic deposition. The CE-NiFe nanoparticles could lower the onset potential and increase the current density in anodic urea electrolysis and cathodic hydrogen production as compared with bare NF. Macroporous NF substrate was very useful for the urea electrolysis and hydrogen production, which allowed for fast transport of electron, electrolyte, and gas products. The superior electrocatalytic ability of CE-NiFe/NF electrode in urea oxidation and water reduction made it favorable for versatile applications such as water treatment, hydrogen generation, and fuel cells.

  15. HYFIRE: fusion-high temperature electrolysis system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fillo, J.A.; Powell, J.R.; Steinberg, M.; Benenati, R.; Dang, V.D.; Horn, F.; Isaacs, H.; Lazareth, O.; Makowitz, H.; Usher, J.

    1980-01-01

    The Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is carrying out a comprehensive conceptual design study called HYFIRE of a commercial fusion Tokamak reactor, high-temperature electrolysis system. The study is placing particular emphasis on the adaptability of the STARFIRE power reactor to a synfuel application. The HYFIRE blanket must perform three functions: (a) provide high-temperature (approx. 1400 0 C) process steam at moderate pressures (in the range of 10 to 30 atm) to the high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) units; (b) provide high-temperature (approx. 700 to 800 0 C) heat to a thermal power cycle for generation of electricity to the HTE units; and (c) breed enough tritium to sustain the D-T fuel cycle. In addition to thermal energy for the decomposition of steam into its constitutents, H 2 and O 2 , electrical input is required. Power cycle efficiencies of approx. 40% require He cooling for steam superheat. Fourteen hundred degree steam coupled with 40% power cycle efficiency results in a process efficiency (conversion of fusion energy to hydrogen chemical energy) of 50%

  16. Renewable and high efficient syngas production from carbon dioxide and water through solar energy assisted electrolysis in eutectic molten salts

    KAUST Repository

    Wu, Hongjun; Liu, Yue; Ji, Deqiang; Li, Zhida; Yi, Guanlin; Yuan, Dandan; Wang, Baohui; Zhang, Zhonghai; Wang, Peng

    2017-01-01

    sustainable energy sources: concentrated solar light heats molten salt and solar cell supplies electricity for electrolysis. The eutectic Li0.85Na0.61K0.54CO3/nLiOH molten electrolyte is rationally designed with low melting point (<450 °C). The synthesized

  17. Long Term Stability Investigation of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell with Infiltrated Porous YSZ Air Electrode Under High Current

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Veltzé, Sune; Ovtar, Simona; Simonsen, Søren Bredmose

    2015-01-01

    stabilised zirconia (YSZ) backbone air electrode and Ni/YSZ cermet fuel electrode. The SOC was tested at electrolysis conditions under high current (up to -1 A/cm2). The porous YSZ electrodes was infiltrated with gadolinium-doped ceria oxide (CGO), to act as a barrier layer between the catalyst...

  18. Achievement report for fiscal 1983 on Sunshine Program-entrusted research and development. Research on hydrogen production technology using electrolysis (Research on electrolysis of water using alkali type solid polymer electrolyte); 1983 nendo denki bunkaiho ni yoru suiso seizo gijutsu no kenkyu seika hokokusho. Arukarigata kotai kobunshi denkaishitsu suidenkai no kenkyu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1984-03-01

    The report covers the outcome of the research conducted for the establishment of basic techniques for the electrolysis of water using the alkali type solid polymer electrolyte. This fiscal year, following the previous fiscal year, anode materials fit for the electrolysis of water by the AZEC method are investigated, and a medium-size cell, high-temperature cell, and test unit are built. As the result, it becomes clear that the Raney Nickel electrode is relatively active as anode as well as cathode and that it is excellent in durability. The Raney Nickel electrode, with its activity further improved by modification using rhodium and rhenium, is durable, and exhibits the lowest overvoltage. As for the medium-size cell, a cell structure excellent in outgassing while maintaining electrode flatness is sought for, and it is found that it is capable of electrolytic performance similar to that of a small-size cell. As for the high-temperature cell, studies are conducted about the impact of temperature and pressure on the bath voltage. The pressure control system experimentally built in this research is found to be excellent in transient response too. (NEDO)

  19. Improved performance of the microbial electrolysis desalination and chemical-production cell with enlarged anode and high applied voltages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Bo; Luo, Haiping; Lu, Yaobin; Liu, Guangli; Zhang, Renduo; Li, Xiao

    2017-11-01

    The aim of this study was to improve performance of the microbial electrolysis desalination and chemical-production cell (MEDCC) using enlarged anode and high applied voltages. MEDCCs with anode lengths of 9 and 48cm (i.e., the 9cm-anode MEDCC and 48cm-anode MEDCC, respectively) were tested under different voltages (1.2-3.0V). Our results demonstrated for the first time that the MEDCC could maintain high performance even under the applied voltage higher than that for water dissociation (i.e., 1.8V). Under the applied voltage of 2.5V, the maximum current density in the 48cm-anode MEDCC reached 32.8±2.6A/m 2 , which is one of the highest current densities reported so far in the bioelectrochemical system (BES). The relative abundance of Geobacter was changed along the anode length. Our results show the great potential of the BES with enlarged anode and high applied voltages. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Inactivation characteristics of ozone and electrolysis process for ballast water treatment using B. subtilis spores as a probe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Youmi; Yoon, Yeojoon; Hong, Eunkyung; Kwon, Minhwan; Kang, Joon-Wun

    2013-07-15

    Since ballast water affects the ocean ecosystem, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) sets a standard for ballast water management and might impose much tighter regulations in the future. The aim of this study is to evaluate the inactivation efficiency of ozonation, electrolysis, and an ozonation-electrolysis combined process, using B. subtilis spores. In seawater ozonation, HOBr is the key active substance for inactivation, because of rapid reactivity of ozone with Br(-) in seawater. In seawater electrolysis, it is also HOBr, but not HOCl, because of the rapid reaction of HOCl with Br(-), which has not been recognized carefully, even though many electrolysis technologies have been approved by the IMO. Inactivation pattern was different in ozonation and electrolysis, which has some limitations with the tailing or lag-phase, respectively. However, each deficiency can be overcome with a combined process, which is most effective as a sequential application of ozonation followed by electrolysis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Probing absorption of deuterium into palladium cathodes during D2O electrolysis with an in situ electrochemical microbalance technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oyama, Noboru; Yamamoto, Nobushige; Hatozaki, Osamu; Ohsaka, Takeo

    1990-01-01

    The in situ observation of the absorption of deuterium (or hydrogen) into the Pd cathode during D 2 O (or H 2 O) electrolysis was made by an electrochemical microbalance technique which is based on the quartz-crystal electrode. The resonant frequency of the Pd-coated quartz-crystal electrode decreased with increasing amount of charge passed during electrolysis, and the frequency change for the D 2 O electrolysis was about twice that for the H 2 O electrolysis. The atom ratios of H/Pd and D/Pd of the H-Pd and D-Pd compounds resulting from the electrolysis were estimated to be 0.59 and 0.57, respectively. (author)

  2. Intensified nitrogen and phosphorus removal in a novel electrolysis-integrated tidal flow constructed wetland system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ju, Xinxin; Wu, Shubiao; Zhang, Yansheng; Dong, Renjie

    2014-08-01

    A novel electrolysis-integrated tidal flow constructed wetland (CW) system was developed in this study. The dynamics of intensified nitrogen and phosphorus removal and that of hydrogen sulphide control were evaluated. Ammonium removal of up to 80% was achieved with an inflow concentration of 60 mg/L in wetland systems with and without electrolysis integration. Effluent nitrate concentration decreased from 2 mg/L to less than 0.5 mg/L with the decrease in current intensity from 1.5 mA/cm(2) to 0.57 mA/cm(2) in the electrolysis-integrated wetland system, thus indicating that the current intensity of electrolysis plays an important role in nitrogen transformations. Phosphorus removal was significantly enhanced, exceeding 95% in the electrolysis-integrated CW system because of the in-situ formation of a ferric iron coagulant through the electro-dissolution of a sacrificial iron anode. Moreover, the electrolyzed wetland system effectively inhibits sulphide accumulation as a result of a sulphide precipitation coupled with ferrous-iron electro-dissolution and/or an inhibition of bacterial sulphate reduction under increased aerobic conditions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. HYFIRE: a tokamak-high-temperature electrolysis system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fillo, J.A.; Powell, J.R.; Steinberg, M.; Benenati, R.; Horn, F.; Isaacs, H.; Lazareth, O.W.; Makowitz, H.; Usher, J.

    1980-01-01

    Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is carrying out a comprehensive conceptual design study called HYFIRE of a commercial fusion Tokamak reactor, high-temperature electrolysis system. The study is placing particular emphasis on the adaptability of the STARFIRE power reactor to a synfuel application. The HYFIRE blanket must perform three functions: (a) provide high-temperature (approx. 1400 0 C) process steam at moderate pressures (in the range of 10 to 30 atm) to the high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) units; (b) provide high-temperature (approx. 700 0 to 800 0 C) heat to a thermal power cycle for generation of electricity to the HTE units; and (c) breed enough tritium to sustain the D-T fuel cycle. In addition to thermal energy for the decomposition of steam into its constituents, H 2 and O 2 , electrical input is required. Fourteen hundred degree steam coupled with 40% power efficiency results in a process efficiency (conversion of fusion energy to hydrogen chemical energy) of 50%

  4. HYFIRE: a tokamak-high-temperature electrolysis system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fillo, J.A.; Powell, J.R.; Steinberg, M.; Benenati, R.; Horn, F.; Isaacs, H.; Lazareth, O.W.; Makowitz, H.; Usher, J.

    1980-01-01

    Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is carrying out a comprehensive conceptual design study called HYFIRE of a commercial fusion Tokamak reactor, high-temperature electrolysis system. The study is placing particular emphasis on the adaptability of the STARFIRE power reactor to a synfuel application. The HYFIRE blanket must perform three functions: (a) provide high-temperature (approx. 1400 0 C) process steam at moderate pressures (in the range of 10 to 30 atm) to the high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) units; (b) provide high-temperature (approx. 700 0 to 800 0 C) heat to a thermal power cycle for generation of electricity to the HTE units; and (c) breed enough tritium to sustain the D-T fuel cycle. In addition to thermal energy for the decomposition of steam into its constituents, H 2 and O 2 , electrical input is required. Fourteen hundred degree steam coupled with 40% power cycle efficiency results in a process efficiency (conversion of fusion energy to hydrogen chemical energy) of 50%

  5. Analysis of Economic Efficiency of Production of Low-Concentrated Sodium Hypochlorite by Direct Electrolysis of Natural Waters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fesenko, L. N.; Pchelnikov, I. V.; Fedotov, R. V.

    2017-11-01

    The study presents the economic efficiency of direct electrolysis of natural waters in comparison with the waters artificially prepared by electrolysis of the 3% sodium salt solution. The study used sea water (Black sea water); mineral water (underground water of the Melikhovskaya station, “Ognennaya” hole); brackish water (underground water from the Grushevskaya station of the Aksai district); 3% solution of sodium salt. As a result, the dependences characterizing the direct electrolysis of natural waters with different mineralization, economic, and energy parties are shown. The rational area of the electrolysis for each of the investigated solution is determined. The cost of a kilogram of active chlorine obtained by the direct water electrolysis: Black sea from 17.2 to 18.3 RUB/kg; the Melikhovskaya station “Ognennaya” hole - 14.3 to 15.0 Rubles/kg; 3% solution of NaCl - 30 Rubles./kg; Grushevskogo St. - 63,0-73,0 Rubles/kg.

  6. An investigation of energy balances in palladium cathode electrolysis experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Longhurst, G. R.; Dolan, T. J.; Henriksen, G. L.

    1990-09-01

    A series of experiments was performed at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) to investigate mechanisms that may contribute to energy flows in electrolysis cells like those of Fleischmann and Pons. Ordinary water (H2O), heavy water (D2O), and a mixture of the two were used in the INEL experiments. Cathodes used include a 51-μm Pd foil and 1-mm diameter extruded wire Pd rods in straight and coiled configurations. Energy balances in these experiments revealed no significant net gain or net loss of energy. Cell overpotential curves were fit well with a Tafel equation, with parameters dependent on electrode configuration, electrolyte composition, and temperature. Water evaporation and interactions of hydrogen isotopes with the Pd cathode were evaluated and found not to be significant to energy balances. No ionizing radiation, tritium production, or other evidence of fusion reactions was observed in the INEL experiments.

  7. The development and application of solid polymer electrolysis enrichment device of tritium in water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wen Xuelian; Yang Hailan Wu Bin; Yang Huaiyuan

    2003-01-01

    This paper briefly describes the working principle of solid polymer electrolysis enrichment device of tritium in water, presents experiments and works in development of SPE tritium automatic electrolysis enrichment device by CIRP, with which the water samples had been processed for TRIC2000, and the measurement results are satisfied

  8. Enhanced hydrogen generation using a saline catholyte in a two chamber microbial electrolysis cell

    KAUST Repository

    Nam, Joo-Youn

    2011-11-01

    High rates of hydrogen gas production were achieved in a two chamber microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) without a catholyte phosphate buffer by using a saline catholyte solution and a cathode constructed around a stainless steel mesh current collector. Using the non-buffered salt solution (68 mM NaCl) produced the highest current density of 131 ± 12 A/m3, hydrogen yield of 3.2 ± 0.3 mol H2/mol acetate, and gas production rate of 1.6 ± 0.2 m3 H2/m 3·d, compared to MECs with catholytes externally sparged with CO2 or containing a phosphate buffer. The salinity of the catholyte achieved a high solution conductivity, and therefore the electrode spacing did not appreciably affect performance. The coulombic efficiency with the cathode placed near the membrane separating the chambers was 83 ± 4%, similar to that obtained with the cathode placed more distant from the membrane (84 ± 4%). Using a carbon cloth cathode instead of the stainless steel mesh cathode did not significantly affect performance, with all reactor configurations producing similar performance in terms of total gas volume, COD removal, rcat and overall energy recovery. These results show MEC performance can be improved by using a saline catholyte without pH control. © 2011, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Microbial Reverse-Electrodialysis Electrolysis and Chemical-Production Cell for H2 Production and CO2 Sequestration.

    KAUST Repository

    Zhu, Xiuping; Hatzell, Marta C; Logan, Bruce E

    2014-01-01

    Natural mineral carbonation can be accelerated using acid and alkali solutions to enhance atmospheric CO2 sequestration, but the production of these solutions needs to be carbon-neutral. A microbial reverse-electrodialysis electrolysis and chemical-production cell (MRECC) was developed to produce these solutions and H2 gas using only renewable energy sources (organic matter and salinity gradient). Using acetate (0.82 g/L) as a fuel for microorganisms to generate electricity in the anode chamber (liquid volume of 28 mL), 0.45 mmol of acid and 1.09 mmol of alkali were produced at production efficiencies of 35% and 86%, respectively, along with 10 mL of H2 gas. Serpentine dissolution was enhanced 17-87-fold using the acid solution, with approximately 9 mL of CO2 absorbed and 4 mg of CO2 fixed as magnesium or calcium carbonates. The operational costs, based on mineral digging and grinding, and water pumping, were estimated to be only $25/metric ton of CO2 fixed as insoluble carbonates. Considering the additional economic benefits of H2 generation and possible wastewater treatment, this method may be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method for CO2 sequestration.

  10. Microbial Reverse-Electrodialysis Electrolysis and Chemical-Production Cell for H2 Production and CO2 Sequestration.

    KAUST Repository

    Zhu, Xiuping

    2014-03-24

    Natural mineral carbonation can be accelerated using acid and alkali solutions to enhance atmospheric CO2 sequestration, but the production of these solutions needs to be carbon-neutral. A microbial reverse-electrodialysis electrolysis and chemical-production cell (MRECC) was developed to produce these solutions and H2 gas using only renewable energy sources (organic matter and salinity gradient). Using acetate (0.82 g/L) as a fuel for microorganisms to generate electricity in the anode chamber (liquid volume of 28 mL), 0.45 mmol of acid and 1.09 mmol of alkali were produced at production efficiencies of 35% and 86%, respectively, along with 10 mL of H2 gas. Serpentine dissolution was enhanced 17-87-fold using the acid solution, with approximately 9 mL of CO2 absorbed and 4 mg of CO2 fixed as magnesium or calcium carbonates. The operational costs, based on mineral digging and grinding, and water pumping, were estimated to be only $25/metric ton of CO2 fixed as insoluble carbonates. Considering the additional economic benefits of H2 generation and possible wastewater treatment, this method may be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method for CO2 sequestration.

  11. Tritium isotope separation from light and heavy water by bipolar electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petek, M.; Ramey, D.W.; Taylor, R.D.; Kobisk, E.H.

    1980-01-01

    A process for separating tritium from light and heavy water is described. Hydrogen is transferred at and through bipolar electrodes at rates H > D > T. In a cell containing several bipolar electrodes placed in series between two terminal electrodes, a flow of hydrogen is established from the terminal anode compartment toward the terminal cathode. An electrolyte feed containing tritium is continuously added to the system and is subsequently transported countercurrent to the hydrogen mass transfer. A cascaded system is established, in which effluent streams enriched and depleted in tritium can be withdrawn. The voltage drop is smaller at any bipolar electrode as compared to the voltage for normal electrolysis. Cell design is compact because isotope separation occurs at bipolar electrodes without evolution of gas. Isotope separation was demonstrated in laboratory cells where a steady-state tritium concentration gradient was attained. This gradient was in agreement with concentrations calculated from a derived mathematical model

  12. The Use of Multi-Reactor Cascade Plasma Electrolysis for Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate Degradation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saksono, Nelson; Ibrahim; Zainah; Budikania, Trisutanti

    2018-03-01

    Plasma electrolysis is a method that can produce large amounts of hydroxyl radicals to degrade organic waste. The purpose of this study is to improve the effectiveness of Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) degradation by using multi-reactor cascade plasma electrolysis. The reactor which operated in circulation system, using 3 reactors series flow and 6 L of LAS with initial concentration of 100 ppm. The results show that the LAS degradation can be improved multi-reactor cascade plasma electrolysis. The greatest LAS degradation is achieved up to 81.91% with energy consumption of 2227.34 kJ/mmol that is obtained during 120 minutes by using 600 Volt, 0.03 M of KOH, and 0.5 cm of the anode depth.

  13. Current generation in microbial electrolysis cells with addition of amorphous ferric hydroxide, Tween 80, or DNA

    KAUST Repository

    Ren, Lijiao

    2012-11-01

    Iron-oxide nanoparticles and the Tween 80 have previously been shown to improve power generation in microbial fuel cells (MFCs), presumably by improving electron transfer from the bacteria to the anode. We examined whether several chemicals would affect current production in single-chamber microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), where hydrogen gas is produced at the cathode, using mixed cultures and Geobacter sulfurreducens. Tween 80 did not increase the current. Fe(OH) 3 addition increased the maximum current density of both the mixed cultures (from 6.1 ± 0.9 A/m 2 to 8.8 ± 0.3 A/m 2) and pure cultures (from 4.8 ± 0.5 A/m 2 to 7.4 ± 1.1 A/m 2). Improved current production was sustained even after iron was no longer added to the medium. It was demonstrated that increased current resulted from improved cathode performance. Analysis using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed that the iron primarily reduced the diffusion resistances of the cathodes, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed the formation of highly porous structures on the cathode. The addition of DNA also did not improve MEC or MFC performance. These results demonstrated that among these treatments only Fe(OH) 3 addition was a viable method for enhancing current densities in MECs, primarily by improving cathode performance. Copyright © 2012, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights.

  14. Novel electrical energy storage system based on reversible solid oxide cells: System design and operating conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wendel, C. H.; Kazempoor, P.; Braun, R. J.

    2015-02-01

    Electrical energy storage (EES) is an important component of the future electric grid. Given that no other widely available technology meets all the EES requirements, reversible (or regenerative) solid oxide cells (ReSOCs) working in both fuel cell (power producing) and electrolysis (fuel producing) modes are envisioned as a technology capable of providing highly efficient and cost-effective EES. However, there are still many challenges and questions from cell materials development to system level operation of ReSOCs that should be addressed before widespread application. This paper presents a novel system based on ReSOCs that employ a thermal management strategy of promoting exothermic methanation within the ReSOC cell-stack to provide thermal energy for the endothermic steam/CO2 electrolysis reactions during charging mode (fuel producing). This approach also serves to enhance the energy density of the stored gases. Modeling and parametric analysis of an energy storage concept is performed using a physically based ReSOC stack model coupled with thermodynamic system component models. Results indicate that roundtrip efficiencies greater than 70% can be achieved at intermediate stack temperature (680 °C) and elevated stack pressure (20 bar). The optimal operating condition arises from a tradeoff between stack efficiency and auxiliary power requirements from balance of plant hardware.

  15. A review of proton exchange membrane water electrolysis on degradation mechanisms and mitigation strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Qi; Yuan, Xiao-Zi; Liu, Gaoyang; Wei, Bing; Zhang, Zhen; Li, Hui; Wang, Haijiang

    2017-10-01

    Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is an advanced and effective solution to the primary energy storage technologies. A better understanding of performance and durability of PEMWE is critical for the engineers and researchers to further advance this technology for its market penetration, and for the manufacturers of PEM water electrolyzers to implement quality control procedures for the production line or on-site process monitoring/diagnosis. This paper reviews the published works on performance degradations and mitigation strategies for PEMWE. Sources of degradation for individual components are introduced. With degradation causes discussed and degradation mechanisms examined, the review emphasizes on feasible strategies to mitigate the components degradation. To avoid lengthy real lifetime degradation tests and their high costs, the importance of accelerated stress tests and protocols is highlighted for various components. In the end, R&D directions are proposed to move the PEMWE technology forward to become a key element in future energy scenarios.

  16. Tritium separation from heavy water by electrolysis with solid polymer electrolyte

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ogata, Y.; Ohtani, N.; Kotaka, M.

    2003-01-01

    A tritium separation from heavy water by electrolysis using a solid polymer electrode layer was specified. The cathode was made of stainless steel or nickel. The electrolysis was performed for 1 hour at 5, 10, 20, and 30 deg C. Using a palladium catalyst, generated hydrogen and oxygen gases were recombined, which was collected with a cold trap. The activities of the samples were measured by a liquid scintillation counter. The apparent tritium separation factors of the heavy and light water at 20 deg C were ∼2 and ∼12, respectively. (author)

  17. Natural gas anodes for aluminium electrolysis in molten fluorides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haarberg, Geir Martin; Khalaghi, Babak; Mokkelbost, Tommy

    2016-08-15

    Industrial primary production of aluminium has been developed and improved over more than 100 years. The molten salt electrolysis process is still suffering from low energy efficiency and considerable emissions of greenhouse gases (CO2 and PFC). A new concept has been suggested where methane is supplied through the anode so that the CO2 emissions may be reduced significantly, the PFC emissions may be eliminated and the energy consumption may decrease significantly. Porous carbon anodes made from different graphite grades were studied in controlled laboratory experiments. The anode potential, the anode carbon consumption and the level of HF gas above the electrolyte were measured during electrolysis. In some cases it was found that the methane oxidation was effectively participating in the anode process.

  18. Behavior of oxygem bubbles during alkaline water electrolysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wedershoven, H.M.S.; Jonge, de R.M.; Sillen, C.W.M.P.; Stralen, van S.J.D.

    1982-01-01

    Growth rate, departure radius and population of oxygen bubbles at the transparent anode during alkaline water electrolysis have been investigated experimentally. The supersaturation of dissolved oxygen in the electrolyte adjacent to the anode surface has been derived from bubble growth rates.

  19. Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Electrolysis and Eccentric Exercises for Subacromial Pain Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José L. Arias-Buría

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To compare effects of ultrasound- (US- guided percutaneous electrolysis combined with an eccentric exercise program of the rotator cuff muscles in subacromial pain syndrome. Methods. Thirty-six patients were randomized and assigned into US-guided percutaneous electrolysis (n=17 group or exercise (n=19 group. Patients were asked to perform an eccentric exercise program of the rotator cuff muscles twice every day for 4 weeks. Participants assigned to US-guided percutaneous electrolysis group also received the application of galvanic current through acupuncture needle on each session once a week (total 4 sessions. Shoulder pain (NPRS and disability (DASH were assessed at baseline, after 2 sessions, and 1 week after the last session. Results. The ANOVA revealed significant Group∗Time interactions for shoulder pain and disability (all, P<0.01: individuals receiving US-guided percutaneous electrolysis combined with the eccentric exercises experienced greater improvement than those receiving eccentric exercise alone. Conclusions. US-guided percutaneous electrolysis combined with eccentric exercises resulted in small better outcomes at short term compared to when only eccentric exercises were applied in subacromial pain syndrome. The effect was statistically and clinically significant for shoulder pain but below minimal clinical difference for function. Future studies should investigate the long-term effects and potential placebo effect of this intervention.

  20. Bioelectrochemical enhancement of methane production from highly concentrated food waste in a combined anaerobic digester and microbial electrolysis cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Jungyu; Lee, Beom; Tian, Donjie; Jun, Hangbae

    2018-01-01

    A microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) is a promising technology for enhancing biogas production from an anaerobic digestion (AD) reactor. In this study, the effects of the MEC on the rate of methane production from food waste were examined by comparing an AD reactor with an AD reactor combined with a MEC (AD+MEC). The use of the MEC accelerated methane production and stabilization via rapid organic oxidation and rapid methanogenesis. Over the total experimental period, the methane production rate and stabilization time of the AD+MEC reactor were approximately 1.7 and 4.0 times faster than those of the AD reactor. Interestingly however, at the final steady state, the methane yields of both the reactors were similar to the theoretical maximum methane yield. Based on these results, the MEC did not increase the methane yield over the theoretical value, but accelerated methane production and stabilization by bioelectrochemical reactions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. The importance of OH − transport through anion exchange membrane in microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Ye, Yaoli

    2018-01-11

    In two-chamber microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) with anion exchange membranes (AEMs), a phosphate buffer solution (PBS) is typically used to avoid increases in catholyte pH as Nernst equation calculations indicate that high pHs adversely impact electrochemical performance. However, ion transport between the chambers will also impact performance, which is a factor not included in those calculations. To separate the impacts of pH and ion transport on MEC performance, a high molecular weight polymer buffer (PoB), which was retained in the catholyte due to its low AEM transport and cationic charge, was compared to PBS in MECs and abiotic electrochemical half cells (EHCs). In MECs, catholyte pH control was less important than ion transport. MEC tests using the PoB catholyte, which had a higher buffer capacity and thus maintained a lower catholye pH (<8), resulted in a 50% lower hydrogen production rate (HPR) than that obtained using PBS (HPR = 0.7 m3-H2 m−3 d−1) where the catholyte rapidly increased to pH = 12. The main reason for the decreased performance using PoB was a lack of hydroxide ion transfer into the anolyte to balance pH. The anolyte pH in MECs rapidly decreased to 5.8 due to a lack of hydroxide ion transport, which inhibited current generation by the anode, whereas the pH was maintained at 6.8 using PBS. In abiotic tests in ECHs, where the cathode potential was set at −1.2 V, the HPR was 133% higher using PoB than PBS due to catholyte pH control, as the anolyte pH was not a factor in the performance. These results show that maintaining charge transfer to control anolyte pH is more important than obtaining a more neutral pH catholyte.

  2. Hydrothermal synthesis of highly crystalline RuS{sub 2} nanoparticles as cathodic catalysts in the methanol fuel cell and hydrochloric acid electrolysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Yanjuan [Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Minisry of Education Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100 (China); College of Material Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of Ministry of Education, Jilin University, 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun 130012 (China); Li, Nan, E-mail: lin@jlu.edu.cn [College of Material Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of Ministry of Education, Jilin University, 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun 130012 (China); Yanagisawa, Kazumichi [Research Laboratory of Hydrothermal Chemistry, Kochi University, Kochi 780-8520 (Japan); Li, Xiaotian [College of Material Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of Ministry of Education, Jilin University, 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun 130012 (China); Yan, Xiao [Key Laboratory of Physics and Technology for Advanced Batteries (Ministry of Education), College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China)

    2015-05-15

    Highlights: • Highly crystalline RuS{sub 2} nanoparticles have been first synthesized by a “one-step” hydrothermal method. • The product presents a pure cubic phase of stoichiometric ratio RuS{sub 2} with average particle size of 14.8 nm. • RuS{sub 2} nanoparticles were used as cathodic catalysts in methanol fuel cell and hydrochloric acid electrolysis. • The catalyst outperforms commercial Pt/C in methanol tolerance and stability towards Cl{sup −}. - Abstract: Highly crystalline ruthenium sulfide (RuS{sub 2}) nanoparticles have been first synthesized by a “one-step” hydrothermal method at 400 °C, using ruthenium chloride and thiourea as reactants. The products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy/energy disperse spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), thermo gravimetric-differential thermal analyze (TG-DTA), transmission electron microscopy equipped with selected area electron diffraction (TEM/SAED). Fourier transform infrared spectra (IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XRD result illustrates that the highly crystalline product presents a pure cubic phase of stoichiometric ratio RuS{sub 2} and the average particle size is 14.8 nm. SEM and TEM images display the products have irregular shape of 6–25 nm. XPS analyst indicates that the sulfur exists in the form of S{sub 2}{sup 2−}. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), rotating disk electrode (RDE), chronoamperometry (CA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements are conducted to evaluate the electrocatalytic activity and stability of the highly crystalline RuS{sub 2} nanoparticles in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) for methanol fuel cell and hydrochloric acid electrolysis. The results illustrate that RuS{sub 2} is active towards oxygen reduction reaction. Although the activity of RuS{sub 2} is lower than that of Pt/C, the RuS{sub 2} catalyst outperforms commercial Pt/C in methanol tolerance and stability towards Cl{sup −}.

  3. Water electrolysis system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mizoguchi, Tadao; Ikehara, Masahisa; Kataoka, Noboru; Ueno, Syuichi; Ishikawa, Nobuhide.

    1996-01-01

    Nissho Iwai Co. and Ebara Co. received an order for hydrogen and oxygen generating system (water electrolysis system) to be installed at Tokai-2 power station of The Japan Atomic Power Company, following the previous order at Tsuruga-1 where the gas injection from FY1996 is planned. Hydrogen gas generated by the system will be injected to coolant of boiling water reactors to improve corrosive environment. The system is being offered by a tripartite party, Nissho Iwai, Ebara, and Norsk Hydro Electrolysers of Norway (NHEL). NHEL provides a electrolyser unit, as a core of the system. Ebara provides procurement, installation, and inspection as well as total engineering work, under the basic design by NHEL which has over 60 years-experience in this field. (author)

  4. The use and optimization of stainless steel mesh cathodes in microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Yimin

    2010-11-01

    Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) provide a high-yield method for producing hydrogen from renewable biomass. One challenge for commercialization of the technology is a low-cost and highly efficient cathode. Stainless steel (SS) is very inexpensive, and cathodes made of this material with high specific surface areas can achieve performance similar to carbon cathodes containing a platinum catalyst in MECs. SS mesh cathodes were examined here as a method to provide a higher surface area material than flat plate electrodes. Cyclic voltammetry tests showed that the electrochemically active surface area of certain sized mesh could be three times larger than a flat sheet. The relative performance of SS mesh in linear sweep voltammetry at low bubble coverages (low current densities) was also consistent with performance on this basis in MEC tests. The best SS mesh size (#60) in MEC tests had a relatively thick wire size (0.02 cm), a medium pore size (0.02 cm), and a specific surface area of 66 m2/m3. An applied voltage of 0.9 V produced a high hydrogen recovery (98 ± 4%) and overall energy efficiency (74 ± 4%), with a hydrogen production rate of 2.1 ± 0.3 m3H 2/m3d (current density of 8.08 A/m2, volumetric current density of 188 ± 19 A/m3). These studies show that SS in mesh format shows great promise for the development of lower cost MEC systems for hydrogen production. © 2010 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Towards a stable ion-solvating polymer electrolyte for advanced alkaline water electrolysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aili, David; Wright, Andrew G.; Kraglund, Mikkel Rykær

    2017-01-01

    Advanced alkaline water electrolysis using ion-solvating polymer membranes as electrolytes represents a new direction in the field of electrochemical hydrogen production. Polybenzimidazole membranes equilibrated in aqueous KOH combine the mechanical robustness and gas-tightness of a polymer...... stability in alkaline environments. The novel electrolytes are extensively characterized with respect to physicochemical and electrochemical properties and the chemical stability is assessed in 0-50 wt% aqueous KOH for more than 6 months at 88 degrees C. In water electrolysis tests using porous 3...

  6. Tritium enrichment of environmental waters by electrolysis: Development of cathodes exhibiting high isotopic separation and precise measurement of tritium enrichment factors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, C.B.

    1976-01-01

    Equations are developed for the estimation of tritium enrichment in batch, continuous feed and periodic addition electrolysis cells. Optimum enrichment and minimum variability is obtained using developed cathode surfaces which catalyse the separation of tritium, as exhibited by the results of experiments using mild steel cathodes with NaOH electrolyte. The equations and various simple refinements of technique are applied to the determination of tritium enrichment factors by the spike cell method: for batch cells the standard errors are less than 1%. (author)

  7. Efficient uranous nitrate production using membrane electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhongwei Yuan; Taihong Yan; Weifang Zheng; Hongying Shuang; Liang Xian; Xiaoyan Bian; Chen Zuo; Chuanbo Li; Zhi Cao

    2013-01-01

    Electrochemical reduction of uranyl nitrate is a green, simple way to make uranous ion. In order to improve the ratio of uranous ion to the total uranium and maintain high current efficiency, an electrolyser with very thin cathodic and anodic compartment, which were separated by a cation exchange membrane, was setup, and its performance was tested. The effects of various parameters on the reduction were also evaluated. The results show that the apparatus is quite positive. It runs well with 120 mA/cm 2 current density (72 cm 2 cathode, constant current batch operation). U(IV) yield can achieve 93.1 % (500 mL feed, total uranium 199 g/L) after 180 min electrolysis. It was also shown that when U(IV) yield was below 80 %, very high current efficiency was maintained, and there was almost a linear relationship between uranous ion yield and electrolysis time; under the range of experimental conditions, the concentration of uranyl nitrate, hydrazine, and nitric acid had little effect on the reduction. (author)

  8. Investigation of the synergistic effects for p-nitrophenol mineralization by a combined process of ozonation and electrolysis using a boron-doped diamond anode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qiu, Cuicui [School of Environment, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Yuan, Shi [School of Environment, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Li, Xiang; Wang, Huijiao; Bakheet, Belal [School of Environment, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Komarneni, Sridhar [Department of Ecosystem Science and Management and Material Research Institute, 205 MRL Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Wang, Yujue, E-mail: wangyujue@tsinghua.edu.cn [School of Environment, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055 (China)

    2014-09-15

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Combining electrolysis with ozonation greatly enhances nitrophenol mineralization. • O{sub 3} can rapidly degrade nitrophenol to carboxylic acids in the bulk solution. • Carboxylic acids can be mineralized by ·OH generated from multiple sources in the electrolysis-O{sub 3} process. • Electrolysis and ozonation can compensate for each other's weakness on pollutant degradation. - Abstract: Electrolysis and ozonation are two commonly used technologies for treating wastewaters contaminated with nitrophenol pollutants. However, they are often handicapped by their slow kinetics and low yields of total organic carbon (TOC) mineralization. To improve TOC mineralization efficiency, we combined electrolysis using a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode with ozonation (electrolysis-O{sub 3}) to treat a p-nitrophenol (PNP) aqueous solution. Up to 91% TOC was removed after 60 min of the electrolysis-O{sub 3} process. In comparison, only 20 and 44% TOC was respectively removed by individual electrolysis and ozonation treatment conducted under similar reaction conditions. The result indicates that when electrolysis and ozonation are applied simultaneously, they have a significant synergy for PNP mineralization. This synergy can be mainly attributed to (i) the rapid degradation of PNP to carboxylic acids (e.g., oxalic acid and acetic acid) by O{sub 3}, which would otherwise take a much longer time by electrolysis alone, and (ii) the effective mineralization of the ozone-refractory carboxylic acids to CO{sub 2} by ·OH generated from multiple sources in the electrolysis-O{sub 3} system. The result suggests that combining electrolysis with ozonation can provide a simple and effective way to mutually compensate the limitations of the two processes for degradation of phenolic pollutants.

  9. Effect of the anode feeding composition on the performance of a continuous-flow methane-producing microbial electrolysis cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeppilli, Marco; Villano, Marianna; Aulenta, Federico; Lampis, Silvia; Vallini, Giovanni; Majone, Mauro

    2015-05-01

    A methane-producing microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) was continuously fed at the anode with a synthetic solution of soluble organic compounds simulating the composition of the soluble fraction of a municipal wastewater. The MEC performance was assessed at different anode potentials in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency, methane production, and energy efficiency. As a main result, about 72-80% of the removed substrate was converted into current at the anode, and about 84-86% of the current was converted into methane at the cathode. Moreover, even though both COD removed and methane production slightly decreased as the applied anode potential decreased, the energy efficiency (i.e., the energy recovered as methane with respect to the energy input into the system) increased from 54 to 63%. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analyses revealed a high diversity in the anodic bacterial community with the presence of both fermentative (Proteiniphilum acetatigenes and Petrimonas sulphurifila) and aerobic (Rhodococcus qingshengii) microorganisms, whereas only two microorganisms (Methanobrevibacter arboriphilus and Methanosarcina mazei), both assignable to methanogens, were observed in the cathodic community.

  10. Direct LiT Electrolysis in a Metallic Fusion Blanket

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Olson, Luke [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

    2016-09-30

    A process that simplifies the extraction of tritium from molten lithium-based breeding blankets was developed. The process is based on the direct electrolysis of lithium tritide using a ceramic Li ion conductor that replaces the molten salt extraction step. Extraction of tritium in the form of lithium tritide in the blankets/targets of fusion/fission reactors is critical in order to maintain low concentrations. This is needed to decrease the potential tritium permeation to the surroundings and large releases from unforeseen accident scenarios. Extraction is complicated due to required low tritium concentration limits and because of the high affinity of tritium for the blanket. This work identified, developed and tested the use of ceramic lithium ion conductors capable of recovering hydrogen and deuterium through an electrolysis step at high temperatures.

  11. Direct LiT Electrolysis in a Metallic Fusion Blanket

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olson, Luke

    2016-01-01

    A process that simplifies the extraction of tritium from molten lithium-based breeding blankets was developed. The process is based on the direct electrolysis of lithium tritide using a ceramic Li ion conductor that replaces the molten salt extraction step. Extraction of tritium in the form of lithium tritide in the blankets/targets of fusion/fission reactors is critical in order to maintain low concentrations. This is needed to decrease the potential tritium permeation to the surroundings and large releases from unforeseen accident scenarios. Extraction is complicated due to required low tritium concentration limits and because of the high affinity of tritium for the blanket. This work identified, developed and tested the use of ceramic lithium ion conductors capable of recovering hydrogen and deuterium through an electrolysis step at high temperatures.

  12. Oxidation of organic pollutants on BDD anodes using modulated current electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Panizza, M.; Kapalka, Agnieszka; Comninellis, Ch.

    2008-01-01

    In this paper, a theoretical model is presented for organic pollutants mineralization at high current efficiency (close to 100%) and low energy consumption on boron-doped diamond electrodes. The model is formulated for a perfect mixed electrochemical reactor operated as a batch recirculation system under multiple current steps, in which the applied current is adjusted during the electrolysis to be close to the limiting value. An experimental validation with the anodic oxidation of 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid is also provided. The results have shown that multiple current steps electrolysis and continuous current control allowed obtaining high oxidation rate and current efficiency

  13. Oxidation of organic pollutants on BDD anodes using modulated current electrolysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Panizza, M. [Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Genoa, P.le J.F. Kennedy 1, 16129 Genova (Italy)], E-mail: marco.panizza@unige.it; Kapalka, Agnieszka [Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland); Comninellis, Ch. [Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland)], E-mail: christos.comninellis@epfl.ch

    2008-01-01

    In this paper, a theoretical model is presented for organic pollutants mineralization at high current efficiency (close to 100%) and low energy consumption on boron-doped diamond electrodes. The model is formulated for a perfect mixed electrochemical reactor operated as a batch recirculation system under multiple current steps, in which the applied current is adjusted during the electrolysis to be close to the limiting value. An experimental validation with the anodic oxidation of 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid is also provided. The results have shown that multiple current steps electrolysis and continuous current control allowed obtaining high oxidation rate and current efficiency.

  14. Static feed water electrolysis module

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powell, J. D.; Schubert, F. H.; Jensen, F. C.

    1974-01-01

    An advanced static feed water electrolysis module (SFWEM) and associated instrumentation for generating breathable O2 was developed. The system also generates a H2 byproduct for use in an air revitalization system for O2 recovery from metabolic CO2. Special attention was given to: (1) eliminating water feed compartment degassing, (2) eliminating need for zero gravity condenser/separators, (3) increasing current density capability, and (4) providing a self contained module so that operation is independent of laboratory instrumentation and complicated startup/shutdown procedures.

  15. The electrolysis time on electrosynthesis of hydroxyapatite with bipolar membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nur, Adrian; Jumari, Arif; Budiman, Anatta Wahyu; Puspitaningtyas, Stella Febianti; Cahyaningrum, Suci; Nazriati, Nazriati; Fajaroh, Fauziatul

    2018-02-01

    The electrochemical method with bipolar membrane has been successfully used for the synthesis of hydroxyapatite. In this work, we have developed 2 chambers electrolysis system separated by a bipolar membrane. The membrane was used to separate cations (H+ ions produced by the oxidation of water at the anode) and anions (OH- ions produced by the reduction of water at the cathode). With this system, we have designed that OH- ions still stay in the anions chamber because OH- ions was very substantial in the hydroxyapatite particles formation. The aim of this paper was to compare the electrolysis time on electrosynthesis of hydroxyapatite with and without the bipolar membrane. The electrosynthesis was performed at 500 mA/cm2 for 0.5 to 2 hours at room temperature and under ultrasonic cleaner to void agglomeration with and without the bipolar membrane. The electrosynthesis of hydroxyapatite with the bipolar membrane more effective than without the bipolar membrane. The hydroxyapatite has been appeared at 0.5 h of the electrolysis time with the bipolar membrane (at the cathode chamber) while it hasn't been seen without the bipolar membrane. The bipolar membrane prevents OH- ions migrate to the cation chamber. The formation of HA becomes more effective because OH- ions just formed HA particle.

  16. Enhanced dewaterability of textile dyeing sludge using micro-electrolysis pretreatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ning, Xun-An; Wen, Weibin; Zhang, Yaping; Li, Ruijing; Sun, Jian; Wang, Yujie; Yang, Zuoyi; Liu, Jingyong

    2015-09-15

    The effects of micro-electrolysis treatment on textile dyeing sludge dewatering and its mechanisms were investigated in this study. Capillary suction time (CST) and settling velocity (SV) were used to evaluate sludge dewaterability. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) concentration and sludge disintegration degree (DDSCOD) were determined to explain the observed changes in sludge dewaterability. The results demonstrated that the micro-electrolysis could significantly improve sludge dewaterability by disrupting the sludge floc structure. The optimal conditions of sludge dewatering were the reaction time of 20 min, initial pH of 2.5, Fe/C mass ratio of 1/1, and the iron powder dosage of 2.50 g/L, which achieved good CST (from 34.1 to 27.8 s) and SV (from 75 to 60%) reduction efficiency. In addition, the scanning electron microscope (SEM) images revealed that the treated sludge floc clusters are broken up and that the dispersion degree is better than that of a raw sludge sample. The optimal EPS concentration and DDSCOD to obtain maximum sludge dewaterability was 43-46 mg/L and 4.2-4.9%, respectively. The destruction of EPS was one of the primary reasons for the improvement of sludge dewaterability during micro-electrolysis treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Window of cold nuclear fusion and biased-pulse electrolysis experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, Akito; Jida, Toshiyuki; Maekawa, Fujio; Sugimoto, Hisashi; Yoshida, Shigeo

    1989-01-01

    Based on the electron screening effect and the excitation of deuteron harmonic oscillators in palladium lattice, theoretical aspects are given to explain the cold fusion phenomena and the possibility of nuclear heating. A narrow window is proposed to meet ≅ 10 watts per cubic centimeter for the nuclear heating, by the hypothetical excitation-screening model. A relatively wide window is feasible to meet a few fusion events per second per cc under the non-stationary conditions of deuteron-charging and discharging. For stationary lattice conditions, the probability of cold fusion is not feasible at all. To confirm the cold fusion phenomena, a heavy water electrolysis experiment was carried out using biased-pulse-electrolytic currents, expecting the enhancement of cold fusion events under charging and discharging of deuterons. For the neutron detection, a cross-checking system between a recoil-proton scintillation detector and a 3 He thermal neutron detector was employed to see coincident time-patterns of neutron emission from an electrolysis cell. To check the energy of emitted neutrons, pulse height spectrum of the recoil-proton detector was monitored. Up to the D-charging time of 300 hr, neutron yields of 1-2 n/s/cc were obtained for time-intervals of 60-200 hr. From the recoil-proton spectra, it was confirmed that 2.45 MeV neutrons by the D(d, n) 3 He fusion branch were emitted. The observed time-patterns of neutron emission suggest the existence of cold fusion under the charging and discharging conditions. (orig.)

  18. Prospects for UK fuel cells component suppliers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wilcox, C.; Tunnicliffe, M.

    2002-07-01

    This report examines the capabilities of the UK fuel cell industry in meeting the expected increase in demand, and aims to identify all UK suppliers of fuel cell components, evaluate their products and match them to fuel cell markets, and identify components where the UK is in a competitive position. Component areas are addressed along with the need to reduce costs and ensure efficient production. The well established supplier base in the UK is noted, and the car engine manufacturing base and fuel supply companies are considered. The different strengths of UK suppliers of the various types of fuel cells are listed. The future industry structure, the opportunities and dangers for business posed by fuel cells, the investment in cleaner technologies by the large fuel companies, opportunities for catalyst suppliers, and the residential combined heat and power and portable electronics battery markets are discussed.

  19. Effect of pre-acclimation of granular activated carbon on microbial electrolysis cell startup and performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    LaBarge, Nicole; Yilmazel, Yasemin Dilsad; Hong, Pei-Ying; Logan, Bruce E

    2017-02-01

    Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) can generate methane by fixing carbon dioxide without using expensive catalysts, but the impact of acclimation procedures on subsequent performance has not been investigated. Granular activated carbon (GAC) was used to pre-enrich electrotrophic methanogenic communities, as GAC has been shown to stimulate direct transfer of electrons between different microbial species. MEC startup times using pre-acclimated GAC were improved compared to controls (without pre-acclimation or without GAC), and after three fed batch cycles methane generation rates were similar (P>0.4) for GAC acclimated to hydrogen (22±9.3nmolcm -3 d -1 ), methanol (25±9.7nmolcm -3 d -1 ), and a volatile fatty acid (VFA) mix (22±11nmolcm -3 d -1 ). However, MECs started with GAC but no pre-acclimation had lower methane generation rates (13±4.1nmolcm -3 d -1 ), and MECs without GAC had the lowest rates (0.7±0.8nmolcm -3 d -1 after cycle 2). Microbes previously found in methanogenic MECs, or previously shown to be capable of exocellular electron transfer, were enriched on the GAC. Pre-acclimation using GAC is therefore a simple approach to enrich electroactive communities, improve methane generation rates, and decrease startup times in MECs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Electrical current generation in microbial electrolysis cells by hyperthermophilic archaea Ferroglobus placidus and Geoglobus ahangari

    KAUST Repository

    Yilmazel, Yasemin D.

    2017-10-02

    Few microorganisms have been examined for current generation under thermophilic (40–65 °C) or hyperthermophilic temperatures (≥ 80 °C) in microbial electrochemical systems. Two iron-reducing archaea from the family Archaeoglobaceae, Ferroglobus placidus and Geoglobus ahangari, showed electro-active behavior leading to current generation at hyperthermophilic temperatures in single-chamber microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). A current density (j) of 0.68 ± 0.11 A/m2 was attained in F. placidus MECs at 85 °C, and 0.57 ± 0.10 A/m2 in G. ahangari MECs at 80 °C, with an applied voltage of 0.7 V. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) showed that both strains produced a sigmoidal catalytic wave, with a mid-point potential of − 0.39 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) for F. placidus and − 0.37 V for G. ahangari. The comparison of CVs using spent medium and turnover CVs, coupled with the detection of peaks at the same potentials in both turnover and non-turnover conditions, suggested that mediators were not used for electron transfer and that both archaea produced current through direct contact with the electrode. These two archaeal species, and other hyperthermophilic exoelectrogens, have the potential to broaden the applications of microbial electrochemical technologies for producing biofuels and other bioelectrochemical products under extreme environmental conditions.

  1. Electrical current generation in microbial electrolysis cells by hyperthermophilic archaea Ferroglobus placidus and Geoglobus ahangari

    KAUST Repository

    Yilmazel, Yasemin D.; Zhu, Xiuping; Kim, Kyoung-Yeol; Holmes, Dawn E.; Logan, Bruce E.

    2017-01-01

    Few microorganisms have been examined for current generation under thermophilic (40–65 °C) or hyperthermophilic temperatures (≥ 80 °C) in microbial electrochemical systems. Two iron-reducing archaea from the family Archaeoglobaceae, Ferroglobus placidus and Geoglobus ahangari, showed electro-active behavior leading to current generation at hyperthermophilic temperatures in single-chamber microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). A current density (j) of 0.68 ± 0.11 A/m2 was attained in F. placidus MECs at 85 °C, and 0.57 ± 0.10 A/m2 in G. ahangari MECs at 80 °C, with an applied voltage of 0.7 V. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) showed that both strains produced a sigmoidal catalytic wave, with a mid-point potential of − 0.39 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) for F. placidus and − 0.37 V for G. ahangari. The comparison of CVs using spent medium and turnover CVs, coupled with the detection of peaks at the same potentials in both turnover and non-turnover conditions, suggested that mediators were not used for electron transfer and that both archaea produced current through direct contact with the electrode. These two archaeal species, and other hyperthermophilic exoelectrogens, have the potential to broaden the applications of microbial electrochemical technologies for producing biofuels and other bioelectrochemical products under extreme environmental conditions.

  2. Stimulation of electro-fermentation in single-chamber microbial electrolysis cells driven by genetically engineered anode biofilms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Awate, Bhushan; Steidl, Rebecca J.; Hamlischer, Thilo; Reguera, Gemma

    2017-07-01

    Unwanted metabolites produced during fermentations reduce titers and productivity and increase the cost of downstream purification of the targeted product. As a result, the economic feasibility of otherwise attractive fermentations is low. Using ethanol fermentation by the consolidated bioprocessing cellulolytic bacterium Cellulomonas uda, we demonstrate the effectiveness of anodic electro-fermentations at maximizing titers and productivity in a single-chamber microbial electrolysis cell (SCMEC) without the need for metabolic engineering of the fermentative microbe. The performance of the SCMEC platform relied on the genetic improvements of anode biofilms of the exoelectrogen Geobacter sulfurreducens that prevented the oxidation of cathodic hydrogen and improved lactate oxidation. Furthermore, a hybrid bioanode was designed that maximized the removal of organic acids in the fermentation broth. The targeted approach increased cellobiose consumption rates and ethanol titers, yields, and productivity three-fold or more, prevented pH imbalances and reduced batch-to-batch variability. In addition, the sugar substrate was fully consumed and ethanol was enriched in the broth during the electro-fermentation, simplifying its downstream purification. Such improvements and the possibility of scaling up SCMEC configurations highlight the potential of anodic electro-fermentations to stimulate fermentative bacteria beyond their natural capacity and to levels required for industrial implementation.

  3. The presence of hydrogenotrophic methanogens in the inoculum improves methane gas production in microbial electrolysis cells.

    KAUST Repository

    Siegert, Michael; Li, Xiu-Fen; Yates, Matthew D; Logan, Bruce E

    2014-01-01

    High current densities in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) result from the predominance of various Geobacter species on the anode, but it is not known if archaeal communities similarly converge to one specific genus. MECs were examined here on the basis of maximum methane production and current density relative to the inoculum community structure. We used anaerobic digester (AD) sludge dominated by acetoclastic Methanosaeta, and an anaerobic bog sediment where hydrogenotrophic methanogens were detected. Inoculation using solids to medium ratio of 25% (w/v) resulted in the highest methane production rates (0.27 mL mL(-1) cm(-2), gas volume normalized by liquid volume and cathode projected area) and highest peak current densities (0.5 mA cm(-2)) for the bog sample. Methane production was independent of solid to medium ratio when AD sludge was used as the inoculum. 16S rRNA gene community analysis using pyrosequencing and quantitative PCR confirmed the convergence of Archaea to Methanobacterium and Methanobrevibacter, and of Bacteria to Geobacter, despite their absence in AD sludge. Combined with other studies, these findings suggest that Archaea of the hydrogenotrophic genera Methanobacterium and Methanobrevibacter are the most important microorganisms for methane production in MECs and that their presence in the inoculum improves the performance.

  4. Water containing deuterium electrolysis to obtain gaseous hydrogen isotope in a high state of purity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bellanger, Gilbert

    1992-01-01

    In this paper, the basic concept is to prepare hydrogen in a high state of purity by electrolysing water using a palladium cathode. During electrolysis, hydrogen is at first adsorbed at the palladium surface, and next it diffuses through it till opposite face of its entry where it is desorbed; thus permitting to regain it in a very pure state for storage. The method can be used from water containing deuterium. To improve hydrogen adsorption, surface effect of palladium must be studied. It was found that heat treatment of palladium improved the hydrogen permeation flux. The diffusivity of hydrogen is controlled by Fick and Sieverts equations in which temperature has a significant influence on permeation rates. Anyway, hydrogen desorption does not cause any difficulty. In a second part, we have studied the isotopic separation factor using water containing deuterium. We remarked in fact that it depends on current density, overpotential, diffusivity of hydrogen and deuterium and isotopic composition of electrolyte as expected. In the last part, we realized an original electrolysis model in a glove-box in which are taken into account the results given before and also the technology components employed in processes involving the use of tritium. (author) [fr

  5. Manufacturing of a micro-tungsten carbide electrode using a supersonic-aided electrolysis process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weng, Feng-Tsai; Ho, Chi-Ting

    2008-01-01

    In this study, a novel micromachining technology for fabricating micro parts was described. The original diameter of a tungsten carbide rod was 3 mm, and it was first processed to a rod with a diameter of 50 µm by a precision-grinding process. It could then be machined to the desired diameter by a supersonic-aided electrolysis process. A high-aspect ratio of the micro-tungsten carbide rod was easily obtained by this process. The surface roughness of the sample that was processed by electrolysis with supersonic-aided agitation was compared with that of the sample obtained without agitation. The machined surface of the sample was smooth, and the reason may be that ionized particles in the anode could be removed by supersonic-aided agitation during the electrolysis process. A microelectrode with a tip of approximately 1 µm could be obtained by this process. (technical note)

  6. Hydrogen Generation by Koh-Ethanol Plasma Electrolysis Using Double Compartement Reactor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saksono, Nelson; Sasiang, Johannes; Dewi Rosalina, Chandra; Budikania, Trisutanti

    2018-03-01

    This study has successfully investigated the generation of hydrogen using double compartment reactor with plasma electrolysis process. Double compartment reactor is designed to achieve high discharged voltage, high concentration, and also reduce the energy consumption. The experimental results showed the use of double compartment reactor increased the productivity ratio 90 times higher compared to Faraday electrolysis process. The highest hydrogen production obtained is 26.50 mmol/min while the energy consumption can reach up 1.71 kJ/mmol H2 at 0.01 M KOH solution. It was shown that KOH concentration, addition of ethanol, cathode depth, and temperature have important effects on hydrogen production, energy consumption, and process efficiency.

  7. Kinetic modelling of methane production during bio-electrolysis from anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge and food waste.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prajapati, Kalp Bhusan; Singh, Rajesh

    2018-05-10

    In present study batch tests were performed to investigate the enhancement in methane production under bio-electrolysis anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge and food waste. The bio-electrolysis reactor system (B-EL) yield more methane 148.5 ml/g COD in comparison to reactor system without bio-electrolysis (B-CONT) 125.1 ml/g COD. Whereas bio-electrolysis reactor system (C-EL) Iron Scraps amended yield lesser methane (51.2 ml/g COD) in comparison to control bio-electrolysis reactor system without Iron scraps (C-CONT - 114.4 ml/g COD). Richard and Exponential model were best fitted for cumulative methane production and biogas production rates respectively as revealed modelling study. The best model fit for the different reactors was compared by Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). The bioelectrolysis process seems to be an emerging technology with lesser the loss in cellulase specific activity with increasing temperature from 50 to 80 °C. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Hydrogen production from fusion reactors coupled with high temperature electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fillo, J.A.; Powell, J.R.; Steinberg, M.

    The decreasing availability of fossil fuels emphasizes the need to develop systems which will produce synthetic fuel to substitute for and complement the natural supply. An important first step in the synthesis of liquid and gaseous fuels is the production of hydrogen. Thermonuclear fusion offers an inexhaustible source of energy for the production of hydrogen from water. Processes which may be considered for this purpose include electrolysis, thermochemical decomposition or thermochemical-electrochemical hybrid cycles. Preliminary studies at Brookhaven indicate that high temperature electrolysis has the highest potential efficiency for production of hydrogen from fusion. Depending on design electric generation efficiencies of approximately 40 to 60 percent and hydrogen production efficiencies of approximately 50 to 70 percent are projected for fusion reactors using high temperature blankets

  9. Contact glow discharge electrolysis: its origin, plasma diagnostics and non-faradaic chemical effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sen Gupta, Susanta K

    2015-01-01

    Contact glow discharge electrolysis (CGDE) also termed plasma electrolysis is a novel electrolysis where a stable sheath of light emitting plasma develops around an electrode immersed well inside a relatively high-conductivity liquid electrolyte during normal electrolysis (NE) at several hundred volts. The phenomenon may develop in dc-, pulsed dc-, ac- as well as RF-driven electrolyses. The chemical effects of CGDE are remarkably non-faradaic in respect to the nature of the products as well as their yields. The article traces comprehensively the progress made in studies of CGDE in aqueous and non-aqueous solutions since 1844 and reviews the developments in the understanding of its origin, light emission, plasma state and non-faradaic effects leading to the elucidation of detailed mechanism of the origin of CGDE on the basis of the onset of hydrodynamic instabilities in local vaporization of the solvent near the working electrode during NE, and that of highly non-faradaic effects of CGDE based on a model of two reaction zones located within the electrode plasma and at the plasma–liquid interface producing solvent derived radicals at high local concentrations. Keeping in view the recent surge of interest in varied applications of CGDE, the article is appended with highlights of these applications across synthetic chemistry, waste water treatment, electrosurgical devices, nanoparticle fabrications, surface engineering and micro-machining. (topical review)

  10. Electrochemical struvite precipitation from digestate with a fluidized bed cathode microbial electrolysis cell

    KAUST Repository

    Cusick, Roland D.

    2014-05-01

    Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) can be used to simultaneously convert wastewater organics to hydrogen and precipitate struvite, but scale formation at the cathode surface can block catalytic active sites and limit extended operation. To promote bulk phase struvite precipitation and minimize cathode scaling, a two-chamber MEC was designed with a fluidized bed to produce suspended particles and inhibit scale formation on the cathode surface. MEC operation elevated the cathode pH to between 8.3 and 8.7 under continuous flow conditions. Soluble phosphorus removal using digester effluent ranged from 70 to 85% with current generation, compared to 10-20% for the control (open circuit conditions). At low current densities (≤2mA/m2), scouring of the cathode by fluidized particles prevented scale accumulation over a period of 8 days. There was nearly identical removal of soluble phosphorus and magnesium from solution, and an equimolar composition in the collected solids, supporting phosphorus removal by struvite formation. At an applied voltage of 1.0V, energy consumption from the power supply and pumping (0.2Wh/L, 7.5Wh/g-P) was significantly less than that needed by other struvite formation methods based on pH adjustment such as aeration and NaOH addition. In the anode chamber, current generation led to COD oxidation (1.1-2.1g-COD/L-d) and ammonium removal (7-12mM) from digestate amended with 1g/L of sodium acetate. These results indicate that a fluidized bed cathode MEC is a promising method of sustainable electrochemical nutrient and energy recovery method for nutrient rich wastewaters. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

  11. Electrochemical struvite precipitation from digestate with a fluidized bed cathode microbial electrolysis cell

    KAUST Repository

    Cusick, Roland D.; Ullery, Mark L.; Dempsey, Brian A.; Logan, Bruce E.

    2014-01-01

    Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) can be used to simultaneously convert wastewater organics to hydrogen and precipitate struvite, but scale formation at the cathode surface can block catalytic active sites and limit extended operation. To promote bulk phase struvite precipitation and minimize cathode scaling, a two-chamber MEC was designed with a fluidized bed to produce suspended particles and inhibit scale formation on the cathode surface. MEC operation elevated the cathode pH to between 8.3 and 8.7 under continuous flow conditions. Soluble phosphorus removal using digester effluent ranged from 70 to 85% with current generation, compared to 10-20% for the control (open circuit conditions). At low current densities (≤2mA/m2), scouring of the cathode by fluidized particles prevented scale accumulation over a period of 8 days. There was nearly identical removal of soluble phosphorus and magnesium from solution, and an equimolar composition in the collected solids, supporting phosphorus removal by struvite formation. At an applied voltage of 1.0V, energy consumption from the power supply and pumping (0.2Wh/L, 7.5Wh/g-P) was significantly less than that needed by other struvite formation methods based on pH adjustment such as aeration and NaOH addition. In the anode chamber, current generation led to COD oxidation (1.1-2.1g-COD/L-d) and ammonium removal (7-12mM) from digestate amended with 1g/L of sodium acetate. These results indicate that a fluidized bed cathode MEC is a promising method of sustainable electrochemical nutrient and energy recovery method for nutrient rich wastewaters. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

  12. Alkaline anion exchange membrane water electrolysis: Effects of electrolyte feed method and electrode binder content

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Min Kyung; Park, Hee-Young; Lee, Hye Jin; Kim, Hyoung-Juhn; Lim, Ahyoun; Henkensmeier, Dirk; Yoo, Sung Jong; Kim, Jin Young; Lee, So Young; Park, Hyun S.; Jang, Jong Hyun

    2018-04-01

    Herein, we investigate the effects of catholyte feed method and anode binder content on the characteristics of anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) to construct a high-performance electrolyzer, revealing that the initial AEMWE performance is significantly improved by pre-feeding 0.5 M aqueous KOH to the cathode. The highest long-term activity during repeated voltage cycling is observed for AEMWE operation in the dry cathode mode, for which the best long-term performance among membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) featuring polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) binder-impregnated (5-20 wt%) anodes is detected for a PTFE content of 20 wt%. MEAs with low PTFE content (5 and 9 wt%) demonstrate high initial performance, rapid performance decay, and significant catalyst loss from the electrode during long-term operation, whereas the MEA with 20 wt% PTFE allows stable water electrolysis for over 1600 voltage cycles. Optimization of cell operating conditions (i.e., operation in dry cathode mode at an optimum anode binder content following an initial solution feed) achieves an enhanced water splitting current density (1.07 A cm-2 at 1.8 V) and stable long-term AEMWE performance (0.01% current density reduction per voltage cycle).

  13. The recovery of zinc from hot galvanizing slag in an anion-exchange membrane electrolysis reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ren Xiulian; Wei Qifeng; Hu Surong; Wei Sijie

    2010-01-01

    This paper reports the optimization of the process parameters for recovery of zinc from hot galvanizing slag in an anion-exchange membrane electrolysis reactor. The experiments were carried out in an ammoniacal ammonium chloride system. The influence of composition of electrolytes, pH, stirring rate, current density and temperature, on cathodic current efficiency, specific power consumption and anodic dissolution of Zn were investigated. The results indicate that the cathode current efficiency increases and the hydrogen evolution decreased with increasing the cathode current density. The partial current for electrodeposition of Zn has liner relationship with ω 1/2 (ω: rotation rate). The highest current efficiency for dissolving zinc was obtained when NH 4 Cl concentration was 53.46 g L -1 and the anodic dissolution of zinc was determined by mass transfer rate at stirring rate 0-300 r min -1 . Increase in temperature benefits to improve CE and dissolution of Zn, and reduce cell voltage. Initial pH of electrolytes plays an important role in the deposition and anodic dissolution of Zn. The results of single factor experiment show that about 50% energy consumption was saved for electrodeposition of Zn in the anion-exchange membrane electrolysis reactor.

  14. Study and modelling of an industrial plant for hydrogen production by High Temperature Steam Electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertier, L.

    2012-01-01

    HTSE field (High Temperature Steam Electrolysis) is moving from the research phase to development phase. It's now necessary to prove and to possibly improve the technology competitiveness. Therefore we need a tool able to allow communication between hydrogen producers and electrolysis cell stack designers. Designers seek where their efforts have to focus, for example by searching what are the operating best conditions for HTSE (voltage, temperature). On the contrary, the producer wants to choose the most suitable stack for its needs and under the best conditions: hydrogen has to be produced at the lowest price. Two main constraints have been identified to reach this objective: the tool has to be inserted into a process simulation software and needs to be representative of the cell and stack used technology. These constraints are antagonistic. Making an object model in a process simulation usually involves a highly simplified representation of it. To meet these constraints, we have built a model chain starting from the electrode models and leading to a representative model of the HTSE technology used process. Work and added value of this thesis mainly concern a global and local energy optimization approach. Our model allows at each scale an appropriate analysis of the main phenomena occurring in each object and a quantification of the energy and economic impacts of the technology used. This approach leads to a tool able to achieve the technical and economic optimization of a HTSE production unit. (author) [fr

  15. Conceptual study of on orbit production of cryogenic propellants by water electrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moran, Matthew E.

    1991-01-01

    The feasibility is assessed of producing cryogenic propellants on orbit by water electrolysis in support of NASA's proposed Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) missions. Using this method, water launched into low earth orbit (LEO) would be split into gaseous hydrogen and oxygen by electrolysis in an orbiting propellant processor spacecraft. The resulting gases would then be liquified and stored in cryogenic tanks. Supplying liquid hydrogen and oxygen fuel to space vehicles by this technique has some possible advantages over conventional methods. The potential benefits are derived from the characteristics of water as a payload, and include reduced ground handling and launch risk, denser packaging, and reduced tankage and piping requirements. A conceptual design of a water processor was generated based on related previous studies, and contemporary or near term technologies required. Extensive development efforts would be required to adapt the various subsystems needed for the propellant processor for use in space. Based on the cumulative results, propellant production by on orbit water electrolysis for support of SEI missions is not recommended.

  16. Technetium electrodeposition from aqueous formate solutions: electrolysis kinetics and material balance study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maslennikov, A.; Peretroukhine, V.

    1998-01-01

    The kinetics of the Tc electrodeposition and the material balance of potentiostatic electrolysis of formate buffer solutions (pH = 1.79-8.5) containing 5*10 -4 - 1*10 -2 M Tc(VII) at graphite cathode has been studied. The deposition of Tc from the solution was found to become possible at E x *y H 2 O (x ≤ 2, 1.5 cath. ) towards more negative values and the augmentation of the electrolyte surface/volume ratio (S/V) were found to increase the yield of the electrolysis and the rate of the electrodeposition process. A maximum technetium recovery of 92-95% has been observed in the electrolysis of neutral HCOONa solutions (pH = 6.0-7.5, μ = 1.0) containing up to 5*10 -1 M Tc(VII) at potentials of the graphite cathode E 2 . A starting Tc concentration in the solution of [Tc(VII)] > 5 *10 -1 M and the presence of more than 0.05 M NO 3 - in the electrolyte were found to suppress the recovery of technetium from the solution. (orig.)

  17. Performance Characterization of Solid Oxide Cells Under High Pressure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sun, Xiufu; Bonaccorso, Alfredo Damiano; Graves, Christopher R.

    2015-01-01

    on partial pressures (oxygen, steam and hydrogen) were affected by increasing the pressure. In electrolysis mode at low current density, the performance improvement was counteracted by the increase in open circuit voltage, but it has to be borne in mind that the pressurized gas contains higher molar free......In this work, recent pressurized test results of a planar Ni- YSZ (YSZ: Yttria stabilized Zirconia) supported solid oxide cell are presented. Measurements were performed at 800 C in both fuel cell and electrolysis mode at different pressures. A comparison of the electrochemical performance...... of the cell at 1 and 3 bar shows a significant and equal performance gain at higher pressure in both fuel cell mode and electrolysis mode. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that the serial resistance was not affected by the operation pressure; all the other processes that are dependent...

  18. Electrochemical disinfection of coliform and Escherichia coli for drinking water treatment by electrolysis method using carbon as an electrode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riyanto; Agustiningsih, W. A.

    2018-04-01

    Disinfection of coliform and E. Coli in water has been performed by electrolysis using carbon electrodes. Carbon electrodes were used as an anode and cathode with a purity of 98.31% based on SEM-EDS analysis. This study was conducted using electrolysis powered by electric field using carbon electrode as the anode and cathode. Electrolysis method was carried out using variations of time (30, 60, 90, 120 minutes at a voltage of 5 V) and voltage (5, 10, 15, 20 V for 30 minutes) to determine the effect of the disinfection of the bacteria. The results showed the number of coliform and E. coli in water before and after electrolysis was 190 and 22 MPN/100 mL, respectively. The standards quality of drinking water No. 492/Menkes/Per/IV/2010 requires the zero content of coliform and E. Coli. Electrolysis with the variation of time and potential can reduce the number of coliforms and E. Coli but was not in accordance with the standards. The effect of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to the electrochemical disinfection was determined using UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The levels of H2O2 formed increased as soon after the duration of electrolysis voltage but was not a significant influence to the mortality of coliform and E.coli.

  19. Solid polymer electrolyte water electrolysis system development. [to generate oxygen for manned space station applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    1975-01-01

    Solid polymer electrolyte technology used in a water electrolysis system (WES) to generate oxygen and hydrogen for manned space station applications was investigated. A four-man rated, low pressure breadboard water electrolysis system with the necessary instrumentation and controls was fabricated and tested. A six man rated, high pressure, high temperature, advanced preprototype WES was developed. This configuration included the design and development of an advanced water electrolysis module, capable of operation at 400 psig and 200 F, and a dynamic phase separator/pump in place of a passive phase separator design. Evaluation of this system demonstrated the goal of safe, unattended automated operation at high pressure and high temperature with an accumulated gas generation time of over 1000 hours.

  20. Comparative costs of hydrogen produced from photovoltaic electrolysis and from photoelectrochemical processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Block, D.L.

    1998-01-01

    The need for hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources is the key element to the world's large-scale usage of hydrogen and to the hydrogen economy envisioned by the World Hydrogen Energy Association. Renewables-produced hydrogen is also the most technically difficult problem to be solved. Hydrogen will never achieve large-scale usage until it can be competitively produced from renewable energy. One of the important questions that has to be addressed is: What are the economics of present and expected future technologies that will be used to produce hydrogen from renewables? The objective of this study is to give an answer to this question by determining the cost of hydrogen (in U.S.$/MBtu) from competing renewable production technologies. It should be noted that the costs and efficiencies assumed in this paper are assumptions of the author, and that the values are expected to be achieved after additional research on photoelectrochemical process technologies. The cost analysis performed is for three types of hydrogen (H 2 ) produced from five different types of renewable processes: photovoltaic (PV) electrolysis, three photoelectrochemical (PEC) processes and higher temperature electrolysis (HTE). The costs and efficiencies for PV, PEC and HTE processes are established for present day, and for expected costs and efficiencies 10 years into the future. A second objective of this analysis is to set base case costs of PV electrolysis. For any other renewable process, the costs for PV electrolysis, which is existing technology, sets the numbers which the other processes must better. (author)

  1. Tritium separation from light and heavy water by bipolar electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramey, D.W.; Petek, M.; Taylor, R.D.; Kobisk, E.H.; Ramey, J.; Sampson, C.A.

    1979-10-01

    Use of bipolar electrolysis with countercurrent electrolyte flow to separate hydrogen isotopes was investigated for the removal of tritium from light water effluents or from heavy water moderator. Deuterium-tritium and protium-tritium separation factors occurring on a Pd-25% Ag bipolar electrode were measured to be 2.05 to 2.16 and 11.6 to 12.4 respectively, at current densities between 0.21 and 0.50 A cm -2 , and at 35 to 90 0 C. Current densities up to 0.3 A cm -2 have been achieved in continuous operation, at 80 to 90 0 C, without significant gas formation on the bipolar electrodes. From the measured overvoltage at the bipolar electrodes and the electrolyte conductivity the power consumption per stage was calculated to be 3.0 kwh/kg H 2 O at 0.2 A cm -2 and 5.0 kwh/kg H 2 O at 0.5 A cm -2 current density, compared to 6.4 and 8.0 kwh/kg H 2 O for normal electrolysis. A mathematical model derived for hydrogen isotope separation by bipolar electrolysis, i.e., for a square cascade, accurately describes the results for protium-tritium separation in two laboratory scale, multistage experiments with countercurrent electrolyte flow; the measured tiritum concentration gradient through the cascade agreed with the calculated values

  2. Principle and perspectives of hydrogen production through biocatalyzed electrolysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rozendal, R.A.; Hamelers, H.V.M.; Euverink, G.J.W.; Metz, S.J.; Buisman, C.J.N.

    2006-01-01

    Biocatalyzed electrolysis is a novel biological hydrogen production process with the potential to efficiently convert a wide range of dissolved organic materials in wastewaters. Even substrates formerly regarded to be unsuitable for hydrogen production due to the endothermic nature of the involved

  3. Space Station propulsion - Advanced development testing of the water electrolysis concept at MSFC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Lee W.; Bagdigian, Deborah R.

    1989-01-01

    The successful demonstration at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) that the water electrolysis concept is sufficiently mature to warrant adopting it as the baseline propulsion design for Space Station Freedom is described. In particular, the test results demonstrated that oxygen/hydrogen thruster, using gaseous propellants, can deliver more than two million lbf-seconds of total impulse at mixture ratios of 3:1 to 8:1 without significant degradation. The results alao demonstrated succcessful end-to-end operation of an integrated water electrolysis propulsion system.

  4. A method for high throughput bioelectrochemical research based on small scale microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Call, Douglas F.

    2011-07-01

    There is great interest in studying exoelectrogenic microorganisms, but existing methods can require expensive electrochemical equipment and specialized reactors. We developed a simple system for conducting high throughput bioelectrochemical research using multiple inexpensive microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) built with commercially available materials and operated using a single power source. MECs were small crimp top serum bottles (5mL) with a graphite plate anode (92m 2/m 3) and a cathode of stainless steel (SS) mesh (86m 2/m 3), graphite plate, SS wire, or platinum wire. The highest volumetric current density (240A/m 3, applied potential of 0.7V) was obtained using a SS mesh cathode and a wastewater inoculum (acetate electron donor). Parallel operated MECs (single power source) did not lead to differences in performance compared to non-parallel operated MECs, which can allow for high throughput reactor operation (>1000 reactors) using a single power supply. The utility of this method for cultivating exoelectrogenic microorganisms was demonstrated through comparison of buffer effects on pure (Geobacter sulfurreducens and Geobacter metallireducens) and mixed cultures. Mixed cultures produced current densities equal to or higher than pure cultures in the different media, and current densities for all cultures were higher using a 50mM phosphate buffer than a 30mM bicarbonate buffer. Only the mixed culture was capable of sustained current generation with a 200mM phosphate buffer. These results demonstrate the usefulness of this inexpensive method for conducting in-depth examinations of pure and mixed exoelectrogenic cultures. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

  5. Potential Use of Microbial Electrolysis Cells in Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plants for Energy Recovery

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Escapa, Adrián; San-Martín, María Isabel; Morán, Antonio, E-mail: amorp@unileon.es [Chemical and Environmental Bioprocess Engineering Group, Natural Resources Institute (IRENA), University of León, León (Spain)

    2014-06-06

    Globally, large amounts of electrical energy are spent every year for domestic wastewater (dWW) treatment. In the future, energy prices are expected to rise as the demand for energy resources increases and fossil fuel reserves become depleted. By using appropriate technologies, the potential chemical energy contained in the organic compounds present in dWWs might help to improve the energy and economic balance of dWW treatment plants. Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) in general and microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) in particular represent an emerging technology capable of harvesting part of this energy. This study offers an overview of the potential of using MEC technology in domestic wastewater treatment plants (dWWTPs) to reduce the energy bill. It begins with a brief account of the basics of BESs, followed by an examination of how MECs can be integrated in dWWTPs, identifying scaling-up bottlenecks and estimating potential energy savings. A simplified analysis showed that the use of MEC technology may help to reduce up to ~20% the energy consumption in a conventional dWWTP. The study concludes with a discussion of the future perspectives of MEC technology for dWW treatment. The growing rates of municipal water and wastewater treatment markets in Europe offer excellent business prospects and it is expected that the first generation of MECs could be ready within 1–4 years. However, before MEC technology may achieve practical implementation in dWWTPs, it need not only to overcome important techno-economic challenges, but also to compete with other energy-producing technologies.

  6. Electrolysis-driven bioremediation of crude oil-contaminated marine sediments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellagamba, Marco; Cruz Viggi, Carolina; Ademollo, Nicoletta; Rossetti, Simona; Aulenta, Federico

    2017-09-25

    Bioremediation is an effective technology to tackle crude oil spill disasters, which takes advantage of the capacity of naturally occurring microorganisms to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons under a range of environmental conditions. The enzymatic process of breaking down oil is usually more rapid in the presence of oxygen. However, in contaminated sediments, oxygen levels are typically too low to sustain the rapid and complete biodegradation of buried hydrocarbons. Here, we explored the possibility to electrochemically manipulate the redox potential of a crude oil-contaminated marine sediment in order to establish, in situ, conditions that are conducive to contaminants biodegradation by autochthonous microbial communities. The proposed approach is based on the exploitation of low-voltage (2V) seawater electrolysis to drive oxygen generation (while minimizing chlorine evolution) on Dimensionally Stable Anodes (DSA) placed within the contaminated sediment. Results, based on a laboratory scale setup with chronically polluted sediments spiked with crude oil, showed an increased redox potential and a decreased pH in the vicinity of the anode of 'electrified' treatments, consistent with the occurrence of oxygen generation. Accordingly, hydrocarbons biodegradation was substantially accelerated (up to 3-times) compared to 'non-electrified' controls, while sulfate reduction was severely inhibited. Intermittent application of electrolysis proved to be an effective strategy to minimize the energy requirements of the process, without adversely affecting degradation performance. Taken as a whole, this study suggests that electrolysis-driven bioremediation could be a sustainable technology for the management of contaminated sediments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Hydrogen Production by Geobacter Species and a Mixed Consortium in a Microbial Electrolysis Cell

    KAUST Repository

    Call, D. F.

    2009-10-09

    A hydrogen utilizing exoelectrogenic bacterium (Geobacter sulfurreducens) was compared to both a nonhydrogen oxidizer (Geobacter metallireducens) and a mixed consortium in order to compare the hydrogen production rates and hydrogen recoveries of pure and mixed cultures in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). At an applied voltage of 0.7 V, both G. sulfurreducens and the mixed culture generated similar current densities (ca. 160 A/m3), resulting in hydrogen production rates of ca. 1.9 m3 H2/m 3/day, whereas G. metallireducens exhibited lower current densities and production rates of 110 ± 7 A/m3 and 1.3 ± 0.1 m3 H2/m3/day, respectively. Before methane was detected in the mixed-culture MEC, the mixed consortium achieved the highest overall energy recovery (relative to both electricity and substrate energy inputs) of 82% ± 8% compared to G. sulfurreducens (77% ± 2%) and G. metallireducens (78% ± 5%), due to the higher coulombic efficiency of the mixed consortium. At an applied voltage of 0.4 V, methane production increased in the mixed-culture MEC and, as a result, the hydrogen recovery decreased and the overall energy recovery dropped to 38% ± 16% compared to 80% ± 5% for G. sulfurreducens and 76% ± 0% for G. metallireducens. Internal hydrogen recycling was confirmed since the mixed culture generated a stable current density of 31 ± 0 A/m3 when fed hydrogen gas, whereas G. sulfurreducens exhibited a steady decrease in current production. Community analysis suggested that G. sulfurreducens was predominant in the mixed-culture MEC (72% of clones) despite its relative absence in the mixed-culture inoculum obtained from a microbial fuel cell reactor (2% of clones). These results demonstrate that Geobacter species are capable of obtaining similar hydrogen production rates and energy recoveries as mixed cultures in an MEC and that high coulombic efficiencies in mixed culture MECs can be attributed in part to the recycling of hydrogen into current. Copyright

  8. Reversibility of the SOFC for the hydrogen production by high temperature electrolysis; Reversibilite des SOFC pour la production d'hydrogene par electrolyse haute temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brisse, A.; Marrony, M.; Perednis, D.; Schefold, J.; Jose-Garcia, M.; Zahid, M. [Institut Europeen de Recherche sur l' Energie (EIFER), Karlsruhe (Germany)

    2007-07-01

    The behaviour of two SOFC cells in electrolysis mode is studied. The performances of these solid oxide cells, reversible at 800 C and for current densities between 0 and -0.42 A/cm{sup 2}, are presented. A weaker polarisation resistance has been measured for the cell containing a mixed conductor as oxygen electrode. For each cell, a limitation by gaseous diffusion has been observed under current. This phenomenon appears for current densities which are higher for the mixed conductor cell as oxygen electrode. (O.M.)

  9. Treating soil-washing fluids polluted with oxyfluorfen by sono-electrolysis with diamond anodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vieira Dos Santos, E; Sáez, C; Cañizares, P; Martínez-Huitle, C A; Rodrigo, M A

    2017-01-01

    This works is focused on the treatment by sono-electrolysis of the liquid effluents produced during the Surfactant-Aided Soil-Washing (SASW) of soils spiked with herbicide oxyfluorfen. Results show that this combined technology is very efficient and attains the complete mineralization of the waste, regardless of the surfactant/soil radio applied in the SASW process (which is the main parameter of the soil remediation process and leads to very different wastes). Both the surfactant and the herbicide are completely degraded, even when single electrolysis is used; and only two intermediates are detected by HPLC in very low concentrations. Conversely, the efficiency of single sonolysis approach, for the oxidation of pollutant, is very low and just small changes in the herbicides and surfactant concentrations are observed during the tests carried out. Sono-electrolysis with diamond electrodes achieved higher degradation rates than those obtained by single sonolysis and/or single electrolysis with diamond anodes. A key role of sulfate is developed, when it is released after the electrochemical degradation of surfactant. The efficient catalytic effect observed which can be explained by the anodic formation of persulfate and the later, a sono-activation is attained to produce highly efficient sulfate radicals. The effect of irradiating US is more importantly observed in the pesticide than in the surfactant, in agreement with the well-known behavior of these radicals which are known to oxidize more efficiently aromatic compounds than aliphatic species. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Effects of low voltage electrolysis and freezing on coliform content of contaminated water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qazi, J.I.; Saleem, F.

    2003-01-01

    A sewage sample was mixed with drinking water and subjected to low voltage (15V) electrolysis in the presence of 1% NaCl. The prepared sample was also kept in freezer with and without the presence of sodium chloride for 4-hours. Among these treatments the electrolysis proved to kill the coliforms, while the freezing reduced the bacterial content. Antibiotics sensitivity patterns revealed that certain of the coliform strains survived the freezing and thawing shocks. Nature of such surviving bacteria and need to study chemical parameters of electrolyzed water are discussed. (author)

  11. Improved cell for water-vapor electrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aylward, J. R.

    1981-01-01

    Continuous-flow electrolytic cells decompose water vapor in steam and room air into hydrogen and oxygen. Sintered iridium oxide catalytic anode coating yields dissociation rates hundredfold greater than those obtained using platinum black. Cell consists of two mirror-image cells, with dual cathode sandwiched between two anodes. Gas traverses serpentine channels within cell and is dissociated at anode. Oxygen mingles with gas stream, while hydrogen migrates through porous matrix and is liberated as gas at cathode.

  12. Hydrogen generation through static-feed water electrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jensen, F. C.; Schubert, F. H.

    1975-01-01

    A static-feed water electrolysis system (SFWES), developed under NASA sponsorship, is presented for potential applicability to terrestrial hydrogen production. The SFWES concept uses (1) an alkaline electrolyte to minimize power requirements and materials-compatibility problems, (2) a method where the electrolyte is retained in a thin porous matrix eliminating bulk electrolyte, and (3) a static water-feed mechanism to prevent electrode and electrolyte contamination and to promote system simplicity.

  13. The use of stainless steel and nickel alloys as low-cost cathodes in microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Selembo, Priscilla A.

    2009-05-01

    Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are used to produce hydrogen gas from the current generated by bacteria, but low-cost alternatives are needed to typical cathode materials (carbon cloth, platinum and Nafion™). Stainless steel A286 was superior to platinum sheet metal in terms of cathodic hydrogen recovery (61% vs. 47%), overall energy recovery (46% vs. 35%), and maximum volumetric hydrogen production rate (1.5 m3 m-3 day-1 vs. 0.68 m3 m-3 day-1) at an applied voltage of 0.9 V. Nickel 625 was better than other nickel alloys, but it did not perform as well as SS A625. The relative ranking of these materials in MEC tests was in agreement with cyclic voltammetry studies. Performance of the stainless steel and nickel cathodes was further increased, even at a lower applied voltage (0.6 V), by electrodepositing a nickel oxide layer onto the sheet metal (cathodic hydrogen recovery, 52%, overall energy recovery, 48%; maximum volumetric hydrogen production rate, 0.76 m3 m-3 day-1). However, performance of the nickel oxide cathodes decreased over time due to a reduction in mechanical stability of the oxides (based on SEM-EDS analysis). These results demonstrate that non-precious metal cathodes can be used in MECs to achieve hydrogen gas production rates better than those obtained with platinum. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. The use of stainless steel and nickel alloys as low-cost cathodes in microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Selembo, Priscilla A.; Merrill, Mathew D.; Logan, Bruce E.

    2009-01-01

    Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are used to produce hydrogen gas from the current generated by bacteria, but low-cost alternatives are needed to typical cathode materials (carbon cloth, platinum and Nafion™). Stainless steel A286 was superior to platinum sheet metal in terms of cathodic hydrogen recovery (61% vs. 47%), overall energy recovery (46% vs. 35%), and maximum volumetric hydrogen production rate (1.5 m3 m-3 day-1 vs. 0.68 m3 m-3 day-1) at an applied voltage of 0.9 V. Nickel 625 was better than other nickel alloys, but it did not perform as well as SS A625. The relative ranking of these materials in MEC tests was in agreement with cyclic voltammetry studies. Performance of the stainless steel and nickel cathodes was further increased, even at a lower applied voltage (0.6 V), by electrodepositing a nickel oxide layer onto the sheet metal (cathodic hydrogen recovery, 52%, overall energy recovery, 48%; maximum volumetric hydrogen production rate, 0.76 m3 m-3 day-1). However, performance of the nickel oxide cathodes decreased over time due to a reduction in mechanical stability of the oxides (based on SEM-EDS analysis). These results demonstrate that non-precious metal cathodes can be used in MECs to achieve hydrogen gas production rates better than those obtained with platinum. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Numerical modeling of hypolimnetic oxygenation by electrolysis of water

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaćimović Nenad M.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents a novel method for hypolimnetic oxygenation by electrolysis of water. The performance of the method is investigated by the laboratory and the field experiment. The laboratory experiment is conducted in a 90 L vessel, while the field experiment is conducted at the lake Biwa in Japan. In order to provide a better insight into involved processes, a numerical model for simulation of bubble flow is developed with consideration of gas compressibility and oxygen dissolution. The model simultaneously solves 3-D volume averaged two-fluid governing equations. Developed model is firstly verified by simulation of bubble flow experiments, reported in the literature, where good qualitative agreement between measured and simulated results is observed. In the second part, the model is applied for simulation of conducted water electrolysis experiments. The model reproduced the observed oxygen concentration dynamics reasonably well. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 37009

  16. Treatment of coking wastewater by a novel electric assisted micro-electrolysis filter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Ruosong; Wu, Miaomiao; Qu, Guangfei; Ning, Ping; Cai, Yingying; Lv, Pei

    2018-04-01

    A newly designed electric assisted micro-electrolysis filter (E-ME) was developed to investigate its degradation efficiency for coking wastewater and correlated characteristics. The performance of the E-ME system was compared with separate electrolysis (SE) and micro-electrolysis (ME) systems. The results showed a prominent synergistic effect on COD removal in E-ME systems. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis confirmed that the applied electric field enhanced the degradation of phenolic compounds. Meanwhile, more biodegradable oxygen-bearing compounds were detected. SEM images of granular activated carbon (GAC) showed that inactivation and blocking were inhibited during the E-ME process. The effects of applied voltage and initial pH in E-ME systems were also studied. The best voltage value was 1V, but synergistic effects existed even with lower applied voltage. E-ME systems exhibited some pH buffering capacity and attained the best efficiency in neutral media, which means that there is no need to adjust pH prior to or during the treatment process. Therefore, E-ME systems were confirmed as a promising technology for treatment of coking wastewater and other refractory wastewater. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  17. A Study on the Preparation of Regular Multiple Micro-Electrolysis Filler and the Application in Pretreatment of Oil Refinery Wastewater.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Ruihong; Zhu, Jianzhong; Li, Yingliu; Zhang, Hui

    2016-04-29

    Through a variety of material screening experiments, Al was selected as the added metal and constituted a multiple micro-electrolysis system of Fe/C/Al. The metal proportion of alloy-structured filler was also analyzed with the best Fe/C/Al ratio of 3:1:1. The regular Fe/C/Al multiple micro-electrolysis fillers were prepared using a high-temperature anaerobic roasting method. The optimum conditions for oil refinery wastewater treated by Fe/C/Al multiple micro-electrolysis were determined to be an initial pH value of 3, reaction time of 80 min, and 0.05 mol/L Na₂SO₄ additive concentration. The reaction mechanism of the treatment of oil refinery wastewater by Fe/C/Al micro-electrolysis was investigated. The process of the treatment of oil refinery wastewater with multiple micro-electrolysis conforms to the third-order reaction kinetics. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) used to analyze the organic compounds of the oil refinery wastewater before and after treatment and the Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS) absorption spectrum analyzed the degradation process of organic compounds in oil refinery wastewater. The treatment effect of Fe/C/Al multiple micro-electrolysis was examined in the continuous experiment under the optimum conditions, which showed high organic compound removal and stable treatment efficiency.

  18. Electrochemical struvite precipitation from digestate with a fluidized bed cathode microbial electrolysis cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cusick, Roland D; Ullery, Mark L; Dempsey, Brian A; Logan, Bruce E

    2014-05-01

    Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) can be used to simultaneously convert wastewater organics to hydrogen and precipitate struvite, but scale formation at the cathode surface can block catalytic active sites and limit extended operation. To promote bulk phase struvite precipitation and minimize cathode scaling, a two-chamber MEC was designed with a fluidized bed to produce suspended particles and inhibit scale formation on the cathode surface. MEC operation elevated the cathode pH to between 8.3 and 8.7 under continuous flow conditions. Soluble phosphorus removal using digester effluent ranged from 70 to 85% with current generation, compared to 10-20% for the control (open circuit conditions). At low current densities (≤2 mA/m(2)), scouring of the cathode by fluidized particles prevented scale accumulation over a period of 8 days. There was nearly identical removal of soluble phosphorus and magnesium from solution, and an equimolar composition in the collected solids, supporting phosphorus removal by struvite formation. At an applied voltage of 1.0 V, energy consumption from the power supply and pumping (0.2 Wh/L, 7.5 Wh/g-P) was significantly less than that needed by other struvite formation methods based on pH adjustment such as aeration and NaOH addition. In the anode chamber, current generation led to COD oxidation (1.1-2.1 g-COD/L-d) and ammonium removal (7-12 mM) from digestate amended with 1 g/L of sodium acetate. These results indicate that a fluidized bed cathode MEC is a promising method of sustainable electrochemical nutrient and energy recovery method for nutrient rich wastewaters. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Optimized Flow Sheet for a Reference Commercial-Scale Nuclear-Driven High-Temperature Electrolysis Hydrogen Production Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    M. G. McKellar; J. E. O'Brien; E. A. Harvego; J. S. Herring

    2007-01-01

    This report presents results from the development and optimization of a reference commercial scale high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) plant for hydrogen production. The reference plant design is driven by a high-temperature helium-cooled reactor coupled to a direct Brayton power cycle. The reference design reactor power is 600 MWt, with a primary system pressure of 7.0 MPa, and reactor inlet and outlet fluid temperatures of 540 C and 900 C, respectively. The electrolysis unit used to produce hydrogen consists of 4.176 - 10 6 cells with a per-cell active area of 225 cm2. A nominal cell area-specific resistance, ASR, value of 0.4 Ohm-cm2 with a current density of 0.25 A/cm2 was used, and isothermal boundary conditions were assumed. The optimized design for the reference hydrogen production plant operates at a system pressure of 5.0 MPa, and utilizes an air-sweep system to remove the excess oxygen that is evolved on the anode side of the electrolyzer. The inlet air for the air-sweep system is compressed to the system operating pressure of 5.0 MPa in a four-stage compressor with intercooling. The overall system thermal-to-hydrogen production efficiency (based on the low heating value of the produced hydrogen) is 49.07% at a hydrogen production rate of 2.45 kg/s with the high-temperature helium-cooled reactor concept. The information presented in this report is intended to establish an optimized design for the reference nuclear-driven HTE hydrogen production plant so that parameters can be compared with other hydrogen production methods and power cycles to evaluate relative performance characteristics and plant economics

  20. Hydroxyl radical production in plasma electrolysis with KOH electrolyte solution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saksono, Nelson; Febiyanti, Irine Ayu, E-mail: irine.ayu41@ui.ac.id; Utami, Nissa; Ibrahim [Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitas Indonesia, Depok 16424, Indonesia Phone: +62217863516, Fax: +62217863515 (Indonesia)

    2015-12-29

    Plasma electrolysis is an effective technology for producing hydroxyl radical (•OH). This method can be used for waste degradation process. This study was conducted to obtain the influence of applied voltage, electrolyte concentration, and anode depth in the plasma electrolysis system for producing hydroxyl radical. The materials of anode and cathode, respectively, were made from tungsten and stainless steel. KOH solution was used as the solution. Determination of hydroxyl radical production was done by measuring H{sub 2}O{sub 2} amount formed in plasma system using an iodometric titration method, while the electrical energy consumed was obtained by measuring the electrical current throughout the process. The highest hydroxyl radical production was 3.51 mmol reached with 237 kJ energy consumption in the power supply voltage 600 V, 0.02 M KOH, and 0.5 cm depth of anode.

  1. Technoeconomic analysis of a methanol plant based on gasification of biomass and electrolysis of water

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Clausen, Lasse Røngaard; Houbak, N.; Elmegaard, Brian

    2010-01-01

    , and the low-temperature waste heat is used for district heat production. This results in high total energy efficiencies (similar to 90%) for the plants. The specific methanol costs for the six plants are in the range 11.8-25.3 (sic)/GJ(exergy). The lowest cost is obtained by a plant using electrolysis......Methanol production process configurations based on renewable energy sources have been designed. The processes were analyzed in the thermodynamic process simulation tool DNA. The syngas used for the catalytic methanol production was produced by gasification of biomass, electrolysis of water, CO2...... with a different syngas production method, were compared. The plants achieve methanol exergy efficiencies of 59-72%, the best from a configuration incorporating autothermal reforming of biogas and electrolysis of water for syngas production. The different processes in the plants are highly heat integrated...

  2. Economic Analysis of a Nuclear Reactor Powered High-Temperature Electrolysis Hydrogen Production Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    E. A. Harvego; M. G. McKellar; M. S. Sohal; J. E. O'Brien; J. S. Herring

    2008-01-01

    A reference design for a commercial-scale high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) plant for hydrogen production was developed to provide a basis for comparing the HTE concept with other hydrogen production concepts. The reference plant design is driven by a high-temperature helium-cooled nuclear reactor coupled to a direct Brayton power cycle. The reference design reactor power is 600 MWt, with a primary system pressure of 7.0 MPa, and reactor inlet and outlet fluid temperatures of 540 C and 900 C, respectively. The electrolysis unit used to produce hydrogen includes 4,009,177 cells with a per-cell active area of 225 cm2. The optimized design for the reference hydrogen production plant operates at a system pressure of 5.0 MPa, and utilizes an air-sweep system to remove the excess oxygen that is evolved on the anode (oxygen) side of the electrolyzer. The inlet air for the air-sweep system is compressed to the system operating pressure of 5.0 MPa in a four-stage compressor with intercooling. The alternating-current, AC, to direct-current, DC, conversion efficiency is 96%. The overall system thermal-to-hydrogen production efficiency (based on the lower heating value of the produced hydrogen) is 47.12% at a hydrogen production rate of 2.356 kg/s. An economic analysis of this plant was performed using the standardized H2A Analysis Methodology developed by the Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Program, and using realistic financial and cost estimating assumptions. The results of the economic analysis demonstrated that the HTE hydrogen production plant driven by a high-temperature helium-cooled nuclear power plant can deliver hydrogen at a competitive cost. A cost of $3.23/kg of hydrogen was calculated assuming an internal rate of return of 10%

  3. Tunable microbubble generator using electrolysis and ultrasound

    OpenAIRE

    Younes Achaoui; Khaled Metwally; Damien Fouan; Zoubida Hammadi; Roger Morin; Eric Debieu; Cédric Payan; Serge Mensah

    2017-01-01

    This letter reports on a method for producing on demand calibrated bubbles in a non-chemically controlled solution using localized micro-electrolysis and ultrasound. Implementing a feedback loop in the process leads to a point source of stable mono-dispersed microbubbles. This approach overcomes the inertial constraints encountered in microfluidics with the possibility to produce from a single to an array of calibrated bubbles. Moreover, this method avoids the use of additional surfactant tha...

  4. The recovery of zinc from hot galvanizing slag in an anion-exchange membrane electrolysis reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ren Xiulian [College of Ocean, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai 264209 (China); Wei Qifeng, E-mail: weiqifeng163@163.com [College of Ocean, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai 264209 (China); Hu Surong; Wei Sijie [College of Ocean, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai 264209 (China)

    2010-09-15

    This paper reports the optimization of the process parameters for recovery of zinc from hot galvanizing slag in an anion-exchange membrane electrolysis reactor. The experiments were carried out in an ammoniacal ammonium chloride system. The influence of composition of electrolytes, pH, stirring rate, current density and temperature, on cathodic current efficiency, specific power consumption and anodic dissolution of Zn were investigated. The results indicate that the cathode current efficiency increases and the hydrogen evolution decreased with increasing the cathode current density. The partial current for electrodeposition of Zn has liner relationship with {omega}{sup 1/2} ({omega}: rotation rate). The highest current efficiency for dissolving zinc was obtained when NH{sub 4}Cl concentration was 53.46 g L{sup -1} and the anodic dissolution of zinc was determined by mass transfer rate at stirring rate 0-300 r min{sup -1}. Increase in temperature benefits to improve CE and dissolution of Zn, and reduce cell voltage. Initial pH of electrolytes plays an important role in the deposition and anodic dissolution of Zn. The results of single factor experiment show that about 50% energy consumption was saved for electrodeposition of Zn in the anion-exchange membrane electrolysis reactor.

  5. The recovery of zinc from hot galvanizing slag in an anion-exchange membrane electrolysis reactor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Xiulian; Wei, Qifeng; Hu, Surong; Wei, Sijie

    2010-09-15

    This paper reports the optimization of the process parameters for recovery of zinc from hot galvanizing slag in an anion-exchange membrane electrolysis reactor. The experiments were carried out in an ammoniacal ammonium chloride system. The influence of composition of electrolytes, pH, stirring rate, current density and temperature, on cathodic current efficiency, specific power consumption and anodic dissolution of Zn were investigated. The results indicate that the cathode current efficiency increases and the hydrogen evolution decreased with increasing the cathode current density. The partial current for electrodeposition of Zn has liner relationship with omega(1/2) (omega: rotation rate). The highest current efficiency for dissolving zinc was obtained when NH(4)Cl concentration was 53.46 g L(-1) and the anodic dissolution of zinc was determined by mass transfer rate at stirring rate 0-300 r min(-1). Increase in temperature benefits to improve CE and dissolution of Zn, and reduce cell voltage. Initial pH of electrolytes plays an important role in the deposition and anodic dissolution of Zn. The results of single factor experiment show that about 50% energy consumption was saved for electrodeposition of Zn in the anion-exchange membrane electrolysis reactor. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Cell pairing ratio controlled micro-environment with valve-less electrolytic isolation

    KAUST Repository

    Chen, Yu-Chih

    2012-01-01

    We present a ratio controlled cell-to-cell interaction chip using valve-less isolation. We incorporated electrolysis in a microfluidic channel. In each microfluidic chamber, we loaded two types of different cells at various pairing ratios. More than 80% of the microchambers were successfully loaded with a specific target pairing ratio. For the proof of concept, we have demonstrated the cell-to-cell interaction between prostate cancer cells and muscle stem cells can be controlled by cell pairing ratios through growth factor secretion. The experimental data shows that sealing of microenvironment by air generated from electrolysis does not affect cell viability and cell interaction assay results. © 2012 IEEE.

  7. Development of durable and efficient electrodes for large-scale alkaline water electrolysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjartansdóttir, Cecilia Kristin; Nielsen, Lars Pleth; Møller, Per

    2013-01-01

    A new type of electrodes for alkaline water electrolysis is produced by physical vapour depositing (PVD) of aluminium onto a nickel substrate. The PVD Al/Ni is heat-treated to facilitate alloy formation followed by a selective aluminium alkaline leaching. The obtained porous Ni surface is uniform...... and characterized by a unique interlayer adhesion, which is critical for industrial application. IR-compensated polarisation curves prepared in a half-cell setup with 1 M KOH electrolyte at room temperature reveals that at least 400 mV less potential is needed to decompose water into hydrogen and oxygen...... produced bipolar electrolyser stack. The developed electrodes showed stable behaviour under intermittent operation for over 9000 h indicating no serious deactivation in the density of active sites....

  8. Inhalation of water electrolysis-derived hydrogen ameliorates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats - A possible new hydrogen resource for clinical use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Jin; Chen, Xiao; Zhai, Xiao; Shi, Dongchen; Zhang, Rongjia; Zhi, Xin; Li, Xiaoqun; Gu, Zhengrong; Cao, Liehu; Weng, Weizong; Zhang, Jun; Wang, Liping; Sun, Xuejun; Ji, Fang; Hou, Jiong; Su, Jiacan

    2016-10-29

    Hydrogen is a kind of noble gas with the character to selectively neutralize reactive oxygen species. Former researches proved that low-concentration of hydrogen can be used to ameliorating cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Hydrogen electrolyzed from water has a hydrogen concentration of 66.7%, which is much higher than that used in previous studies. And water electrolysis is a potential new hydrogen resource for regular clinical use. This study was designed and carried out for the determination of safety and neuroprotective effects of water electrolysis-derived hydrogen. Sprague-Dawley rats were used as experimental animals, and middle cerebral artery occlusion was used to make cerebral ischemia/reperfusion model. Pathologically, tissues from rats in hydrogen inhalation group showed no significant difference compared with the control group in HE staining pictures. The blood biochemical findings matched the HE staining result. TTC, Nissl, and TUNEL staining showed the significant improvement of infarction volume, neuron morphology, and neuron apoptosis in rat with hydrogen treatment. Biochemically, hydrogen inhalation decreased brain caspase-3, 3-nitrotyrosine and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine-positive cells and inflammation factors concentration. Water electrolysis-derived hydrogen inhalation had neuroprotective effects on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats with the effect of suppressing oxidative stress and inflammation, and it is a possible new hydrogen resource to electrolyze water at the bedside clinically. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  9. Hydrogen production from inexhaustible supplies of fresh and salt water using microbial reverse-electrodialysis electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Kim, Y.

    2011-09-19

    There is a tremendous source of entropic energy available from the salinity difference between river water and seawater, but this energy has yet to be efficiently captured and stored. Here we demonstrate that H(2) can be produced in a single process by capturing the salinity driven energy along with organic matter degradation using exoelectrogenic bacteria. Only five pairs of seawater and river water cells were sandwiched between an anode, containing exoelectrogenic bacteria, and a cathode, forming a microbial reverse-electrodialysis electrolysis cell. Exoelectrogens added an electrical potential from acetate oxidation and reduced the anode overpotential, while the reverse electrodialysis stack contributed 0.5-0.6 V at a salinity ratio (seawater:river water) of 50. The H(2) production rate increased from 0.8 to 1.6 m(3)-H(2)/m(3)-anolyte/day for seawater and river water flow rates ranging from 0.1 to 0.8 mL/ min. H(2) recovery, the ratio of electrons used for H(2) evolution to electrons released by substrate oxidation, ranged from 72% to 86%. Energy efficiencies, calculated from changes in salinities and the loss of organic matter, were 58% to 64%. By using a relatively small reverse electrodialysis stack (11 membranes), only ~1% of the produced energy was needed for pumping water. Although Pt was used on the cathode in these tests, additional tests with a nonprecious metal catalyst (MoS(2)) demonstrated H(2) production at a rate of 0.8 m(3)/m(3)/d and an energy efficiency of 51%. These results show that pure H(2) gas can efficiently be produced from virtually limitless supplies of seawater and river water, and biodegradable organic matter.

  10. Modelling of gas diffusion limitations in Ni/YSZ electrode material in CO2 and co-electrolysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Duhn, Jakob Dragsbæk; Jensen, Anker Degn; Wedel, Stig

    2016-01-01

    Carbon formation during CO2 and co-electrolysis (combined electrolysis of H2O and CO2)has been observed in recent studies, under operating conditions where carbon formation,based on the bulk gas composition, should be thermodynamically unfavorable. The carboncan principally be formed by the Boudo...

  11. Water electrolysis system - H2 and O2 generation. [for spacecraft atmosphere revitalization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schubert, F. H.; Lee, M. K.; Davenport, R. J.; Quattrone, P. D.

    1978-01-01

    An oxygen generation system design based on the static feed water electrolysis concept is described. The system is designed to generate 4.20 kg/d of oxygen to satisfy the metabolic needs of a three-person crew, to compensate for spacecraft leakage, and to provide the oxygen required by the electrochemical depolarized CO2 concentrator. The system has a fixed hardware weight of 75 kg, occupies a volume of 0.11 cu m, and requires only 1.1 kw of electrical power. The static feed electrolysis concept is discussed, and experimental data on the high-performance electrode are presented.

  12. A study of metallic coatings obtained by electrolysis of molten salts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broc, Michel.

    1978-06-01

    An appropriate technique has been developed for obtaining compact metallic coatings from electrolysis of molten salts. Through the use of this method, it has been possible to produce pure metal deposits which, until now, has been extremely difficult to do. The apparatus used and the main steps of the process such as dehydration of the solvant, degassing of the equipment, and starting of the electrolytic process, are first described. This is followed by a discussion of the deposits of the metals beryllium, uranium, tantalum and tungsten obtained from electrolysis of molten fluorides at temperatures between 600 and 800 0 C. The metal coatings so obtained are homogeneous and show continuity, their thicknesses varying from a few microns to a millimeter or more. They have been studied by measurements. As potential applications of this new technique, one can mention the growth of diffusion barriers and the production of cathodes for thermoionic emission. The method can also be used for electroforming. An intermetallic diffusion between the deposit and the substrate has been observed in some cases. The advantage of the technique of melt electrolysis in obtaining metal coatings of enhanced thicknesses is illustrated by taking the beryllium-nickel system as an example. It is shown that the thickness obtained is proportional to the square root of growth time and is about 6 to 8 times larger than that obtained by conventional techniques [fr

  13. A Study on the Preparation of Regular Multiple Micro-Electrolysis Filler and the Application in Pretreatment of Oil Refinery Wastewater

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruihong Yang

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Through a variety of material screening experiments, Al was selected as the added metal and constituted a multiple micro-electrolysis system of Fe/C/Al. The metal proportion of alloy-structured filler was also analyzed with the best Fe/C/Al ratio of 3:1:1. The regular Fe/C/Al multiple micro-electrolysis fillers were prepared using a high-temperature anaerobic roasting method. The optimum conditions for oil refinery wastewater treated by Fe/C/Al multiple micro-electrolysis were determined to be an initial pH value of 3, reaction time of 80 min, and 0.05 mol/L Na2SO4 additive concentration. The reaction mechanism of the treatment of oil refinery wastewater by Fe/C/Al micro-electrolysis was investigated. The process of the treatment of oil refinery wastewater with multiple micro-electrolysis conforms to the third-order reaction kinetics. The gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS used to analyze the organic compounds of the oil refinery wastewater before and after treatment and the Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–VIS absorption spectrum analyzed the degradation process of organic compounds in oil refinery wastewater. The treatment effect of Fe/C/Al multiple micro-electrolysis was examined in the continuous experiment under the optimum conditions, which showed high organic compound removal and stable treatment efficiency.

  14. Demonstration technology development of new hydrogen energy; Shinsuiso energy jissho gijutsu kaihatsu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-03-01

    A phenomenon of excess heat generation through the electrolysis of heavy water using palladium metals as electrode can be recognized as new hydrogen energy. Its mechanism has been investigated for four years since FY 1993. In FY 1993, the New Hydrogen Energy Demonstration Research Center and the New Hydrogen Energy Demonstration Laboratory were organized, and the research was initiated. For the excess heat generation demonstration model tests, two types of electrolysis experimental units were constructed, and the Pd/D-based electrolysis experiments were initiated. For the measurements of excess heat using an open type electrolysis cell, there were rather large errors ranging from -13% to +7%. It is necessary to improve the accuracy. For the measurements using a fuel cell type electrolysis cell, generation of the excess heat ranging from 0% to 6% was observed. For the validity of this, it is required to confirm the long-term stability of calibration and cell components. For the correlation between the increase in absorbing rate and the generation of excess heat, results of 2 to 3% lower were obtained. 28 refs., 89 figs., 26 tabs.

  15. A Study on the Preparation of Regular Multiple Micro-Electrolysis Filler and the Application in Pretreatment of Oil Refinery Wastewater

    OpenAIRE

    Yang, Ruihong; ZHU, Jianzhong; Li, Yingliu; Zhang, Hui

    2016-01-01

    Through a variety of material screening experiments, Al was selected as the added metal and constituted a multiple micro-electrolysis system of Fe/C/Al. The metal proportion of alloy-structured filler was also analyzed with the best Fe/C/Al ratio of 3:1:1. The regular Fe/C/Al multiple micro-electrolysis fillers were prepared using a high-temperature anaerobic roasting method. The optimum conditions for oil refinery wastewater treated by Fe/C/Al multiple micro-electrolysis were determined to b...

  16. Long-Term Degradation Testing of High-Temperature Electrolytic Cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    C.M. Stoots; J.E. O' Brien; J.S. Herring; G.K. Housley; D.G. Milobar; M.S. Sohal

    2009-08-01

    The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has been researching the application of solid-oxide electrolysis cell for large-scale hydrogen production from steam over a temperature range of 800 to 900ºC. The INL has been testing various solid oxide cell designs to characterize their electrolytic performance operating in the electrolysis mode for hydrogen production. Some results presented in this report were obtained from cells, with an active area of 16 cm2 per cell. The electrolysis cells are electrode-supported, with ~10 µm thick yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolytes, ~1400 µm thick nickel-YSZ steam-hydrogen electrodes, and manganite (LSM) air-oxygen electrodes. The experiments were performed over a range of steam inlet mole fractions (0.1 to 0.6), gas flow rates, and current densities (0 to 0.6 A/cm2). Steam consumption rates associated with electrolysis were measured directly using inlet and outlet dewpoint instrumentation. On a molar basis, the steam consumption rate is equal to the hydrogen production rate. Cell performance was evaluated by performing DC potential sweeps at 800, 850, and 900°C. The voltage-current characteristics are presented, along with values of area-specific resistance as a function of current density. Long-term cell performance is also assessed to evaluate cell degradation. Details of the custom single-cell test apparatus developed for these experiments are also presented. NASA, in conjunction with the University of Toledo, has developed a new cell concept with the goals of reduced weight and high power density. This report presents results of the INL's testing of this new solid oxide cell design as an electrolyzer. Gas composition, operating voltage, and other parameters were varied during testing. Results to date show the NASA cell to be a promising design for both high power-to-weight fuel cell and electrolyzer applications.

  17. Long-Term Degradation Testing of High-Temperature Electrolytic Cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stoots, C.M.; O'Brien, J.E.; Herring, J.S.; Housley, G.K.; Milobar, D.G.; Sohal, M.S.

    2009-01-01

    The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has been researching the application of solid-oxide electrolysis cell for large-scale hydrogen production from steam over a temperature range of 800 to 900 C. The INL has been testing various solid oxide cell designs to characterize their electrolytic performance operating in the electrolysis mode for hydrogen production. Some results presented in this report were obtained from cells, with an active area of 16 cm2 per cell. The electrolysis cells are electrode-supported, with ∼10 ∼m thick yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolytes, ∼1400 (micro)m thick nickel-YSZ steam-hydrogen electrodes, and manganite (LSM) air-oxygen electrodes. The experiments were performed over a range of steam inlet mole fractions (0.1 to 0.6), gas flow rates, and current densities (0 to 0.6 A/cm2). Steam consumption rates associated with electrolysis were measured directly using inlet and outlet dewpoint instrumentation. On a molar basis, the steam consumption rate is equal to the hydrogen production rate. Cell performance was evaluated by performing DC potential sweeps at 800, 850, and 900 C. The voltage-current characteristics are presented, along with values of area-specific resistance as a function of current density. Long-term cell performance is also assessed to evaluate cell degradation. Details of the custom single-cell test apparatus developed for these experiments are also presented. NASA, in conjunction with the University of Toledo, has developed a new cell concept with the goals of reduced weight and high power density. This report presents results of the INL's testing of this new solid oxide cell design as an electrolyzer. Gas composition, operating voltage, and other parameters were varied during testing. Results to date show the NASA cell to be a promising design for both high power-to-weight fuel cell and electrolyzer applications.

  18. Production of aluminum metal by electrolysis of aluminum sulfide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minh, Nguyen Q.; Loutfy, Raouf O.; Yao, Neng-Ping

    1984-01-01

    Production of metallic aluminum by the electrolysis of Al.sub.2 S.sub.3 at 700.degree.-800.degree. C. in a chloride melt composed of one or more alkali metal chlorides, and one or more alkaline earth metal chlorides and/or aluminum chloride to provide improved operating characteristics of the process.

  19. Advancements in water vapor electrolysis technology. [for Space Station ECLSS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chullen, Cinda; Heppner, Dennis B.; Sudar, Martin

    1988-01-01

    The paper describes a technology development program whose goal is to develop water vapor electrolysis (WVE) hardware that can be used selectively as localized topping capability in areas of high metabolic activity without oversizing the central air revitalization system on long-duration manned space missions. The WVE will be used primarily to generate O2 for the crew cabin but also to provide partial humidity control by removing water vapor from the cabin atmosphere. The electrochemically based WVE interfaces with cabin air which is controlled in the following ranges: dry bulb temperature of 292 to 300 K; dew point temperature of 278 to 289 K; relative humidity of 25 to 75 percent; and pressure of 101 + or - 1.4 kPa. Design requirements, construction details, and results for both single-cell and multicell module testing are presented, and the preliminary sizing of a multiperson subsystem is discussed.

  20. Economics of liquid hydrogen from water electrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, F. N.; Moore, W. I.; Walker, S. W.

    1985-01-01

    An economical model for preliminary analysis of LH2 cost from water electrolysis is presented. The model is based on data from vendors and open literature, and is suitable for computer analysis of different scenarios for 'directional' purposes. Cost data associated with a production rate of 10,886 kg/day are presented. With minimum modification, the model can also be used to predict LH2 cost from any electrolyzer once the electrolyzer's cost data are available.

  1. Performance of supported catalysts for water electrolysis

    OpenAIRE

    Gurrik, Stian

    2012-01-01

    The most active catalyst for oxygen evolution in PEM water electrolysis is ruthenium oxide. Its major drawback as a commercial catalyst is its poor stability. In a mixed oxide with iridium, ruthenium becomes more stable. However, it would be favorable to find a less expensive substitute to iridium. In this work, the dissolution potential and lifetime of mixed oxides containing ruthenium and tantalum are investigated. In order to effectively determine what effects tantalum and particle size ha...

  2. POTENTIAL USE OF MICROBIAL ELECTROLYSIS CELLS (MECs IN DOMESTIC WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS FOR ENERGY RECOVERY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adrian eEscapa

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Globally, large amounts of electrical energy are spent every year for domestic wastewater (dWW treatment. In the future, energy prices are expected to rise as the demand for energy resources increases and fossil fuel reserves become depleted. By using appropriate technologies, the potential chemical energy contained in the organic compounds present in dWWs might help to improve the energy and economic balance of dWW treatment plants. Bioelectrochemical Systems (BESs in general and microbial electrolysis cells (MECs in particular represent an emerging technology capable of harvesting part of this energy. This study offers an overview of the potential of using MEC technology in dWW treatment plants (dWWTPs to reduce the energy bill. It begins with a brief account of the basics of BESs, followed by an examination of how MECs can be integrated in dWW treatment plants (dWWTPs, identifying scaling-up bottlenecks and estimating potential energy savings. A simplified analysis showed that the use of MEC technology may help to reduce up to ~20% the energy consumption in a conventional dWWTP. The study concludes with a discussion of the future perspectives of MEC technology for dWW treatment. The growing rates of municipal water and wastewater treatment markets in Europe offer excellent business prospects and it is expected that the first generation of MECs could be ready within 1-4 years. However, before MEC technology may achieve practical implementation in dWWTPs, it needs not only to overcome important techno-economic challenges, but also to compete with other energy-producing technologies.

  3. A quantitative method to evaluate microbial electrolysis cell effectiveness for energy recovery and wastewater treatment

    KAUST Repository

    Ivanov, Ivan

    2013-10-01

    Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are potential candidates for sustainable wastewater treatment as they allow for recovery of the energy input by producing valuable chemicals such as hydrogen gas. Evaluating the effectiveness of MEC treatment for different wastewaters requires new approaches to quantify performance, and the establishment of specific procedures and parameters to characterize the outcome of fed-batch treatability tests. It is shown here that Coulombic efficiency can be used to directly calculate energy consumption relative to wastewater treatment in terms of COD removal, and that the average current, not maximum current, is a better metric to evaluate the rate of the bioelectrochemical reactions. The utility of these methods was demonstrated using simulated current profiles and actual wastewater tests. Industrial and domestic wastewaters were evaluated using small volume MECs, and different inoculation strategies. The energy needed for treatment was 2.17kWhkgCOD-1 for industrial wastewater and 2.59kWhkgCOD-1 for domestic wastewater. When these wastewaters were combined in equal amounts, the energy required was reduced to 0.63kWhkgCOD-1. Acclimation of the MEC to domestic wastewater, prior to tests with industrial wastewaters, was the easiest and most direct method to optimize MEC performance for industrial wastewater treatment. A pre-acclimated MEC accomplished the same removal (1847 ± 53 mg L-1) as reactor acclimated to only the industrial wastewater (1839 ± 57 mg L-1), but treatment was achieved in significantly less time (70 h versus 238 h). © 2013, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Effect of pre-acclimation of granular activated carbon on microbial electrolysis cell startup and performance

    KAUST Repository

    LaBarge, Nicole

    2016-09-09

    Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) can generate methane by fixing carbon dioxide without using expensive catalysts, but the impact of acclimation procedures on subsequent performance has not been investigated. Granular activated carbon (GAC) was used to pre-enrich electrotrophic methanogenic communities, as GAC has been shown to stimulate direct transfer of electrons between different microbial species. MEC startup times using pre-acclimated GAC were improved compared to controls (without pre-acclimation or without GAC), and after three fed batch cycles methane generation rates were similar (P > 0.4) for GAC acclimated to hydrogen (22 ± 9.3 nmol cm− 3 d− 1), methanol (25 ± 9.7 nmol cm− 3 d− 1), and a volatile fatty acid (VFA) mix (22 ± 11 nmol cm− 3 d− 1). However, MECs started with GAC but no pre-acclimation had lower methane generation rates (13 ± 4.1 nmol cm− 3 d− 1), and MECs without GAC had the lowest rates (0.7 ± 0.8 nmol cm− 3 d− 1 after cycle 2). Microbes previously found in methanogenic MECs, or previously shown to be capable of exocellular electron transfer, were enriched on the GAC. Pre-acclimation using GAC is therefore a simple approach to enrich electroactive communities, improve methane generation rates, and decrease startup times in MECs. © 2016 Elsevier B.V.

  5. Electrolysis of plutonium in neutral and basic solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1978-01-01

    Experiments were conducted on electrolysis of Pu in waste streams. Removal of Pu by this process is maximum at pH 11. Runs on an actual waste stream showed that: Pu can be electrolyzed from neutral or basic solutions down to 10 -10 g/l. Am can also be removed. The removal efficiency is pH dependent. The deposits can be removed by acid leaching

  6. Improving The Efficiency Of Ammonia Electrolysis For Hydrogen Production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palaniappan, Ramasamy

    electrolysis. PAA-K allowed for a wider operating potential for the electrolytic cell while increasing the rate for HER at lower cell voltages. The conversion of ammonia improved from 16 % to 25 %, while the current efficiency for the consumption of ammonia increased from 92 +/- 1 % to 97 +/- 2 % by using PAA-K in lieu of KOH. The use of PAA-K also prevented the crossover of the hydrogen produced to the anode side, unlike aqueous KOH.

  7. Techno-economic study of hydrogen production by high temperature electrolysis and coupling with different thermal energy sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rivera-Tinoco, R.

    2009-03-01

    This work focuses on the techno-economic study of massive hydrogen production by the High Temperature Electrolysis (HTE) process and also deals with the possibility of producing the steam needed in the process by using different thermal energy sources. Among several sources, those retained in this study are the biomass and domestic waste incineration units, as well as two nuclear reactors (European Pressurised water Reactor - EPR and Sodium Fast Reactor - SFR). Firstly, the technical evaluation of the steam production by each of these sources was carried out. Then, the design and modelling of the equipments composing the process, specially the electrolysers (Solid Oxides Electrolysis Cells), are presented. Finally, the hydrogen production cost for each energy sources coupled with the HTE process is calculated. Moreover, several sensibility studies were performed in order to determine the process key parameter and to evaluate the influence of the unit size effect, the electric energy cost, maintenance, the cells current density, their investment cost and their lifespan on the hydrogen production cost. Our results show that the thermal energy cost is much more influent on the hydrogen production cost than the steam temperature at the outlet stream of the thermal source. It seems also that the key parameters for this process are the electric energy cost and the c ells lifespan. The first one contributes for more than 70% of the hydrogen production cost. From several cell lifespan values, it seems that a 3 year value, rather than 1 year, could lead to a hydrogen production cost reduced on 34%. However, longer lifespan values going from 5 to 10 years would only lead to a 8% reduction on the hydrogen production cost. (author)

  8. Use of sodium salt electrolysis in the process of continuous ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Use of sodium salt electrolysis in the process of continuous modification of eutectic EN ... the plastic groundmass of the solid solution α (Al), have an effect on their ..... Onyia C, Okorie B, Neife S and Obayi C 2013 World J. Eng. Technol. 1 9. 35.

  9. The labor protection and safety measures at the electrolysis department

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galushkin, N.V.

    1995-01-01

    This chapter of monograph is devoted to labor protection and safety measures at the electrolysis department. Thus, the characteristics of dangerous and harmful production factors as well as the danger of thermal burns and thermal exposure were considered. Safety requirements on labor safety were studied.

  10. Non-noble metal based electro-catalyst compositions for proton exchange membrane based water electrolysis and methods of making

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumta, Prashant N.; Kadakia, Karan Sandeep; Datta, Moni Kanchan; Velikokhatnyi, Oleg

    2017-02-07

    The invention provides electro-catalyst compositions for an anode electrode of a proton exchange membrane-based water electrolysis system. The compositions include a noble metal component selected from the group consisting of iridium oxide, ruthenium oxide, rhenium oxide and mixtures thereof, and a non-noble metal component selected from the group consisting of tantalum oxide, tin oxide, niobium oxide, titanium oxide, tungsten oxide, molybdenum oxide, yttrium oxide, scandium oxide, cooper oxide, zirconium oxide, nickel oxide and mixtures thereof. Further, the non-noble metal component can include a dopant. The dopant can be at least one element selected from Groups III, V, VI and VII of the Periodic Table. The compositions can be prepared using a surfactant approach or a sol gel approach. Further, the compositions are prepared using noble metal and non-noble metal precursors. Furthermore, a thin film containing the compositions can be deposited onto a substrate to form the anode electrode.

  11. 2nd Generation alkaline electrolysis. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yde, L. [Aarhus Univ. Business and Social Science - Centre for Energy Technologies (CET), Aarhus (Denmark); Kjartansdottir, C.K. [Technical Univ. of Denmark. DTU Mechanical Engineering, Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Allebrod, F. [Technical Univ. of Denmark. DTU Energy Conversion, DTU Risoe Campus, Roskilde (Denmark)] [and others

    2013-03-15

    The overall purpose of this project has been to contribute to this load management by developing a 2{sup nd} generation of alkaline electrolysis system characterized by being compact, reliable, inexpensive and energy efficient. The specific targets for the project have been to: 1) Increase cell efficiency to more than 88% (according to the higher heating value (HHV)) at a current density of 200 mA /cm{sup 2}; 2) Increase operation temperature to more than 100 degree Celsius to make the cooling energy more valuable; 3) Obtain an operation pressure more than 30 bar hereby minimizing the need for further compression of hydrogen for storage; 4) Improve stack architecture decreasing the price of the stack with at least 50%; 5) Develop a modular design making it easy to customize plants in the size from 20 to 200 kW; 6) Demonstrating a 20 kW 2{sup nd} generation stack in H2College at the campus of Arhus University in Herning. The project has included research and development on three different technology tracks of electrodes; an electrochemical plating, an atmospheric plasma spray (APS) and finally a high temperature and pressure (HTP) track with operating temperature around 250 deg. C and pressure around 40 bar. The results show that all three electrode tracks have reached high energy efficiencies. In the electrochemical plating track a stack efficiency of 86.5% at a current density of 177mA/cm{sup 2} and a temperature of 74.4 deg. C has been shown. The APS track showed cell efficiencies of 97%, however, coatings for the anode side still need to be developed. The HTP cell has reached 100 % electric efficiency operating at 1.5 V (the thermoneutral voltage) with a current density of 1. 1 A/cm{sup 2}. This track only tested small cells in an externally heated laboratory set-up, and thus the thermal loss to surroundings cannot be given. The goal set for the 2{sup nd} generation electrolyser system, has been to generate 30 bar pressure in the cell stack. An obstacle to be

  12. Mouse endometrial stromal cells produce basement-membrane components

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wewer, U M; Damjanov, A; Weiss, J

    1986-01-01

    During mouse pregnancy, uterine stromal cells transform into morphologically distinct decidual cells under the influence of the implanting embryo and a proper hormonal environment. Mechanical stimulation of hormonally primed uterine stromal cells leads to the same morphologic alterations. The dec......During mouse pregnancy, uterine stromal cells transform into morphologically distinct decidual cells under the influence of the implanting embryo and a proper hormonal environment. Mechanical stimulation of hormonally primed uterine stromal cells leads to the same morphologic alterations....... Mouse decidual cells isolated from 6- to 7-day pregnant uteri explanted in vitro continue to synthesize basement-membrane-like extracellular matrix. Using immunohistochemistry and metabolic labeling followed by immunoprecipitation, SDS-PAGE, and fluorography, it was shown that the decidual cells...... to undergo pseudodecidualization. We thus showed that stromal cells from pregnant and nonpregnant mouse uteri synthesize significant amounts of basement-membrane components in vitro, and hence could serve as a good model for the study of normal basement-membrane components....

  13. Proton hopping mechanism in solid polymer electrolysis demonstrated by tritium enrichment and electro-osmotic drag measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saito, Masaaki; Imaizumi, Hiroshi; Kato, Norio; Ishii, Yoshiyuki; Saito, Keiichi

    2010-01-01

    Anomalies in tritium enrichment cannot be explained only by isotopic effects in water electrolysis. The temperature dependence of the enrichment factor had been reported as increasing with 1/T. However, the increase was difficult to explain on the basis of kinetics. In this study, electro-osmotic drag (EOD, number of water molecule accompanied by a proton) and tritium enrichment ratio were investigated using light water (H 2 O) and heavy water (D 2 O) by solid polymer electrolysis. The EOD decreased and tritium enrichment ratio increased at low temperature for H 2 O. Electrolysis showed no temperature dependence for D 2 O. It was revealed that proton hopping by a hydrogen bond network of water molecules (the Grotthuss mechanism) affects the temperature dependence of EOD and tritium enrichment in the case of H 2 O. (author)

  14. Al-induced root cell wall chemical components differences of wheat ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Root growth is different in plants with different levels of Al-tolerance under Al stress. Cell wall chemical components of root tip cell are related to root growth. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between root growth difference and cell wall chemical components. For this purpose, the cell wall chemical ...

  15. Electro oxidation of Phenol on a Ti/RuO{sub 2} anode: effect of some electrolysis parameters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Santos, Iranildes D. dos; Dutra, Achilles J.B. [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (PEMM/COPPE/UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-Graduacao de Engenharia. Programa de Engenharia Metalurgica e de Materiais; Afonso, Julio C., E-mail: julio@iq.ufrj.b [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (IQ/UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Inst. de Quimica. Dept. de Quimica Analitica

    2011-07-01

    The influences of electrolysis time, anodic area, current density and supporting electrolyte on phenol and its byproducts degradation on a Ti/RuO{sub 2} anode were investigated. It was observed that phenol and its byproducts were rapidly broken down in the presence of chloride ions. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) data have shown that the presence of chloride ions lead to chlorophenols formation, due to reactions with Cl{sub 2} and/or OCl{sup -} generated during electrolysis. However, these intermediate products were also degraded later by the oxidizing agents. The standards established by the CONAMA (Brazilian National Council for the Environment) for phenols and chlorophenols in effluents were achieved after 360 min of electrolysis with a current density of 10 mA cm-2. Cyclic voltammograms obtained with the anodes before and after 436 h of electrolysis under severe salinity conditions (2 mol L-1) and current density (800 mA cm-2) showed that Ti/RuO{sub 2} did not lose its electrocatalytic properties. This fact indicates that Ti/RuO{sub 2} can be used for the treatment of effluents containing phenols in a chloride environment. (author)

  16. A study on the electrolysis of sulfur dioxide and water for the sulfur cycle hydrogen production process

    Science.gov (United States)

    1980-01-01

    Experimental electrolysis cells using various platinum catalyzed carbon electrodes were tested. When operated at 200 mA/sq cm current density using 50 w/o acid at 50 C and 1 atm, a reference cell required 1.22 volts and degraded rapidly. After several improvements were incorporated into electrodes and the test cell configuration, a later cell required only 0.77 volts under identical operating conditions. At a lower current density, 100 mA/sq cm, the cell required only 0.63 volts. Kinetic studies on metal electrodes, measurements of temperature effects on electrode kinetics, investigations of electrocatalytic activities of metal electrodes over a wide range of acid concentrations, cyclic voltametric studies and evaluation of alternate catalysts were also conducted. From diffusivity experiments, a cation exchange membrane material, P-4010, exhibited an excellent diffusion coefficient, more than two orders of magnitude lower than that of rubber. Ionic resistivity measurements of eight materials showed that microporous rubber had the lowest resistivity.

  17. Modeling and experimental performance of an intermediate temperature reversible solid oxide cell for high-efficiency, distributed-scale electrical energy storage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wendel, Christopher H.; Gao, Zhan; Barnett, Scott A.; Braun, Robert J.

    2015-06-01

    Electrical energy storage is expected to be a critical component of the future world energy system, performing load-leveling operations to enable increased penetration of renewable and distributed generation. Reversible solid oxide cells, operating sequentially between power-producing fuel cell mode and fuel-producing electrolysis mode, have the capability to provide highly efficient, scalable electricity storage. However, challenges ranging from cell performance and durability to system integration must be addressed before widespread adoption. One central challenge of the system design is establishing effective thermal management in the two distinct operating modes. This work leverages an operating strategy to use carbonaceous reactant species and operate at intermediate stack temperature (650 °C) to promote exothermic fuel-synthesis reactions that thermally self-sustain the electrolysis process. We present performance of a doped lanthanum-gallate (LSGM) electrolyte solid oxide cell that shows high efficiency in both operating modes at 650 °C. A physically based electrochemical model is calibrated to represent the cell performance and used to simulate roundtrip operation for conditions unique to these reversible systems. Design decisions related to system operation are evaluated using the cell model including current density, fuel and oxidant reactant compositions, and flow configuration. The analysis reveals tradeoffs between electrical efficiency, thermal management, energy density, and durability.

  18. Final Technical Report, Oct 2004 - Nov. 2006, High Performance Flexible Reversible Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guan, Jie; Minh, Nguyen

    2007-02-21

    This report summarizes the work performed for the program entitled “High Performance Flexible Reversible Solid Oxide Fuel Cell” under Cooperative Agreement DE-FC36-04GO14351 for the U. S. Department of Energy. The overall objective of this project is to demonstrate a single modular stack that generates electricity from a variety of fuels (hydrogen and other fuels such as biomass, distributed natural gas, etc.) and when operated in the reverse mode, produces hydrogen from steam. This project has evaluated and selected baseline cell materials, developed a set of materials for oxygen and hydrogen electrodes, and optimized electrode microstructures for reversible solid oxide fuel cells (RSOFCs); and demonstrated the feasibility and operation of a RSOFC multi-cell stack. A 10-cell reversible SOFC stack was operated over 1000 hours alternating between fuel cell (with hydrogen and methane as fuel) and steam electrolysis modes. The stack ran very successfully with high power density of 480 mW/cm2 at 0.7V and 80% fuel utilization in fuel cell mode and >6 SLPM hydrogen production in steam electrolysis mode using about 1.1 kW electrical power. The hydrogen generation is equivalent to a specific capability of 2.59 Nm3/m2 with electrical energy demand of 3 kWh/Nm3. The performance stability in electrolysis mode was improved vastly during the program with a degradation rate reduction from 8000 to 200 mohm-cm2/1000 hrs. This was accomplished by increasing the activity and improving microstructure of the oxygen electrode. Both cost estimate and technology assessment were conducted. Besides the flexibility running under both fuel cell mode and electrolysis mode, the reversible SOFC system has the potentials for low cost and high efficient hydrogen production through steam electrolysis. The cost for hydrogen production at large scale was estimated at ~$2.7/kg H2, comparing favorably with other electrolysis techology.

  19. Computer simulation of the NASA water vapor electrolysis reactor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bloom, A. M.

    1974-01-01

    The water vapor electrolysis (WVE) reactor is a spacecraft waste reclamation system for extended-mission manned spacecraft. The WVE reactor's raw material is water, its product oxygen. A computer simulation of the WVE operational processes provided the data required for an optimal design of the WVE unit. The simulation process was implemented with the aid of a FORTRAN IV routine.

  20. Porous poly(perfluorosulfonic acid) membranes for alkaline water electrolysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aili, David; Hansen, Martin Kalmar; Andreasen, Jens Wenzel

    2015-01-01

    Poly(perfluorosulfonic acid) (PFSA) is one of a few polymer types that combine excellent alkali resistance with extreme hydrophilicity. It is therefore of interest as a base material in separators for alkaline water electrolyzers. In the pristine form it, however, shows high cation selectivity. T...... for the unmodified membrane. The technological feasibility was demonstrated by testing the membranes in an alkaline water electrolysis cell with encouraging performance.......Poly(perfluorosulfonic acid) (PFSA) is one of a few polymer types that combine excellent alkali resistance with extreme hydrophilicity. It is therefore of interest as a base material in separators for alkaline water electrolyzers. In the pristine form it, however, shows high cation selectivity...... and washed out and the obtained porous materials allowed for swelling to reach water contents up to λ=85 [H2O] [−SO3K]−1. After equilibration in 22 wt% aqueous KOH, ion conductivity of 0.2 S cm−1 was recorded for this membrane type at room temperature, which is significantly higher than 0.01 S cm−1...

  1. Comparison of microbial electrolysis cells operated with added voltage or by setting the anode potential

    KAUST Repository

    Nam, Joo-Youn

    2011-08-01

    Hydrogen production in a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) can be achieved by either setting the anode potential with a potentiostat, or by adding voltage to the circuit with a power source. In batch tests the largest total gas production (46 ± 3 mL), lowest energy input (2.3 ± 0.3 kWh/m 3 of H2 generated), and best overall energy recovery (E+S = 58 ± 6%) was achieved at a set anode potential of EAn = -0.2 V (vs Ag/AgCl), compared to set potentials of -0.4 V, 0 V and 0.2 V, or an added voltage of Eap = 0.6 V. Gas production was 1.4 times higher with EAn = -0.2 V than with Eap = 0.6 V. Methane production was also reduced at set anode potentials of -0.2 V and higher than the other operating conditions. Continuous flow operation of the MECs at the optimum condition of EAn = -0.2 V initially maintained stable hydrogen gas production, with 68% H2 and 21% CH4, but after 39 days the gas composition shifted to 55% H2 and 34% CH 4. Methane production was not primarily anode-associated, as methane was reduced to low levels by placing the anode into a new MEC housing. These results suggest that MEC performance can be optimized in terms of hydrogen production rates and gas composition by setting an anode potential of -0.2 V, but that methanogen proliferation must be better controlled on non-anodic surfaces. © 2011, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Glycoprotein component of plant cell walls

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooper, J.B.; Chen, J.A.; Varner, J.E.

    1984-01-01

    The primary wall surrounding most dicotyledonous plant cells contains a hydroxyproline-rich glycoprotein (HRGP) component named extensin. A small group of glycopeptides solubilized from isolated cell walls by proteolysis contained a repeated pentapeptide glycosylated by tri- and tetraarabinosides linked to hydroxyproline and, by galactose, linked to serine. Recently, two complementary approaches to this problem have provided results which greatly increase the understanding of wall extensin. In this paper the authors describe what is known about the structure of soluble extensin secreted into the walls of the carrot root cells

  3. Effect of electrolysis condition of zinc powder production on zinc-silver oxide battery operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mojtahedi, M.; Goodarzi, M.; Sharifi, B.; Vahdati Khaki, J.

    2011-01-01

    A research conducted to produce zinc powder through electrolysis of alkaline solutions by using various concentrations of KOH and zincate in the bath. Different current densities were applied for each concentration and then, morphological changes of Zn powder batches were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Afterward, an anode electrode was produced from each pack of powder. Thirty-six Zn-AgO battery cells were prepared totally. Discharge parameters of the cells were examined and time-voltage curves were analyzed. Discharge times were investigated for various conditions of Zn deposition and the proper terms were suggested. It has been seen that increase of KOH concentration and decrease of zincate ion in the bath solution will change the zinc morphology and increase the resultant battery discharge time. The longest time of discharge, before reduction of cell voltage to 1.25 V, was 7.91 min. This result was obtained for Zn powder produced in zincate concentration of 0.5 M, KOH concentration of 11 M and current density of 2500 A/m 2 .

  4. Vapor pressure and specific electrical conductivity in the solid and molten H2O-CsH2PO4-CsPO3 system—a novel electrolyte for water electrolysis at ~ 225–400 °C

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nikiforov, Aleksey Valerievich; Berg, Rolf W.; Bjerrum, Niels J.

    2018-01-01

    Cesium dihydrogen phosphate, CsH2PO4 (CDP) was studied for water electrolysis at ~ 225–400 °C. In the presence of sufficient humidity, CDP is structurally disordered and super-protonic conducting with conductivities reaching 0.2–0.25 S cm−1, when determined in suitable H-shaped sealed conductivity...... on internal reference gases. Pressures up to ~ 49 bar were estimated, much higher than previously expected. Conductivities were given as polynomials and plotted in solid and liquid states. Water splitting electrolysis 2H2O → 2H2 + O2 was demonstrated by Raman at ~ 355 °C under a water pressure of ~ 23 bar...... in a quartz cell with platinum electrodes, showing molten CDP to have significant potential for water electrolysis....

  5. Ultrasound-Guided Application of Percutaneous Electrolysis as an Adjunct to Exercise and Manual Therapy for Subacromial Pain Syndrome: a Randomized Clinical Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de-Miguel-Valtierra, Lorena; Salom-Moreno, Jaime; Fernández-de-Las-Peñas, César; Cleland, Joshua A; Arias-Buría, José L

    2018-05-16

    This randomized clinical trial compared the effects of adding US-guided percutaneous electrolysis into a program consisting of manual therapy and exercise on pain, related-disability, function and pressure sensitivity in subacromial pain syndrome. Fifty patients with subacromial pain syndrome were randomized into manual therapy and exercise or percutaneous electrolysis group. All patients received the same manual therapy and exercise program, one session per week for 5 consecutive weeks. Patients assigned to the electrolysis group also received the application of percutaneous electrolysis at each session. The primary outcome was Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH). Secondary outcomes included pain, function (Shoulder Pain and Disability Index-SPADI) pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) and Global Rating of Change (GROC). They were assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and 3, and 6 months after treatment. Both groups showed similar improvements in the primary outcome (DASH) at all follow-ups (P=0.051). Subjects receiving manual therapy, exercise, and percutaneous electrolysis showed significantly greater changes in shoulder pain (P0.91) for shoulder pain and function at 3 and 6 months in favour of the percutaneous electrolysis group. No between-groups differences in PPT were found. The current clinical trial found that the inclusion of US-guided percutaneous electrolysis in combination with manual therapy and exercise resulted in no significant differences for related-disability (DASH) than the application of manual therapy and exercise alone in patients with subacromial pain syndrome. Nevertheless, differences were reported for some secondary outcomes such as shoulder pain and function (SPADI). Whether or not these effects are reliable should be addressed in future studies Perspective This study found that the inclusion of US-guided percutaneous electrolysis into a manual therapy and exercise program resulted in no significant differences for disability

  6. Fusion reactors for hydrogen production via electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fillo, J.A.; Powell, J.R.; Steinberg, M.

    1979-01-01

    The decreasing availability of fossil fuels emphasizes the need to develop systems which will produce synthetic fuel to substitute for and supplement the natural supply. An important first step in the synthesis of liquid and gaseous fuels is the production of hydrogen. Thermonuclear fusion offers an inexhaustible source of energy for the production of hydrogen from water. Depending on design, electric generation efficiencies of approx. 40 to 60% and hydrogen production efficiencies by high temperature electrolysis of approx. 50 to 70% are projected for fusion reactors using high temperature blankets

  7. A study on the separation of Neodymium and zirconium from impure uranium by fused-salt electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Won Joon; Lee, Seong Ho; Lee, Jae Heon; Lee, Eung Cho

    1997-01-01

    A study on the electrorefining of an impure uranium containing zirconium and neodymium at 500 deg C by KCl-LiCl fused salt electrolysis was performed. The reduction potentials of uranium and neodymium were 0.12V and 0.64V (vs. Ag/AgCl electrode), respectively. When a 1wt% Nd of uranium was added as an impurity, 0.001wt% Nd was deposited onto the cathode below 0.5V after electrolysis. When a 10.5wt% Zr of uranium was added to liquid cadmium anode as an impurity, zirconium was evaporated as ZrCl 4 at 500 deg C during electrolysis, and consequently uranium was deposited onto the cathode as a purity of 99.98wt% U. The morphology of purified uranium was appeared as dendritic structure. The activity coefficient of metallic neodymium for the displacement reaction of UCl 3 + Nd (cd) = NdCl 3 + U ( -c d) was calculated to be 3.67 x 10 -10 at 500 deg C. (author)

  8. Wind power generation plant installed on cargo ship and marine resources recovery by seawater electrolysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Murahara, M. [Tokyo Inst. of Technology, Tokyo (Japan)]|[Tokai Univ., Hiratsuka, Kanagawa (Japan); Seki, K. [Mingdao Univ., Taiwan (China)]|[Tokai Univ., Hiratsuka, Kanagawa (Japan). Research Inst. of Science and Technology

    2008-07-01

    Transmission loss from offshore wind turbine arrays is directly proportional to the length of the cable that brings power onshore. In order to minimize transmission loss, wind-generated electricity needs to be stored temporarily in a different form. Seawater, rock salt, and water of saline lakes can be desalinated and then electrolyzed to produce hydrogen. This paper presented a new method of offshore sodium production in Japan by seawater electrolysis. In this technique, sodium is manufactured on site by molten-salt electrolysis as a solid fuel. Sodium is electrolytically collected from the seawater or rock salt by the wind power generation. The sodium is then transported to a hydrogen power plant on land and then is added water to generate hydrogen for operating a hydrogen combustion turbine. The sodium hydroxide by-product is then supplied to the soda industry as a raw material. In seawater electrolysis, not only sodium but also fresh water, magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium hydroxide, chlorine, oxygen, hydrogen, hydrochloric acid, and sulfuric acid are isolated and recovered as by-products. 5 refs., 6 figs.

  9. The analysis of energy efficiency in water electrolysis under high temperature and high pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hourng, L. W.; Tsai, T. T.; Lin, M. Y.

    2017-11-01

    This paper aims to analyze the energy efficiency of water electrolysis under high pressure and high temperature conditions. The effects of temperature and pressure on four different kinds of reaction mechanisms, namely, reversible voltage, activation polarization, ohmic polarization, and concentration polarization, are investigated in details. Results show that the ohmic and concentration over-potentials are increased as temperature is increased, however, the reversible and activation over-potentials are decreased as temperature is increased. Therefore, the net efficiency is enhanced as temperature is increased. The efficiency of water electrolysis at 350°C/100 bars is increased about 17%, compared with that at 80°C/1bar.

  10. Set anode potentials affect the electron fluxes and microbial community structure in propionate-fed microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Rao, Hari Ananda

    2016-12-09

    Anode potential has been shown to be a critical factor in the rate of acetate removal in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), but studies with fermentable substrates and set potentials are lacking. Here, we examined the impact of three different set anode potentials (SAPs; −0.25, 0, and 0.25 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode) on the electrochemical performance, electron flux to various sinks, and anodic microbial community structure in two-chambered MECs fed with propionate. Electrical current (49–71%) and CH4 (22.9–41%) were the largest electron sinks regardless of the potentials tested. Among the three SAPs tested, 0 V showed the highest electron flux to electrical current (71 ± 5%) and the lowest flux to CH4 (22.9 ± 1.2%). In contrast, the SAP of −0.25 V had the lowest electron flux to current (49 ± 6%) and the highest flux to CH4 (41.1 ± 2%). The most dominant genera detected on the anode of all three SAPs based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing were Geobacter, Smithella and Syntrophobacter, but their relative abundance varied among the tested SAPs. Microbial community analysis implies that complete degradation of propionate in all the tested SAPs was facilitated by syntrophic interactions between fermenters and Geobacter at the anode and ferementers and hydrogenotrophic methanogens in suspension.

  11. Enhanced treatment of Fischer-Tropsch wastewater using up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket system coupled with micro-electrolysis cell: A pilot scale study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Dexin; Han, Yuxing; Han, Hongjun; Li, Kun; Xu, Chunyan

    2017-08-01

    The coupling of micro-electrolysis cell (MEC) with an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) system in pilot scale was established for enhanced treatment of Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) wastewater. The lowest influent pH (4.99±0.10) and reduced alkali addition were accomplished under the assistance of anaerobic effluent recycling of 200% (stage 5). Simultaneously, the optimum COD removal efficiency (93.5±1.6%) and methane production (2.01±0.13m 3 /m 3 ·d) at the lower hydraulic retention time (HRT) were achieved in this stage. In addition, the dissolved iron from MEC could significantly increase the protein content of tightly bound extracellular polymeric substances (TB-EPS), which was beneficial to formation of stable granules. Furthermore, the high-throughput 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing in this study further confirmed that Geobacter species could utilize iron oxides particles as electron conduit to perform the direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) with Methanothrix, finally facilitating the syntrophic degradation of propionic acid and butyric acid and contributing completely methane production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Effect of water electrolysis temperature of hydrogen production system using direct coupling photovoltaic and water electrolyzer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tetsuhiko Maeda

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available We propose control methods of a photovoltaic (PV-water electrolyzer (ELY system that generates hydrogen by controlling the number of ELY cells. The advantage of this direct coupling between PV and ELY is that the power loss of DC/DC converter is avoided. In this study, a total of 15 ELY cells are used. In the previous researches, the electrolyzer temperature was constantly controlled with a thermostat. Actually, the electrolyzer temperature is decided by the balance of the electrolysis loss and the heat loss to the outside. Here, the method to control the number of ELY cells was investigated. Maximum Power Point Tracking efficiency of more than 96% was achieved without ELY temperature control. Furthermore we construct a numerical model taking into account of ELY temperature. Using this model, we performed a numerical simulation of 1-year. Experimental data and the simulation results shows the validity of the proposed control method.

  13. Fuel-cell-system and its components for mobile application

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Venturi, Massimo [NuCellSys GmbH, Kirchheim/Teck-Nabern (Germany)

    2013-06-01

    In the past years the development of fuel cell systems for mobile applications has made significant progress in power density, performance and robustness. For a successful market introduction the cost of the fuel system powertrain needs to be competitive to diesel hybrid engine. The current development activities are therefore focusing on cost reduction. There are 3 major areas for cost reduction: functional integration, materials and design, supplier competitiveness and volume. Today unique fuel cell system components are developed by single suppliers, which lead to a monopoly. In the future the components will be developed at multiple suppliers to achieve a competitor situation, which will further reduce the component cost. Using all these cost reduction measures the fuel cell system will become a competitive alternative drive train. (orig.)

  14. Electrode materials for hydrobromic acid electrolysis in Texas Instruments' solar chemical converter

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Luttmer, J.D.; Konrad, D.; Trachtenberg, I.

    1985-05-01

    Texas Instruments has developed a solar chemical converter (SCC) which converts solar energy into chemical energy via the electrolysis of hydrobromic acid. Various materials were evaluated as anodes and cathodes for the electrolysis of the acid. Emphasis was placed on obtaining low overvoltage electrodes with good long-term stability. Sputtered platinum-iridium thin films were identified as the best choice as the cathode material, and sputtered iridium and iridium oxide thin films were identified as the best choice as anode materials. Electrochemical measurements indicate that low overvoltage losses are encountered on these materials at operating current densitities in the SCC. Accelerated corrosion tests of the materials predict acceptable electrode stability for 20 years in an environment representative of onthe-roof service.

  15. Hydrogen production from electrolysis in LHD-type helical reactor FFHR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamada, S.; Sagara, A.; Imagawa, S.; Mito, T.; Motojima, O.

    2007-01-01

    The LHD-type helical power reactor, FFHR, is proposed by the National Institute for Fusion Science on the basis of the engineering achievements and confinement properties of the LHD. The output of the thermal power and electric power of the FFHR2m2 are optimized to 3 GW and 1 GW, respectively. To assess the technical potential of the FFHR2m2 operation style, hydrogen production from electrolysis is investigated in this report. Gaseous hydrogen of 700 tons per day can be produced by the electric power of 1 GW. The steam of 6,354 tons per day at 150 degree C is necessary in this case. Required heating power to produce the stem from the water at 20 degree C is 198 MW. In FFHR2m2, about 450 MW of thermal power is delivered via the scrape-off layer plasma to the divertors with double-null structure. The divertor may be one of the potential heat sources to produce the steam for the electrolysis. Hydrogen has to be packaged by compression or liquefaction, transported by trailer or pipeline, stored, and transferred to the end users. The four different styles of plant outputs were estimated: (A) 1 GW of power generation, (B) pressurized hydrogen gas of 625 tons per day, (C) liquid hydrogen of 574 tons per day, and (D) 0.824 GW of electricity plus 100 tons per day of liquid hydrogen. Case (A) is suitable for a largely constant level of power demand as well as a nuclear fission power plant. Case (B) and case (C) are dedicated hydrogen production and these cases are desirable as the infrastructure for the future fuel cell society. Case (D) has the flexibility in plant operation. Electrical power to the grid can be modulated if the excess electricity were used for the hydrogen production, at the constant power generation. This fraction rate of case (D) is appropriate for the levelization between on-peak and off-peak demand. Energy conversion efficiencies of these four cases are also discussed in this paper. (authors)

  16. 31. Introduction with adjacent production of foundry and rolling department of electrolysis shop

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ivanov, A.V.

    1993-01-01

    The introduction with adjacent production of foundry and rolling department of electrolysis shop was conducted. The foundry machine was described. The chemical properties of aluminium for ferrous alloy production were defined.

  17. Clinical estimation of sup(99m)Tc-labeled compounds produced by electrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watanabe, Katsuji; Kawahira, Kenjiro; Kamoi, Itsuma; Morita, Kazunori

    1974-01-01

    Scintigrams were made using sup(99m)Tc-Sn-colloid, sup(99m)Tc-pyrophosphate, sup(99m)Tc-EDTA and sup(99m)Tc-albumin prepared by electrolysis, and a clinical evaluation was attempted. No side effects were recognized in 228 cases, therefore the object of this study could be attained. Future study was thought to be necessary because the pictures were somewhat indistinct. However, each sup(99m)Tc-labeled compound could be prepared very easily and was extremely convenient for daily use. sup(99m)Tc- is a nuclide which has many advantages for use with scintigrams. More useful sup(99m)Tc-labeled compounds will be explored in the future and is expected that electrolysis has many possibilities for use in the preparation of sup(99m)Tc-labeled compounds. (Tsunoda, M.)

  18. Electrochemistry and dye-sensitized solar cells

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kavan, Ladislav

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 2, č. 1 (2017), s. 88-98 ISSN 2451-9103 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-07724S Institutional support: RVO:61388955 Keywords : electrochemistry * dye-sensitized cells * photoelectrode Subject RIV: CG - Electrochemistry OBOR OECD: Electrochemistry (dry cells, batteries, fuel cells, corrosion metals, electrolysis)

  19. Hydrogen-bromine fuel cell advance component development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charleston, Joann; Reed, James

    1988-01-01

    Advanced cell component development is performed by NASA Lewis to achieve improved performance and longer life for the hydrogen-bromine fuel cells system. The state-of-the-art hydrogen-bromine system utilizes the solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) technology, similar to the SPE technology developed for the hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell system. These studies are directed at exploring the potential for this system by assessing and evaluating various types of materials for cell parts and electrode materials for Bromine-hydrogen bromine environment and fabricating experimental membrane/electrode-catalysts by chemical deposition.

  20. The TMI Regenerative Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cable, Thomas L.; Ruhl, Robert C.; Petrik, Michael

    1996-01-01

    Energy storage and production in space requires rugged, reliable hardware which minimizes weight, volume, and maintenance while maximizing power output and usable energy storage. Systems generally consist of photovoltaic solar arrays which operate (during sunlight cycles) to provide system power and regenerate fuel (hydrogen) via water electrolysis and (during dark cycles) fuel cells convert hydrogen into electricity. Common configurations use two separate systems (fuel cell and electrolyzer) in conjunction with photovoltaic cells. Reliability, power to weight and power to volume ratios could be greatly improved if both power production (fuel cells) and power storage (electrolysis) functions can be integrated into a single unit. The solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) based design integrates fuel cell and electrolyzer functions and potentially simplifies system requirements. The integrated fuel cell/electrolyzer design also utilizes innovative gas storage concepts and operates like a rechargeable 'hydrogen-oxygen battery'. Preliminary research has been completed on improved H2/H20 electrode (SOFC anode/electrolyzer cathode) materials for regenerative fuel cells. Tests have shown improved cell performance in both fuel and electrolysis modes in reversible fuel cell tests. Regenerative fuel cell efficiencies, ratio of power out (fuel cell mode) to power in (electrolyzer mode), improved from 50 percent using conventional electrode materials to over 80 percent. The new materials will allow a single SOFC system to operate as both the electolyzer and fuel cell. Preliminary system designs have also been developed to show the technical feasibility of using the design for space applications requiring high energy storage efficiencies and high specific energy. Small space systems also have potential for dual-use, terrestrial applications.