Experimental Testing of PEM Electrolyzer Degradation
Author
Bermudez Blanco, Javier
Term
3. term
Education
Publication year
2025
Submitted on
2025-12-16
Pages
57
Abstract
Green hydrogen plays an important role in the technological development of sustainable energy. PEM electrolyzers are one of the most promising technologies to produce green hydrogen. However, more research is needed to develop this technology. One of the biggest concerns about the PEM electrolyzers is its degradation over time. Therefore, this project investigates degradation mechanisms under laboratory conditions. Experimental cells were manually assembled and subjected to long term testing using the Greenlight Innovation test station. Unfortunately, an internal electrical short circuit was present throughout all the experiment, which negatively impacted the data obtained. It was identified and fixed at the end of the experiment The study characterized reversible and irreversible degradation mechanisms. The electrolyzer reached a performance peak at 264 hours of operation, after which an efficiency decrease due to degradation was observed. The irreversible degradation was linked to chemical ionomer degradation, PTL passivation, catalyst dissolution, and carbon corrosion. The performance increase at higher temperatures and the independency of water flow rate and pressure variations was proven. Reversible losses, primarily caused by bubble accumulation, were consistently observed and recovered through shutdown. A stress test on carbon-based Porous Transport Layers (PTL) confirmed their incompatibility with the Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER).
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