Innovative Approaches in Designing Anode Flow Channels for PEM Electrolytic Cells
Key Ideas
  • China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is spearheading green hydrogen production through wind-solar projects, aiming for a scale of 680,000 tons per year.
  • PEM Electrolytic Cells (PEMECs) offer advantages such as high operating current density, compact design, and effective power fluctuation suppression for green hydrogen production.
  • Researchers are developing innovative anode flow channel designs for PEMECs to improve water management, heat transfer, and overall performance, drawing inspiration from bionic structures and topology optimization.
  • Topology optimization techniques are applied to enhance heat and mass transfer efficiency in PEM fuel cells (PEMFCs), resulting in significant improvements in oxygen concentration, temperature reduction, and cooling efficiency.
China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has approved 33 integrated wind-solar hydrogen production projects to scale up green hydrogen production, leveraging its abundant wind and solar resources. Among electrolyzer technologies, Alkaline Electrolytic Cells (ALK) are currently the most mature but have limitations in energy consumption and efficiency. The Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolytic Cell (PEMEC) is highlighted for its advantages in green hydrogen production due to its high current density and compact design. However, PEMECs face challenges in acidic environments and material stability. Researchers are focusing on optimizing the anode flow channels in PEMECs to improve performance. Various innovative designs, inspired by bionic structures and topology optimization, aim to enhance water management, heat transfer, and efficiency. Topology optimization has shown promising results in PEM fuel cells (PEMFCs) by optimizing oxygen concentration, reducing temperatures, and improving cooling efficiency. This dual-objective optimization approach in anode flow channel design for PEMECs presents a significant advancement in improving efficiency and reducing power consumption.
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