Global Hydrogen Production
Despite hydrogen having an elevated gravimetric energy density (140 MJ/kg), how long will it take for Electrolysis to compete with natural-gas, oil and coal; given the fact that Electrolysis currently produces just 20 billion cubic meters per annum (4% share), while, coal produces 90 billion cubic meters per annum (18% share); oil produces 150 billion cubic meters per annum (30% share); and natural gas produces 240 billion cubic meters per annum (48% share)?
Although water electrolysis could generate high purity hydrogen in combination with renewable energy, how about the water requirement associated with this approach, which remains to be the main input to the electrolyzer to produce hydrogen?
If the industrial cell voltage requires to be applied @ 2 – 2.5 V (resulting from the greater over-potential and ohmic over-potential losses) as against the theoretical decomposition cell voltage of 1.23 V (for water), are we still ready to afford an energy consumption of 5 kWh per cubic meter of energy consumption by water electrolysis to produce hydrogen?
Why should we spend an additional 50 MJ of electricity for water electrolysis?
Do we have enough source of Fresh Water, in the absence of requiring multiple filtration steps, particularly, in developing countries?
For a large scale production, would it remain feasible to minimize the energy losses associated with the water decomposition chemical reactions; and that resulting from electrons transfer to and from the electrodes?
Have we really achieved an elevated cell efficiency with PEM water electrolysis?
Whether OER electrocatalysts will be able to improve the activity of PEM Electrolyzer?
In developing countries, whether, the fluctuation of input power to the electrolyzers will still reduce the performance of the electrolyzer?
In turn, in case, if we end up with multiple start-up and shutdown operations, then, won’t the catalysts get degraded quickly?
In turn, in case, if we increase the thickness of the membrane, then, won’t it elevate the membrane transport resistance?
Carbon-based electrode materials are not supposed to be used. If so, then, acquiring platinum, iridium or Ruthenium would remain to be feasible to improve the material quality of electrodes?
During a large-scale production, to what extent, will we be able to enhance the ability of an electrolyte to conduct ions, which will facilitate a faster ion transport in the electrolyte solution?
Whether the decrease in internal resistance of electrolyzer cells in such cases would remain to be significant?
Suresh Kumar Govindarajan
https://home.iitm.ac.in/gskumar/
https://iitm.irins.org/profile/61643
https://www.linkedin.com/in/suresh-kumar-govindarajan-97738118/
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