RT Journal Article
T1 An Optimized Balance of Plant for a Medium-Size PEM Electrolyzer: Design, Control and Physical Implementation
A1 Caparrós Mancera, Julio José
A1 Segura Manzano, Francisca
A1 Andújar Márquez, José Manuel
A1 Vivas Fernández, Francisco José
A1 Calderón, Antonio José
AB The progressive increase in hydrogen technologies’ role in transport, mobility,electrical microgrids, and even in residential applications, as well as in other sectors is expected.However, to achieve it, it is necessary to focus efforts on improving features of hydrogen-based systems,such as efficiency, start-up time, lifespan, and operating power range, among others. A key sector inthe development of hydrogen technology is its production, renewable if possible, with the objectiveto obtain increasingly efficient, lightweight, and durable electrolyzers. For this, scientific works arecurrently being produced on stacks technology improvement (mainly based on two technologies:polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) and alkaline) and on the balance of plant (BoP) or the industrialplant (its size depends on the power of the electrolyzer) that runs the stack for its best performance.PEM technology offers distinct advantages, apart from the high cost of its components, its durabilitythat is not yet guaranteed and the availability in the MW range. Therefore, there is an open field ofresearch for achievements in this technology. The two elements to improve are the stacks and BoP,also bearing in mind that improving BoP will positively affect the stack operation. This paperdevelops the design, implementation, and practical experimentation of a BoP for a medium-size PEMelectrolyzer. It is based on the realization of the optimal design of the BoP, paying special attentionto the subsystems that comprise it: the power supply subsystem, water management subsystem,hydrogen production subsystem, cooling subsystem, and control subsystem. Based on this, a controllogic has been developed that guarantees efficient and safe operation. Experimental results validate thedesigned control logic in various operating cases, including warning and failure cases. Additionally,the experimental results show the correct operation in the different states of the plant, analyzingthe evolution of the hydrogen flow pressure and temperature. The capacity of the developed PEMelectrolysis plant is probed regarding its production rate, wide operating power range, reducedpressurization time, and high efficiency.
PB MDPI
SN 2079-9292
YR 2020
FD 2020-05
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10272/18182
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10272/18182
LA eng
NO Caparrós Mancera, J. J., Segura Manzano, F., Andújar Márquez, J. M., Vivas  Fernández , F. J.,  Calderón, A. J. (2020). An Optimized Balance of Plant for a Medium-Size PEM Electrolyzer: Design, Control and Physical Implementation. Electronics, 9(5), 871. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics9050871
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
RD 31 may 2026