Manufacturing Competitiveness Analysis For PEM and Alkaline Water Electrolysis Systems
Manufacturing Competitiveness Analysis For PEM and Alkaline Water Electrolysis Systems
Manufacturing Competitiveness Analysis For PEM and Alkaline Water Electrolysis Systems
I. Introduction
II. PEM Electrolyzer - Functional Specs & System Design
III. Alkaline - Functional Specs & System Design
IV. Cost Analysis for PEM and Alkaline Electrolyzer
V. Concluding Remarks
Operating Temperature 60 – 80 50 – 84 °C
Electricity Consumption 50 – 73 47 – 73 kWh/kg-H2 Electrolysis system only. Excluding
storage, compression and
(Median) (53) (52) dispensing
Back Pressure
Regulator
Transformer Rectifier
City
Water H2
Combustible Demister
Gas Detector
Water
Cleaner H2 Low
Pressure
H2 O Storage
Water/H2
Separator
O2 Electrolyzer
Stack Dryer
Demister
Heat Controllable
Pump Exchanger Valve
Oxygen/ GDL = Porous Transport Layer
DI
Water Water
Phase
Separator
Hot Water
Back Pressure
Regulator
Transformer Rectifier
City
Water H2
Combustible Demister
Gas Detector
Water
Cleaner H2 + H2O
+ KOH H2 O
Flow Direction +
Flow KOH Phase
O2 + H2O + KOH Direction
Separator
O2
Dryer
Demister
H2O + KOH
Flow Direction
CEMAC – Clean Energy Manufacturing Analysis Center 10
Alkaline Electrolyzer - Functional Specs
System rated power 10 20 50 100 200 500 1,000 2,000 5,000 10,000 kW
Electrolyte H2O+ 30% KOH H2O+ 30% KOH
Single cell amps 150 150 150 150 150 150 300 300 300 300 A
Current density 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 A/cm2
Reference voltage 1.68 1.68 1.68 1.68 1.68 1.68 1.68 1.68 1.68 1.68 V
Area Doubled
Power density 0.336 0.336 0.336 0.336 0.336 0.336 0.336 0.336 0.336 0.336 W/cm2
Single cell power 252.0 252.0 252.0 252.0 252.0 252.0 504.0 504.0 504.0 504.0 W
Cells per system 40 80 199 397 794 1,985 1,985 3,969 9,921 19,842 cells
Stacks per system 1 1 2 2 4 10 10 20 50 100 stacks
cells per stack 40 80 100 199 199 199 199 199 199 199 cells
Final Plate
Electrode Leaching
Leaching
Assembly 10% NaOH 10% NaOH
Membrane
4 hr 20 hr
@100°C @RT
Preliminary
Mark Ruth
Mark.Ruth@nrel.gov
Ahmad Mayyas
Ahmad.Mayyas@nrel.gov
This work was authored by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, operated by Alliance for Sustainable
Energy, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308. Funding
provided by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fuel Cell
Technologies Office. The views expressed in the article do not necessarily represent the views of the DOE or
the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication,
acknowledges that the U.S. Government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to
publish or reproduce the published form of this work, or allow others to do so, for U.S. Government purposes.
Rated stack Consumption 7.20 14.40 14.00 28.00 40.00 45.00 160.00 250.00 1250.00 kW
Startup time: millisecond scale < 10 sec Sec
Hydrogen purity (dep. on
operating point): 99.9995% 99.9995% 99.9995% 99.9995% 99.3-99.8% 99.5% – 99.9%
System Effciency 6.70 6.70 7.30 7.00 6.80 7.50 6.25 5.56 kWh/Nm3
Net Prodution Rate 1 2 2 4 6 6 30.59 40 225 Nm3/h
Net Prodution Rate
(scfh) 38 76 76 152 228 228 1162 152 8,550 scfh
Net Prodution Rate
(kg/day) 2.16 4.32 4.31 8.63 12.94 12.95 66.00 86.30 485.46 kg/day
kW per kg/day ratio 3.34 3.34 3.25 3.24 3.09 3.48 2.42 2.90 2.57 kW per kg/day
0 to 100% net 0 to 100% net 0 to 100% net
product delivery product delivery product delivery
System Turndown Ratio 0 to 100% (Automatic) (Automatic) (Automatic) 10:1 10-100% %
Output pressure Up to 7.9 Up to 7.9 15 0-40 bar up to 12 bar Up to 35 bar
Potable main
Feed Water water supply Deionized water
Fresh water demand: 1 1 1.83 3.66 5.5 54 3.4 ltr/hr 1.5 ltr / Nm³ H2
Inlet water pressure 0.7-6.9 0.7-6.9 1.5 to 4 1.5 to 4 1.5 to 4 1 to 10 barg
Relative Humidity 0 to 90% 0 to 90% 0 to 90% 0 to 90% %
208/120,3 phase,4 wire+gnd,50/60
Hz 200-260,1 phase,2 wire+gnd, 380 to 480 VAC, 3 380 to 480 VAC, 3 380 to 480 VAC, 3 420-480 VAC, 3
50/60 Hz Direct connection to DC phase, 50 or 60 Hz phase, 50 or 60 Hz phase, 50 or 60 Hz phase, 60 Hz, 112
Power Supply possible upon request. FLA 400VAC 50Hz
Liquid cooled 16.1 Liquid cooled 23.7
Cooling strategy Air Cooled Air Cooled Liquid cooled 8.1 kW kW kW Air or Liquid Air Cooled
Operating Temperature 5 to 40 5 to 40 5 to 60 5 to 60 5 to 60 -23 to 46 5 to 35 °C
Hydrogen quality 5.0: Optional DeOxo dryer
Hydrogen production
under nominal load:
Life cycle design: > 80,000 h
CE Mark with
CE Approved PED and ASME Yes Yes
Circular cells
Other Specs Other Specs with 300 cm2
1.30 X 1.00 X 180 cm x 81 cm x 180 cm x 81 cm x 180 cm x 81 cm x
Dimensions 0.75 X 0.66 X 1.17 1.25 191 cm 191 cm 191 cm 2.18 X0.84 X1.91 0.85 X 1.05 X 1.65 6.3 X 3.10 X 3.00 mXmXm
Weight 250 275 682 858 908 900 260 17000 kg
Anode
Anode Plate
Cathode Layer
Porous Ti GDL Nafion Membrane
Anode Layer
Total $3,225 $5,305 $22,958 $27,556 $44,225 $132,225 $198,225 $335,725 $734,475 $1,405,475
Deionized Water
Quote
Circulation Oxygen Separator Tank $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $20,000 $20,000 $40,000 $80,000 $160,000 $320,000
Circulation Pump Quote $409 $647 $1,538 $3,349 $7,053 $10,000 $10,962 $20,000 $40,000 $80,000
Quote
Polishing Pump $1,619 $2,071 $2,071 $2,289 $2,289 $2,500 $5,000 $10,000 $20,000 $40,000
Piping 0.30 $3,807 $4,687 $6,170 $7,597 $10,000 $12,311 $15,157 $18,661 $24,565 $30,243
Valves, Instrumentation 0.30 $2,855 $3,516 $4,628 $5,697 $7,500 $9,234 $11,368 $13,995 $18,423 $22,682
Pressure, temperature, conductivity, flowmeter
Class I, Div 2, Group B rating drives up prices
Controls 0.60 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $3,031 $4,595 $6,964 $12,068 $18,292
Total $20,691 $22,921 $26,407 $30,932 $48,842 $57,076 $87,082 $149,621 $275,056 $511,217
Hydrogen Processing Dryer Bed $6,366 $6,366 $13,860 $13,860 $13,860 $25,000 $36,589 $73,178 $146,356 $292,712
Hydrogen Separator 0.70 $1,051 $1,707 $3,241 $5,266 $10,000 $16,245 $26,390 $42,871 $81,418 $132,264
Tubing 0.30 $1,904 $2,344 $3,085 $3,798 $5,000 $6,156 $7,579 $9,330 $12,282 $15,121
Valves, Instrumentation 0.30 $1,904 $2,344 $3,085 $3,798 $5,000 $6,156 $7,579 $9,330 $12,282 $15,121
Pressure, temperature, conductivity, flowmeter
Class I, Div 2, Group B rating drives up prices
Controls 0.60 $362 $549 $952 $1,443 $2,500 $3,789 $5,743 $8,706 $15,085 $22,865
Total $11,586 $13,309 $24,223 $28,165 $36,360 $57,346 $83,880 $143,415 $267,424 $478,084
Cooling Plate heat exchanger $9,000 $9,000 $9,000 $9,000 $9,000 $9,000 $10,525 $11,675 $14,742 $14,742
Cooling pump Quote (n=0.67) $970 $1,169 $1,169 $1,500 $1,500 $2,387 $3,797 $6,042 $11,163 $17,761
Valves, instrumentation 0.60 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $3,031 $4,595 $6,964 $12,068 $18,292
Piping 0.60 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,516 $2,297 $3,482 $6,034 $9,146
Dry cooler 0.45 $4,000 $4,000 $4,000 $4,000 $4,000 $5,464 $7,464 $10,196 $15,400 $21,037
Total $16,970 $17,169 $17,169 $17,500 $17,500 $21,398 $28,679 $38,360 $59,408 $80,979
Miscellanous Valve air supply – nitrogen or compressed air n/a $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000
Ventiliation and safety requirements n/a
Combustible gas detectors n/a $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000
n/a
Exhaust ventiliation $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000
Total $6,000 $6,000 $6,000 $6,000 $6,000 $6,000 $6,000 $6,000 $6,000 $6,000
Grand Total ($) $58,472 $64,704 $96,758 $110,153 $152,927 $274,045 $403,865 $673,120 $1,342,363 $2,481,754
CEMAC – Clean EnergyCost
Manufacturing
($/kW) Analysis Center $5,847 $3,235 $1,935 $1,102 $765 $548 $404 $337 $268 $248 34
Power Supply Cost
• Catalyst coated substrate (CCS) design eliminates the need for gas diffusion layers
• Bipolar plates (current collectors) with integrated flow fields, provide:
– 1) path for electrolyte (in and out)
– 2) efficient removal of product gases from the cell
– 3) heat management
Phillips and Dunnill, 2016
CEMAC – Clean Energy Manufacturing Analysis Center 44
Electrode Materials
Raney nickel is an alloy of
aluminum and nickel, which
has subsequently had much
of the aluminum removed
through a leaching process
with sodium hydroxide
(NaOH). The remaining alloy
has a very high surface area
and also contains hydrogen
gas (H2) adsorbed on the
nickel surface
Image from:
http://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/
2011/09/30/reagent-friday-raney-nickel/
m-PBI n/a 100 50-60 μm 400 @2V Danish Power Kraglund et al.,
poly(2,2-(m- Systems (2016)
phenylene)-5,5- (Denmark),
bibenzimidazole) Advent (USA)
Zirfon™ Perl UTP Ionic 500 ± 50 250 @2V Agfa-Gevaert
500 resistance≤0.3 µm (Belgium)
(polyphenylene Ω.cm² at 30†
sulphide/zirconi
um oxide)
xxx
DMAc
Melting @ 200°C
Casting Process
Drying @ RT
QC Station
Slot-die
Regulator Drying Oven
coater
Substrate
Removal
Winding Roll
Backing
Layer Spool
• Assumptions:
– Economies of scale: cost of producing 100 unit/yr vs. 10 units/yr
– Power electronics : 10% cost reduction
– Improvement in power density: +20% (from 2.91 W/cm2 to 3.50 W/cm2)
– Pt loading: reducing PGM loading from 11 g/m2 to 5 g/m2
– Membrane cost: 20% cost reduction
65 kg H2/day 48 kg H2/day