Mathematical Modeling of Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer

Rising energy demand, depletion of fossil fuels and global warming are driving research into eco-friendly alternative energy technologies. Currently, interest in hydrogen as alternative energy is increasing. Among various hydrogen production technologies, there are three major methods for producing hydrogen by water electrolysis: proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE), alkaline water electrolysis (AWE), and anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE). AEMWE has been attracting attention in recent years because it has the advantage of overcoming the limitations of both electrolysis techniques; Low current density, low pressure, and use of expensive noble metal catalysts. High-efficiency hydrogen production and durability are determined by the design of the serpentine and the performance of the catalyst and exchange membrane. That is, the distribution of the temperature and pressure in the electrolyzer and the hydrogen production are affected by the design of the serpentine. Manufacturing and experimenting with various serpentine designs are costly and time-consuming. This can be solved by constructing the water electrolyzer system through computational fluid dynamics (CFD). In addition, it is possible to check the flow phenomena, distribution of pressure, temperature, and current density inside the system. In this study, a mathematical model of the AEMWE system was established. The model for the electrochemical reaction was implemented through user defined functions (UDFs), and reliability was increased through validation with actual experimental data. This model will be used to analyze the efficiency and durability of the water electrolyzer in various serpentine designs.