High Performance Electrolyzers for Hybrid Thermochemical Cycles

Extensive electrolyzer testing was performed at the University of South Carolina (USC). Emphasis was given to understanding water transport under various operating (i.e., temperature, membrane pressure differential and current density) and design (i.e., membrane thickness) conditions when it became apparent that water transport plays a deciding role in cell voltage. A mathematical model was developed to further understand the mechanisms of water and SO2 transport, and to predict the effect of operating and design parameters on electrolyzer performance.