Electrolysis

Amy Jewel, Rob Larkin and Todd Haurin

"Water will be the coal of the future.
-Jules Verne, 1874
%e process
of ,ir
remov,l.
s NO% our topic tod,yl
,t is electrolysis?
W efinition of Electrolysis:
A chemical process in which bonded `
elements and compounds are dissociated
by the passage of an electric current.
W The electrolysis of water:
2H2O + energy = 2H2 + 2O2
B,sic Electrolyzer
W Two electrodes:
Cathode (negatively charged)
Anode (positively charged)
W An Electrolyte
W External circuit
W iaphragm
!olymer Electrolyte Membr,3e
{!EM_ Electrolyzers:
1. Uses a solid plastic
material as an
electrolyte.
2. Water reacts at the
anode to form
oxygen, electrons,
and positively
charged hydrogen
ions (protons).
!olymer Electrolyte Membr,3e
{!EM_ Electrolyzers:
. The electrons
flow through an
external circuit to
the cathode.
4. The hydrogen
ions move across
the PEM to the
cathode, where
they combine
with the electrons
to form hydrogen
gas
lk,li3e Electrolyzers
W $imilar to PEM electrolyzers, except that they use
an alkaline solution as an electrolyte.
W Usually this solution is sodium hydroxide or
potassium hydroxide.
W This type of
electrolyzer
has been in
use
commercially
for several
decades
$olid Oxide Electrolyzers
W A solid ceramic material is used as the electrolyte.
W At the cathode, water combines with electrons from the
external circuit to produce hydrogen gas and
negatively charged oxygen ions.
W The oxygen ions move through the solid oxide
membrane and release electrons to the external circuit.
W n order for this type of electolyzer to function properly,
the solid oxide membrane must be between 500 800
degrees Celsius, which is much higher than the
temperatures required by the other electrolyzers
E3ergy B,l,3ce ,3d Efficie3cy
of Electrolysis
The electricity needed for hydrogen
production by electrolysis can currently be
generated by a variety of sources,
including:
W fossil fuels
W wind power
W photovoltaic cells
W hydropower
Necess,ry ,ter 3puts
For Electrolysis
W Amount of water needed to meet average
U$ person's energy demand though
electrolysis: 3,000 Iiters of water per
year
W Amount of water currently used by an
average U$ person for indoor residential
purposes: 138,770 Iiters a year
Electrolysis Efficie3cy
B,sics
W Although hydrogen is a promising
alternative fuel, hydrogen production by
electrolysis is not extremely efficient.
W The primary energy inputs to be
considered are the energy requirements
for building and running an electrical
generating facility.
E3ergy B,l,3ce - !,rt
W An input of 1.4 billion kW per hour of
electricity is required to produce 1 billion
kW per hour of hydrogen by electrolysis.
W Energy balance = (Useful Energy
Output)(Energy nput)
W = (1 kW/hr electricity)(1.4 kW/hr
hydrogen energy)
W = 0.71, or 71% efficiency for the initial
electrolysis process.
E3ergy B,l,3ce - !,rt
W The other main process to consider in
production of hydrogen gas is the necessary
cooling of hydrogen to about minus 25
degrees Celsius.
W This process demands considerable energy,
resulting in a loss of approximately 0 percent
of the hydrogen energy.
W As a result of each stage of the hydrogen
production process, the total production
efficiency is approximately 0 %.
ig %emper,ture
Electrolysis
W Process which could increase hydrogen
efficiency to the range of 45 to 50 %
W The OE is currently examining the use of high
temperature electrolysis powered by fossil fuel,
renewable, and even nuclear technologies.
W High temperature electrolysis utilizes the solid
oxide electrolyzer described earlier.
ig %emper,ture
Electrolysis
W The efficiency increase is achieved
because high temperature electrolysis
utilizes a significant amount of heat, for
example from a nuclear reactor.
W The added heat decreases the amount of
electricity required to separate the water
into hydrogen and oxygen.
!otoelectrolysis
Photoelectrolysis: Clean and renewable means of
deriving hydrogen Also known as 'Water $plitting'
(2 processes):
1) Conversion of solar radiation to electricity in
photovoltaic cells
2) Electrolysis of water in a separate cell
Conversion efficiency = % - 2%
!otoelectrolysis
However, the 2 processes can be combined in
a single nanoscale process: Photon
absorption creates a local electron-hole pair
that electrochemically splits a neighboring
water molecule. n theory, rather than 2
sequential process, the combination can allow
for greater overall efficiency,
!otoelectrolysis
Challenges: Finding a robust
semiconductor to satisfy the competing
requirements of nature. $olar photons
are primarily visible light, a wavelength
that requires semiconductors that require
small bandgaps < 1.7 eV - for efficient
absorption.
!otoelectrolysis
Possible solution: Oxide
based conductors -
Titanium oxide
W Advantage robust in
aqueous environments
but have
W isadvantage - wide
bandgaps ~ .0 eV
!otoelectrolysis
ye-sensitized photocells:
accumulate energy from multiple low-energy
photons to inject higher-energy electrons into
the semiconductor a promising direction for
matching the solar spectrum.
Oter pplic,tio3s of
Electrolysis:
W pH meters -
Oter pplic,tio3s of
Electrolysis:
W Electroplating
Oter pplic,tio3s of
Electrolysis:
W Anionic polymerization