COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE OF PEM ELECTROLYZER: STATIONARY VS DYNAMIC MODE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59957/jctm.v60.i5.2025.12Keywords:
constant power profile, dynamic power profile, management system, PEM electrolysis cell, pulse electrolysisAbstract
This study investigates the performance of a commercial PEM (proton exchange membrane) electrolysis cell, with a working area of 16 cm2 and catalyst loading of 2 mg /cm-2 of IrRuOx on the anode, and 0.5 mg /cm-2 of 60% PtC and 0.25 mg /cm-2 of PtB on the cathode side, under constant and dynamic conditions to identify optimal operating modes for practical use. For this purpose, a custom programmable proportional-integrated (PI) direct current (DC) regulator and a pulse-width-modulation (PWM) frequency generator were developed to provide stationary and dynamic modes, functioning as a single system with integrated data logging for cell voltage, temperature, and pressure sensors via a C# program. Experiments confirmed that square wave pulse loading at 1 Hz with 50% duty cycle provides increased efficiency by reducing the cell voltage compared to a continuous DC operation.
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