This study attempts to optimize the properties of the anode current collector of a polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolyzer at high temperatures, particularly at the boiling point of water. Different titanium meshes (4 commercial ones and 4 modified ones) with various properties are experimentally examined by operating a cell with each mesh under different conditions. The average pore diameter, thickness, and contact angle of the anode current collector are controlled in the ranges of 10-35 µm, 0.2-0.3 mm, and 0-120°, respectively. These results showed that increasing the temperature from the conventional temperature of 80°C to the boiling point could reduce both the open circuit voltage and the overvoltages to a large extent without notable dehydration of the membrane. These results also showed that decreasing the contact angle and the thickness suppresses the electrolysis overvoltage largely by decreasing the concentration overvoltage. The effect of the average pore diameter was not evident until the temperature reached the boiling point. Using operating conditions of 100°C and 2 A/cm 2 , the electrolysis voltage is minimized to 1.69 V with a hydrophilic titanium mesh with an average pore diameter of 21 µm and a thickness of 0.2 mm.

Effects of operating conditions of a high-temperature polymer electrolyte water electrolyzer (HT-PEWE) on the electrolysis voltage are evaluated, and the optimal conditions for a high performance are revealed. A HT-PEWE unit cell with a 4-cm 2 electrode consisting of Nafion117-based catalyst-coated membrane with IrO2 and Pt/C as the oxygen and hydrogen evolution catalysts is fabricated, and its electrolysis voltage and high-frequency resistance are assessed. The cell temperature and pressure are controlled at 80-130 °C and 0.1-0.5 MPa, respectively. It is observed that increasing the temperature at a constant pressure of 0.1 MPa does not increase the ohmic overvoltage of the cell; however, it does increase the concentration overvoltage. It is also found that the increase in the overvoltage resulting from the rise in the temperature can be suppressed by elevating the pressure. When operating the cell at a temperature of 100 °C, pressure greater than 0.1 MPa suppresses the overvoltage, and so does pressures greater than 0.3 MPa at 130°C. This behavior suggests that keeping the water in a liquid water phase by increasing the pressure is critical for operating PEWEs at high temperatures.

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