Review on bipolar plates for low‐temperature polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolyzer

Abstract

Summary Electrolysis coupled with renewable energy resources is the most promising method for green hydrogen production. Polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolyzer (PEMWE) has attracted attention due to its ability to produce high‐purity, compressed hydrogen at relatively mild operating temperatures (70°C‐90°C). The highest cost contributor of the PEMWE stack are the bipolar plates (BPPs). Owing to the severe operating conditions (acidity from the membrane and high localized oxygen concentration) of the PEMWE stack, appropriate material and fabrication are crucial to ensure high performance and durability. The role of BPPs in mass transport and electrical charge transfer must be further understood and correlated to its specific application in PEMWE. At the most basic level, BPPs must have low interfacial contact resistance and high corrosion resistance to withstand the conditions within the stack. The most common base materials for BPP construction include austenitic stainless steel (SS316 and SS403) and Ti due to their flexural strength and ease of mass production. A coating layer is also necessary to protect the substrate from corrosion, and the most popular materials include TiN and other noble metals with nonpassivated oxides and reliable electrical conductivity. The compromise between material robustness and cost is currently a delicate balance toachieve.

Advances in Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysts for Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers

“…This part of the cost accounts for 70% of the stack ( Figure 20 a). [ 287 ] Therefore, relevant research is of great significance for producing green hydrogen with low‐cost and high efficiency in industry. In this section, the influence of PTL structure on cell performance and the approaches to reducing the cost and passivation of PTL and BPPs are discussed.…”

“…Reproduced with permission. [ 287 ] Copyright 2021, Wiley‐VCH. b) Performance comparisons of PEMEC with titanium thin LGDL (liquid‐gas diffusion layer) and conventional LGDL.…”

“…More attention should be paid to the composite or multilayer coatings, which can reduce the material cost and even exceed the performance of a single coating. Specially, different from the anode [287] Copyright 2021, Wiley-VCH. b) Performance comparisons of PEMEC with titanium thin LGDL (liquid-gas diffusion layer) and conventional LGDL.…”

“…a) Total cost breakdown for 1 MW polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyzer systems. Reproduced with permission [287]. Copyright 2021, Wiley-VCH.…”

3D two‐phase and non‐isothermal modeling for PEM water electrolyzer: Heat and mass transfer characteristic investigation

“…Proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolyzer is being recognized as promising hydrogen production technology, 1,2 due to high current density, high purity hydrogen production, fast response, and non-corrosive electrolyte. 3,4 Despite these advantages, the large-scale application of the PEM water electrolyzer at present is limited by the price and particularly durability. 5,6 Revealing the heat and mass distribution characteristics of the PEM water electrolyzer and understanding their effects on performance can provide a good foundation for optimization design, which is conducive to reducing costs and improving durability.…”