Salt-water Electrolysis for Green Hydrogen Economy

Abstract

In this study, we investigate effects of seawater electrolysis on the performance and durability of solid oxide electrolysis cells, with a focus on their short-term stability and operational efficiency. The abundant and easily accessible nature of seawater offers an enticing potential to bolster the sustainability of hydrogen production processes using solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) technology. To assess the impact of seawater electrolysis, a comprehensive experimental investigation was conducted using fuel electrode single supported cell Ni-YSZ/YSZ/LSCF-GDC. The experimental parameters included temperature variation, steam concentration variation and short-term durability. The effect of seawater on the performance of solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC) were examined by electrochemical characterization and impedance analysis. Our findings reveal that increasing the temperature of the cell leads to a good performance of electrolysis. Increasing the H2O content could also improve the electrolysis efficiency. Furthermore, the study examines the short-term degradation of SOECs at different temperatures and different steam concentration. The results show that the highest degradation rate at different steam concentration is occurring at 50% with a degradation rate of 1 A·cm-2/ h. At different temperatures, the highest degradation rate is observed at 750oC.