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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - GAMER (Game changer in high temperature steam electrolysers with novel tubular cells and stacks geometry for pressurized hydrogen production)

Teaser

Summary

In the GAMER project, we focus on the demonstration of an innovative, low-cost and modular hydrogen production technology utilising tubular proton conducting ceramic cells and their inherent advantages for steam electrolysis. High temperature electrolysis (HTE) can potentially replace fossil fuel energy input with renewable electricity for the generation of hydrogen, for example in refineries and chemical industries, whereby available (waste) heat from the plant could improve the efficiency of the electrolysis process. The main objective of GAMER is to design, build and operate for 2000 hours in relevant environment a low cost 10 kW proton ceramic conducting based electrolyser system delivering at least 30 bar output dry hydrogen using standard industry components for balance of plant (BoP) for efficient thermal management with renewable, heat sources and steam available in industrial plants.

Work performed

During the first period of GAMER, the work has focused on establishing a multi scale multi-physics modelling platform to optimize the design of the electrolyser system (see Figure 1). This modelling framework addresses materials, electrochemistry and flows spanning from cells, SEUs, electrolyser and BoP. It is implemented as an excel tool (GES.VI) and used to dimension the 10kW prototype considering energy balance and power demands of each component, with experimental data sets for materials, cells and SEUs performance collected in WP3 and WP4. An optimized design of the electrolyser system has been established meeting the efficiency target set by GAMER. It includes highly integrated SEU racks mounted in a hot-box. The blueprints of the electrolyser system are available. A HAZOP exercise has been performed to validate the design with respect to HAZards and OPerational aspects. An optimized SEU design based on single tube-in-shell configuration is currently under patenting action. At M18, the production of SEU is being established at laboratory scale and a few SEUs have been delivered to the project (WP2). The supply chain for volume scale production of SEUs has also been defined, and current efforts are focusing on establishing yields based on routine production practice.
Dedicated protocols for pre-qualification of KET components, assemblies and cells have been established (WP3). Electrochemical testing of the tubular cells has been conducted, highlighting the need for optimization of the steam + oxygen electrodes to reach all targeted criteria. Two electrode sets are currently developed in GAMER based on LSM/BZCY and BGLC/BZCY. It is, considered realistic to validate the suitability of at least one set of electrodes by M21.
Viable routes to current collection and connectivity have been identified using three main routes with variable risk/reward impact: 1) Ag based current collection system has lower risk/reward impact; 2) new current collection systems with higher risk/reward impact (under patenting action). The former system has been integrated in SEUs using the reference LSM/BZCY electrodes (WP4).
By M18, three SEUs have been tested at CMS. Leakages in welding points and negatrode feedthrough were observed for these SEUs upon operation: this prevents measuring hydrogen production rate and Faradaic efficiency. It was, however, possible to conduct electrochemical characterization of the SEUs. These data enabled to validate the manufacturing scaling up from short cells to long cells. As new SEUs integrating improved electrodes are being produced in WP2, more testing results will be generated in the coming months to establish quantifiable data on SEU performance.
Process integration of PCE in various industrial plants and techno-economic study of steam electrolyser using various scenarios for supply of electricity, steam generation from various heat sources (renewables or waste), and for hydrogen pressurization has started (WP6). This work involves GAMER partners, as well as GAMER advisory board members.
An overview of the results from the technical work packages (WPs 1-6) is given in the figure below.
Dissemination activities are overseen in a dissemination and communication plan, continuously monitored in the project. So far, the project has contributed with 14 oral and poster presentations in international conferences, 3 press releases, 1 flyer and one publication in Nature Materials.
Exploitation of innovations from the project are addressed in an exploitation plan, where dedicated strategies are being established based on stakeholder mappings, interactions with GAMER advisory board members, organization of workshops and preliminary identification of exploitation pathways for each partner (WP7). Three consultations have already been carried out with the AB members: Yara and Air Liquide to broaden the possibilities for integration of PCE technology in other industrial plants and scales than those represented by GAME

Final results

The proton ceramics offer several potential advantages for steam electrolysis. The direct production of dry hydrogen is a first advantage. Furthermore, the production of undiluted dry hydrogen (i) removes the risk of oxidation of Ni commonly used in H2-side electrodes (cathodes) of high temperature electrolysers and (ii) enables the direct use of the hot pressurized H2 produced, which helps in reaching high system and overall-plant energy efficiency. Additionally, the proton moves with a smaller activation energy than oxide ions enabling operation in an intermediate temperature range (400 â€“ 700ÂºC), beneficial for efficient thermal coupling with renewable or waste heat. The PCE has also the benefit of a high pressure of hydrogen balanced with the sum of steam and oxygen, while the SOE must use a high pressure of solely oxygen to balance steam and hydrogen, making it more challenging to reach the same produced hydrogen pressure. In GAMER, we are currently focusing on demonstrating how these advantages can be leveraged in an innovative tubular SEU design. Innovation is brought in the project with the development of optimized H2O+O2 electrode and current collection system enabling designing a new SEU. A patent application is currently in progress to protect this invention.
Testing of the tubular cells in pressurized electrolysis mode have demonstrated performance and stability of operation beyond state-of-the-art for tubular proton ceramic based cells. Furthermore, it is expected that the new SEUs integrating the optimized material solutions will also achieve similar performance and stability, contributing to breakthrough development in HTE.
At present, there is no prototype of PCE stack developed worldwide. The design of the 10kW prototype already constitutes an important innovation of GAMER. Its building and testing in the second period of GAMER will generate important knowledge in PCE technology, which will have significant impact on stakeholders: this will result in an important proof-of-concept demonstration of the technology at TRL5. In parallel of this work, techno-economic studies will be carried to define relevant integration scenarios of PCE in industrial plants.