Project Description

High-pressure electrolyzers are devices that produce hydrogen and oxygen at the storage pressure without the need for compressors. This would allow to obtain greater efficiencies in the production of hydrogen as energetic vector. There are still technical difficulties related to the purity of the gases produced and the energy efficiency of the process that needs to be studied and modeled. CHEERFUL project aims at obtaining simulation-oriented and control-oriented models of electrolizers, in particular those based on membranes, taking profit of a available system to carry out tests that analyze the performance for different states of operation, evaluating pressure, temperature and current density. These tests have allowed us to discover trends in the response of these devices and validate their operation. From the proposed models and the deep analysis of the real behaviour of such devices, CHEERFUL also aims at designing advanced control methodologies for the proper management of electrolizers towards improving the purity of the obtained hydrogen. With this goal in mind, the electrolizers can be placed into an energy generation scheme where fuel cells can be fed with the produced hydrogen of the suitable purity.