Tracking of Green Hydrogen Projects—Zhongneng Dayou Successfully Developed a 100 kW-Class Multi-Field Coupling Testing Equipment for Hydrogen Production via PEM Electrolysis

Recently, the Joint Laboratory of Advanced New Energy Measurement and Control Technology, co-established by the Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center Energy Institute (Anhui Energy Laboratory) and Hefei Zhongneng Dayou Energy Technology Co., Ltd., has launched a 100kW-class proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis hydrogen production testing equipment after 2 years of systematic design and R&D. This test bench adheres to the design philosophy of "precision, safety, traceability, and intelligence," aiming to address core challenges in the testing of commercial large power PEM electrolyzers such as strong coupling of current density, temperature, and pressure, high requirements for dynamic response, and difficulty in ensuring safety.

Project Philosophy

Focusing on the "dual carbon" goals, green hydrogen is a key carrier for deep decarbonization. PEM water electrolysis technology, due to its high efficiency, fast response, and wide load range, is suitable for hydrogen production from fluctuating renewable energy sources. However, when this technology moves from the laboratory scale to industrialization, the durability and cost of the electrolyzer become bottlenecks, with performance degradation closely related to the failure mechanisms of materials under complex operating conditions. The core value of this equipment lies in serving as a "material condition behavior analyzer." On the basis of meeting standard specifications, it goes beyond traditional performance testing functions, precisely controlling experimental boundary conditions, establishing a causal relationship between macro performance output and micro material evolution, and providing high-quality failure analysis data. The equipment integrates high-precision fluid control, multi-field coordinated control strategies, and a multi-level safety interlock and digital monitoring system, with a maximum experimental pressure of 10MPa. Through extreme control of parameters such as high-precision temperature gradient, online monitoring and feedback of deionized water quality, pressure, and electrochemical parameters, as well as millisecond-level rapid start-stop logic, it accurately simulates and regulates the internal reaction interface state of the electrolyzer, providing a reliable R&D and validation platform for studying the performance degradation mechanism of key PEM electrolyzer materials under quasi-industrial operating conditions.

Technical Background

System Design and Engineering Implementation of the Test Bench

• Overall Architecture and Design Philosophy: The equipment adopts a modular design, with core components including a circulation heating and supply unit, nitrogen purge unit, hydrogen-side management unit, oxygen-side management unit, external purification unit, and power and data acquisition unit.
• Innovative Design of Core Subsystems and Materials Science Significance
  • High-Precision Thermal Management and Water Quality Control Unit: The system employs a multi-level temperature control strategy, with the main circulation tank equipped with a large power heater, achieving ±1°C control accuracy within the range of RT + 5°C - 90°C through PID algorithm, and critical measurement points monitored by A-grade thermocouples; water quality management uses a "filter + deionizer" combination, ensuring that the resistivity of water entering the electrolyzer is ≥10 MΩ・cm, monitored in real-time by an online conductivity device. Precise temperature control significantly suppresses thermomechanical stress failure between the layers of the membrane electrode assembly, while ultrapure water prevents ion poisoning of the membrane and catalyst, ensuring performance degradation stems solely from the intrinsic degradation of materials.
  • Hydrogen/Oxygen Side Gas-Liquid Separation and Backpressure Control Unit: The main unit is equipped with high-efficiency gas-liquid separation tanks, each employing high-precision pneumatic backpressure valves for independent pressure control. The backpressure control range is 0.5-10 MPa, with an accuracy of <±0.5% F.S. Independent and precise backpressure control simulates operating environments from atmospheric pressure to commercial high-pressure systems, used to study the effects of high-pressure differentials on pore structure, adhesion, and gas crossover behavior of related components, which are core factors leading to mechanical damage and performance degradation of the membrane electrode.
  • Comprehensive Safety Interlock and Sample Protection System: The system incorporates multiple safety protections, with over 50 high-precision sensors monitoring the entire flow path status. Any parameter exceeding limits or hydrogen leakage can trigger a millisecond-level (<50 ms) emergency shutdown, while automatically cutting off the power supply, closing valves, and initiating nitrogen purging. This system not only protects personal safety but also safeguards valuable test samples, preventing irreversible catastrophic failure and preserving intact samples for post-analysis.
  • High-Precision Electrical Performance Monitoring and Diagnostic Unit: The 450 kW DC power supply features CV/CC/CP modes, with current/voltage control accuracy ≤0.5% F.S., and integrates a multi-channel voltage monitoring instrument with single-channel measurement accuracy ≤2 mV. This unit enables diagnosis of electrolyzer core material uniformity, real-time monitoring of each single-cell voltage, precise localization of performance weak points; voltage fluctuations and trends provide clear direction for offline material analysis.

Core Performance Indicators and Material Research Value of the PEM 100 kW Electrolyzer Hydrogen Production Multi-Field Coupling Test Equipment

Application Paradigm of the Test Station in Materials Research

This Equipment Can Execute Various Advanced Test Protocols, Far Exceeding Simple Performance Verification:

• Material Screening and Optimization: Under the Same Controlled Harsh Conditions, Compare the Initial Performance and Decay Rates of Different Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs), Providing Direct and Reliable Data Support for Material Selection.
• Accelerated Stress Testing: By Designing Specific Dynamic Conditions, Target and Accelerate a Particular Failure Mechanism, Obtaining Material Life Prediction Data in a Relatively Short Time.
• Failure Mechanism Study: Eliminate External Variable Interference, Ensure High Repeatability and Attributability of Performance Decay Data, and After Testing, Disassemble the Protected Electrolysis Cell for Post-Mortem Analysis Using Surface Analysis Techniques.