Development and performance evaluation of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) based hydrogen generator for portable applications

This paper presents the development of key components, specifications, configuration and operation characteristics of an 80 l/h Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) water electrolyzer system for portable application. The developed PEM water electrolyzer can produce 80 l/h hydrogen (purity > 99.99%) with moderate pressure range up to 500 kPa (73 psi) at an operating current of 100 A with energy efficiency of 77.48%. The reliability in operation of developed PEM water electrolyzer system is tested for running the stack about 3000 h with 100 A current. The results indicate the reasonable stability of MEA fabrication and cell design method.