Electrolyzers are expected to be a key component in future sustainable energy systems, converting electricity to hydrogen and some surplus heat. The Nordic steel producers SSAB and Stegra are expected to become substantial consumers of hydrogen within just a few years’ time. Electrolyzer science and technology cut across multiple disciplines, including materials science, chemistry, electrochemistry, interfacial science, mechanical engineering, heat transfer and catalysis. It is not an exaggeration to say that almost all physical and chemical challenges introduced in electrolyzers have multiple length scales. The particle size in functional materials is in the sub-micron scale, the Three-Phase Boundary (TPB) structure, design and catalytic activity are in the microscale and the cell/stack design is in the macroscale. Strong couplings between the mentioned phenomena and length- and timescales makes multiphysics and multiscale Electrolyzer modeling promising for optimizing the design, to increase the electrical efficiency, due to decreased resistance as well as better heat transfer, and the cell lifetime. In-situ measurements are in many cases difficult to perform, which motivates the development of detailed models. Here, the method development will focus on multiphase flow – tracking the interface between the various phases.
The work package includes one PhD student project, hosted by LTH.
The competence center Advanced Computing for Sustainable Thermal Management in Industry is carried out with support from Vinnova. LTH, Lund University, is the coordinating partner.