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Updated: Jun 29, 2025
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Hydrogen Production and Utilization in a Membrane Reactor
Published on: March 10, 2023
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A Dual-Cation Exchange Membrane Electrolyzer for Continuous H2 Production from Seawater.
Yongwen Ren1,2,3, Faying Fan1,2,3, Yaojian Zhang1,2,3
1Qingdao Industrial Energy Storage Research Institute, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China.
Advanced Science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)
|April 3, 2024
Summary
Direct seawater splitting (DSS) for green hydrogen production is now continuous. A novel dual-cation exchange membrane system balances water supply and consumption, overcoming ion interference for efficient hydrogen generation.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
- Sustainable Energy
Background:
- Direct seawater splitting (DSS) is a promising green hydrogen (H2) production method.
- Continuous operation of DSS is hindered by water balance issues and ion interference.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a continuous DSS system for efficient hydrogen production from seawater.
- To address challenges of water supply-consumption balance and ion interference in DSS.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a three-compartment architecture with dual-cation exchange membranes (CEMs).
- Implemented a circulatory electrolyte design with monovalent-selective CEMs.
- Coupled the system with commercialized Ni foams and later NiMo/NiFe foams.
Main Results:
- Achieved continuous ampere-level H2 production from flowing seawater.
- Demonstrated stable H2 generation at 7.5 mL min-1 for over 100 hours at 1.0 A.
- Reduced energy consumption to approximately 6.2 kWh Nm-3 H2 with optimized catalysts.
Conclusions:
- The developed dual-CEM DSS system enables continuous, stable hydrogen production from seawater.
- The circulatory electrolyte and selective membranes effectively manage water balance and ion interference.
- The system shows significant potential for practical, large-scale green hydrogen generation.
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