Lee Chi-Yuan, Li Shih-Chun, Chen Chia-Hung, Huang Yen-Ting, Wang Yu-Syuan
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yuan Ze Fuel Cell Center, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan 320, Taiwan.
HOMYTECH Global CO., LTD, Taoyuan 334, Taiwan.
Sensors (Basel). 2018 Mar 15;18(3):867. doi: 10.3390/s18030867.
Looking for alternative energy sources has been an inevitable trend since the oil crisis, and close attentioned has been paid to hydrogen energy. The proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolyzer is characterized by high energy efficiency, high yield, simple system and low operating temperature. The electrolyzer generates hydrogen from water free of any carbon sources (provided the electrons come from renewable sources such as solar and wind), so it is very clean and completely satisfies the environmental requirement. However, in long-term operation of the PEM water electrolyzer, the membrane material durability, catalyst corrosion and nonuniformity of local flow, voltage and current in the electrolyzer can influence the overall performance. It is difficult to measure the internal physical parameters of the PEM water electrolyzer, and the physical parameters are interrelated. Therefore, this study uses micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology to develop a flexible integrated microsensor; internal multiple physical information is extracted to determine the optimal working parameters for the PEM water electrolyzer. The real operational data of local flow, voltage and current in the PEM water electrolyzer are measured simultaneously by the flexible integrated microsensor, so as to enhance the performance of the PEM water electrolyzer and to prolong the service life.
自石油危机以来，寻找替代能源已成为必然趋势，氢能受到了密切关注。质子交换膜（PEM）水电解槽具有能量效率高、产量高、系统简单和运行温度低的特点。该电解槽从水中产生氢气，不含任何碳源（前提是电子来自太阳能和风能等可再生能源），因此非常清洁，完全满足环境要求。然而，在PEM水电解槽的长期运行中，膜材料的耐久性、催化剂腐蚀以及电解槽内局部流动、电压和电流的不均匀性会影响整体性能。测量PEM水电解槽的内部物理参数很困难，而且这些物理参数相互关联。因此，本研究采用微机电系统（MEMS）技术开发一种柔性集成微传感器；提取内部多个物理信息以确定PEM水电解槽的最佳工作参数。通过柔性集成微传感器同时测量PEM水电解槽内局部流动、电压和电流的实际运行数据，以提高PEM水电解槽的性能并延长其使用寿命。
