Increasing the lifetime of electrolyser stacks

Electrolysers are complex systems in which kinetics, electrochemistry and thermophysics drive performance degradation phenomena. Durability of electrolyser stacks is affected by various degradation mechanisms occurring at material, interface, cell and stack levels: for instance, high temperature solid oxide cells (SOCs) and proton ceramic cells (PCCs) are susceptible to impurity poisoning, Ni migration and loss of percolation, oxide scale growth on interconnect, mechanical fracture of seals, delamination of electrodes, thermal runaway etc. Low temperature electrolysers, such as PEMEL and AEL are facing ionomer degradation, passivation of porous transport layers, catalyst dissolution and Ostwald ripening, corrosion of carbon support, bipolar plates, degradation of sealing materials, etc. The coupling of these multi-physics fields, occurring simultaneously at various length scales (atomic, nano, micro, macro), makes it challenging to parameterise individual degradation mechanism, and even more challenging, the effects of their combined occurrence. This is even more complicated when flexible operation is required (in part due to the lack of established testing protocols). Extensive knowledge on durability has been generated by previous EU supported projects[[https://cordis.europa.eu/]] on fuel cell, e.g. SOFC-LIFE, STAYERS, DEMMEA, CAMELOT, FURTHER-FC, DOLPHIN, ID-FAST, ROBANODE, HEALTH-CODE, ADASTRA, SOCTESQA, which should be used by the project to further generate in-depth understanding of superimposed mechanisms underpinning the degradation of electrolyser stacks over long term operation. The project will also build on the results from on-going and newly supported fuel cell and electrolyser projects, as well as projects addressing sustainability. Long term degradation studies (at least 10,000 hours) should be firstly carried out on stacks (new or used) representative of commercial or pre-commercial technologies for PEMEL/SOEL/AEL stacks and in the second stage, also include stack concepts developed jointly between academic and industrial partners for AEMEL/ PCCEL technologies. Study of ageing mechanisms should address degradation due to evolution of materials, interfaces and microstructures when the cells/stacks are operated under real conditions (e.g. as a function of temperature, load, pressure, overvoltage, etc.), as well as degradation mechanisms associated with exposure to impurities e.g. from airborne contaminants and transient operation and upon dynamic operations (e.g. coupling with RES). The work should provide guidelines for defining new solutions at the cell and/or stack level to increase lifetime, as well as optimal operations of the cells/stacks. The new solutions should be demonstrated at short stack level. Furthermore, the emphasis should be given on defining predictive modelling of state-of-health / state-of-life for given operation, and on establishing operation solutions diminishing degradation.

The following activities are within the scope of this topic:

• Gather data and a return on experiment available from previous or ongoing projects and/or data available at electrolysis manufacturers having already installed/operated electrolysers, including with RES sources at various scales;
• Identification of lifetime restricting degradation mechanisms and effects of their superposition by modelling and simulation activities validated by relevant experimental methods;
• Evaluate the impact of RES electrical profile on electrolysers durability in terms of the dynamic operating conditions;
• Modelling of degradation rates resulting from different degradation phenomena and operating conditions; models should be able to aggregate a variety of degradation mechanisms occurring at various scales and should be validated by experimental data;
• With the support of dynamic modelling, simulation of the transient electrical and thermal behaviour in view of the impacts on degradation effects;
• Development of lifetime prediction models based on the degradation modelling; proposals may include verification testing for such models for selected technologies;
• Development of operation solutions diminishing the degradation in stationary or transient operations (e.g. novel operating and control strategies, diagnostics etc.);
• When relevant, adaptation or improvement of advanced characterisation methods for deeper understanding by in-situ, ex-situ or in-operando analyses will be considered within scope;
• Validation of novel solutions in short stack level (minimum 5 repeating units) for at least 10,000 hours by meeting degradation rate while keeping similar level of performance (current density, hydrogen production rate) or in accelerated stress tests allowing extrapolation to minimum 40,0 00 hours. New and/or adapted stress tests protocols for unravelling superimposed effects are also within the scope;
• Development of uniform data reporting formats that can potentially be used for machine learning and big data processing to identify and correlate cause and effect of degradation phenomena;
• Assessment of the improved durability on the lifecycle impact of the selected technologies.

Consortia should gather comprehensive expertise and experience from the EU research community to ensure broad impact by addressing the items above. Partners should have proven expertise and the required means of materials degradation, modelling, characterisation, and testing. Industrial guidance is considered essential, for instance through an industrial advisory board.

Proposals should explain how the results will be exploited, and how key advances from the activities will be communicated to the broader community to ensure rapid uptake of developments by end-users. To facilitate this communication, dissemination should have high priority and most deliverables should be public. A public annual progress report should include, as necessary, recommendations for future activities and possible organisation of workshops.

An extended similar annual report with detailed technical progress results should be provided internally to the JU for fast tracking activities and further programming. The report should include key innovations against TRL, risks, opportunities, challenges and proposed next steps for the development of next generation of technologies and products.

Activities developing test protocols and procedures for the performance and durability assessment of electrolysers and fuel cell components proposals should foresee a collaboration mechanism with JRC (see section 2.2.4.3 ""Collaboration with JRC""), in order to support EU-wide harmonisation. Test activities should adopt the already published EU harmonised testing protocols[[https://www.clean-hydrogen.europa.eu/knowledge-management/collaboration-jrc-0_en]] to benchmark performance and quantify progress at programme level.

Activities are expected to start at TRL 2 and achieve TRL 4-5 by the end of the project - see General Annex B.

At least one partner in the consortium must be a member of either Hydrogen Europe or Hydrogen Europe Research.

The maximum Clean Hydrogen JU contribution that may be requested is EUR 10.00 million – proposals requesting Clean Hydrogen JU contributions above this amount will not be evaluated.

The conditions related to this topic are provided in the chapter 2.2.3.2 of the Clean Hydrogen JU 2023 Annual Work Plan and in the General Annexes to the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2023–2024 which apply mutatis mutandis.