Water electrolysis for green hydrogen production, offers a promising solution for energy storage from renewable sources and for decarbonizing industrial sectors like: mobility, iron and steel, refineries, ceramics, and chemical plants. Among various electrolysis systems, high-temperature Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOECs) are the most efficient. However, SOECs face limitations in stable operation at high pressures, hindering their use in applications requiring pressurized hydrogen, such as gas grid injection (P2X) or high-pressure hydrogen storage at refuelling stations (HRS). These limitations arise from the fragile flat thin ceramic cells and issues with flat sealing joints under pressure conventionally involved in these devices. Current solutions involve costly, impractical high-pressure vessels.
The HyP3D project addresses this by utilizing 3D printing of functional ceramics to create robust cells with complex shapes, unachievable through traditional methods. HyP3D cells will feature increased active areas (up to twice that of conventional cells), withstand unbalanced pressures, include non-flat high-pressure sealing, and reduce the volume and weight of the cell stacks.
HyP3D aims to deliver an SOEC stack capable of operating at 5 bar and 850°C. The stack, consisting of 30 3D printed cells, will produce 2.14 kW in a 630 cm³ volume, achieving unprecedented power densities of 3.4 kW/L (three times the current standard) and 1.1 kW/kg (four times the current standard). Demonstrating robust pressurized SOEC technology will enable the efficient use of electrolysis in various hydrogen production scenarios, including storage and transportations. Additionally, HyP3D's additive manufacturing approach reduces the environmental footprint of stack production.
