Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ELECTROLIFE (ENHANCE KNOWLEDGE ON COMPREHENSIVE ELECTROLYSERS TECHNOLOGIES DEGRADATION THROUGH MODELING, TESTING AND LIFETIME PREVISION, TOWARD INDUSTRIAL IMPLEMENTATION)
Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-06-30
Context: ELECTROLIFE aims to enhance the comprehensive knowledge on degradation mechanisms and improvement of the cell performance to increase the efficiency performance of electrolyzers by reducing the use of critical materials and extending the useful life of these systems.
Objectives: The main objective of ELECTROLIFE is to understand the basic and cause-effect chains of aging mechanisms, to overcome the limited know-how on degradation phenomena, in order to model and design stacks and indicate day- by-day operation strategies to increase the lifetime of electrolysers, achieving the targets set by SRIA for 2030. The main objectives of ELECTROLIFE is divided into 11 sub-objectives (SO).
• SO1: Data collection from previous or ongoing projects and/or data available at electrolysis manufacturers
• SO2: Identification of degradation mechanisms and effects of their superposition by modelling and simulation activities validated by relevant experimental methods
• SO3: Evaluate the impact of RES electrical profile on electrolysers durability in terms of the dynamic operating conditions
• SO4: Modelling of degradation resulting from different degradation phenomena and operating conditions, including RES operation; models should be validated by experimental data
• SO5: With the support of dynamic modelling, simulation of the transient electrical and thermal behavior in view of the impacts on degradation effects
• SO6: Development of lifetime prediction models based on the degradation modelling; proposals may include verification testing for such models for selected technologies; defining predictive modelling of state-of-health / state-of-life for given operation, and on establishing operation solutions diminishing degradation
• SO7: Development of operation solutions diminishing the degradation in stationary or transient operations (e.g. novel operating and control strategies, diagnostics etc.)
• SO8: Adaptation or improvement of advanced characterization methods for deeper understanding by in- situ, ex-situ or in-operando analyses
• SO9: 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 40,000 hours
• SO10: Development of uniform data formats that can potentially be used for machine learning and big data processing to identify and correlate cause and effect of degradation phenomena
• SO11: Assessment of the improved durability on the lifecycle impact of the selected technologies
Objectives: The main objective of ELECTROLIFE is to understand the basic and cause-effect chains of aging mechanisms, to overcome the limited know-how on degradation phenomena, in order to model and design stacks and indicate day- by-day operation strategies to increase the lifetime of electrolysers, achieving the targets set by SRIA for 2030. The main objectives of ELECTROLIFE is divided into 11 sub-objectives (SO).
• SO1: Data collection from previous or ongoing projects and/or data available at electrolysis manufacturers
• SO2: Identification of degradation mechanisms and effects of their superposition by modelling and simulation activities validated by relevant experimental methods
• SO3: Evaluate the impact of RES electrical profile on electrolysers durability in terms of the dynamic operating conditions
• SO4: Modelling of degradation resulting from different degradation phenomena and operating conditions, including RES operation; models should be validated by experimental data
• SO5: With the support of dynamic modelling, simulation of the transient electrical and thermal behavior in view of the impacts on degradation effects
• SO6: Development of lifetime prediction models based on the degradation modelling; proposals may include verification testing for such models for selected technologies; defining predictive modelling of state-of-health / state-of-life for given operation, and on establishing operation solutions diminishing degradation
• SO7: Development of operation solutions diminishing the degradation in stationary or transient operations (e.g. novel operating and control strategies, diagnostics etc.)
• SO8: Adaptation or improvement of advanced characterization methods for deeper understanding by in- situ, ex-situ or in-operando analyses
• SO9: 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 40,000 hours
• SO10: Development of uniform data formats that can potentially be used for machine learning and big data processing to identify and correlate cause and effect of degradation phenomena
• SO11: Assessment of the improved durability on the lifecycle impact of the selected technologies
During the reporting period, significant technical and scientific progress was achieved across multiple work packages and tasks. The consortium maintained highly effective communication among all partners, ensuring alignment of activities and facilitating smooth coordination. Regular technical meetings and bilateral discussions supported critical decisions regarding experimental planning and model development. One of the key achievements was the successful planning and finalization of agreements for the new test rig. Following a series of technical consultations, the design and specifications were completed, procurement initiated, and logistics resolved. The delivery and installation of the test rig are planned for late 2025. In parallel, dedicated efforts were made to refine the SOEC stack design in collaboration with consortium technical teams. Laboratory facilities were reorganized and upgraded to accommodate the new rig and to enable advanced testing protocols. The existing setup was enhanced to perform preliminary testing on SolydEra single cells, serving as a preparatory step for future stack-level experiments. Experimental activities included testing of the SolydEra single cell under three operational modes: steam electrolysis, co-electrolysis (H2O + CO2), and CO2 electrolysis. Cyclical operation tests were performed to simulate dynamic scenarios, and initial long-term testing over 100 hours was completed. Preparations are underway for extended durability tests targeting up to 2000 hours. Electrochemical characterization techniques, including impedance spectroscopy and Distribution of Relaxation Times (DRT) analysis, were applied to evaluate performance and identify degradation mechanisms. At TU Graz, notable progress was made in extending existing 3D CFD models to account for degradation phenomena in Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells. The focus was placed on incorporating nickel oxidation mechanisms into the model, enabling a more realistic representation of SOEL behavior under operating conditions. Initial implementation was performed in a simplified 2D framework to reduce computational requirements, with validation planned against experimental data from WP4. This work represents an important step towards developing a fully coupled 3D model capable of predicting performance losses due to key degradation processes. In summary, this reporting period was marked by strong coordination and significant advancements in experimental readiness and modeling capabilities. These achievements provide a solid foundation for the next phase, where full-stack testing and extended simulations will deliver deeper insights into SOEL performance and durability.
The project targets are the following:
• Successful lab-scale demonstrators (TRL5) with long lasting performances, using relevant experimental methods: degradation rate (avg.): -25% for (AEL, PEMEL) and -50% for (AEMEL, SOEL); current density (avg.): 50% for (AEL, PEMEL) and +100% for (AEMEL, SOEL).
• Validation of multiphysics models that include multi-mechanisms degradation;
• Development of SoH tool and advance prognostic/diagnostic tools for life extension;
• Produce high performance techs with lower content of CRM allowing scalability and recyclability;
• CAPEX and OPEX reduction (avg.) of about 40% for (AEL, PEMEL) and more than 70% for (AEMEL, SOEL);
• +25 Publications on scientific papers;
• At least 7 postdoctoral researchers/PhD students trained;
In the first reporting period the project has partly reached the following targets:
• Successful lab-scale demonstrators (TRL5) with long lasting performances, using relevant experimental methods: degradation rate (avg.): -25% for (AEL, PEMEL) and -50% for (AEMEL, SOEL); current density (avg.): 50% for (AEL, PEMEL) and +100% for (AEMEL, SOEL).
• At 1 postdoctoral researcher and 1 PhD student have started at POLITO
• 2 publications under submission
• Successful lab-scale demonstrators (TRL5) with long lasting performances, using relevant experimental methods: degradation rate (avg.): -25% for (AEL, PEMEL) and -50% for (AEMEL, SOEL); current density (avg.): 50% for (AEL, PEMEL) and +100% for (AEMEL, SOEL).
• Validation of multiphysics models that include multi-mechanisms degradation;
• Development of SoH tool and advance prognostic/diagnostic tools for life extension;
• Produce high performance techs with lower content of CRM allowing scalability and recyclability;
• CAPEX and OPEX reduction (avg.) of about 40% for (AEL, PEMEL) and more than 70% for (AEMEL, SOEL);
• +25 Publications on scientific papers;
• At least 7 postdoctoral researchers/PhD students trained;
In the first reporting period the project has partly reached the following targets:
• Successful lab-scale demonstrators (TRL5) with long lasting performances, using relevant experimental methods: degradation rate (avg.): -25% for (AEL, PEMEL) and -50% for (AEMEL, SOEL); current density (avg.): 50% for (AEL, PEMEL) and +100% for (AEMEL, SOEL).
• At 1 postdoctoral researcher and 1 PhD student have started at POLITO
• 2 publications under submission