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What are PEM Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers?

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][button size=”large” style=”white” target=”_self” hover_type=”default” font_weight=”500″ text_align=”center” text=”Request application note” link=”https://www.stinstruments.com/applications/energy/request-application-note-what-are-pem-fuel-cells-and-electrolyzers/” background_color=”#eb6209″ border_radius=”6″][button size=”small” style=”white” target=”_self” hover_type=”default” font_weight=”500″ text_align=”center” text=”Product” background_color=”#eb6209″ border_radius=”6″ link=”https://www.stinstruments.com/electrochemistry/potentiostat-galvanostat-eis/”][button size=”small” style=”white” target=”_self” hover_type=”default” font_weight=”500″ text_align=”left” text=”Brochure” background_color=”#eb6209″ border_radius=”6″ link=”https://www.stinstruments.com/electrochemistry/potentiostat-galvanostat-eis/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”23452″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” qode_css_animation=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text]Interest in fuel cell and electrolyzer technology is at an all-time high because combined, these two technologies have the potential to integrate into a complete green energy solution [1-2]. In this article we will explain the basic principles behind fuel cells / electrolyzers and show how potentiostats are used to qualify fuel cell and electrolyzer performance.

Although fuel cells and electrolyzers are two separate technologies, each with their own set of challenges, materials, and testing specification needs, it is helpful to discuss the two technologies in parallel. Fuel cells are electrochemical cells that convert chemical energy into electricity and electrolyzers convert electrical energy into molecules with high potential energy densities. The most common example is that of water splitting shown in Eq. (1).

Figure 1 represents a schematic of a PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cell, where the system is fed with a fuel (in this case H2) and an oxidant (here O2, contained in air) and electricity and water are the products (reverse direction of Eq. (1)). In an electrolyzer, schematic in Figure 2, the system is fed with water and electricity is used to split water into H2 and O2 (forward direction of Eq. (1)).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

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