Thermal management of proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) stacks under renewable energy fluctuations remains a challenge for large-scale hydrogen production. This study investigated dynamical thermal behavior of membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and developed targeted control strategies for different renewable energy scenarios. Through in-situ temperature measurements with 0.05 mm thermocouples, we observed and quantified significant thermal shock phenomena, defined as rapid and substantial temperature variation of MEA during current step changes. The MEA temperature exhibited rise rates up to 69.6 °C min-1 under these conditions, due to the mismatch between rapid electrochemical reactions and slower heat transfer. Our investigation of mitigation strategies revealed that elevated inlet temperature effectively reduced thermal shock but led to high equilibrium temperatures, while enhanced flow rates provided better final temperatures control but showed limited effectiveness in thermal shock reduction. These findings led to scenario-specific management strategies: wind power integration benefits from combining moderate inlet temperature elevation with flow rate control, while solar photovoltaic applications rely on flow rate adjustment. This study provides fundamental insights and practical guidelines for thermal management in renewable energy-powered PEMWE stacks.

Link: Study of dynamic thermal behavior and control strategies for membrane electrode assembly of proton exchange membrane water electrolysis - ScienceDirect