Experimental approach for assessing the impacts of intermittency: application on a 1 kW PEM electrolysis stack and on a 55 kW commercial PEM electrolyzer

This study introduces a novel experimental approach to evaluate both the short-term and long-term
performance of proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis technologies under intermittent
conditions. Based on a stochastic framework that incorporates random intermittency around a
specified operating point, test campaigns were performed on i) a 1 kW PEM electrolysis stack to
investigate the long-term effects of intermittency and ii) a 55 kW industrial PEM electrolyzer to
examine short-term impacts. This methodology entails comparing steady-state performance at a
defined operating point with performance under random intermittent conditions, while keeping the
average operating point constant. This approach isolates the influence of the operating point from the
effects solely due to electrical input fluctuations. First results from the commercial electrolyzer
revealed no short-term impacts of intermittent operation on the system key performance indicators
i.e. the specific consumption or the final production purity. By providing deeper insights into the
operational challenges and performance variations in PEM electrolyzers when integrated with
renewable energy systems, the research advances the development of more resilient and adaptable
hydrogen production technologies.