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pH-differential design and operation of electrochemical and photoelectrochemical systems with bipolar membrane

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journal contribution
posted on 2020-09-10, 13:15 authored by Hao Zhang, Huizhi Wang, Kui Jiao, Jin Xuan
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd Electrochemical and photoelectrochemical systems for hydrogen production and CO2 reduction are regarded as prospective technologies to achieve carbon-free energy vision. Electrolytes in different pH environment is desirable for each half electrochemical reaction to optimize the electrode kinetics and reduce the cost of noble metal catalysts. The bipolar membrane provides excellent opportunities to enable pH-differential operation. However, the effect of the bipolar membrane on electrochemical performance is not clarified yet. Here, a numerical modeling framework for bipolar membrane-based cells for electrochemical and photoelectrochemical applications was presented to study the viability of using bipolar membrane in the aspect of energy loss. The model for the first time successfully integrates the water dissociation at the bipolar membrane with the rest electrode kinetics and mass transfer, by treating the interfacial layer as a virtual electrode. Based on the model, the activation loss involved in the bipolar membrane devices were identified and compared with the ones with conventional monopolar membranes. A critical current density was identified for bipolar membranes, which is determined by the water dissociation performance of the membrane. Based on the critical current, the viable operation regions of using the bipolar membrane can be clarified for the electrochemical device. It is found that the bipolar membrane-based photoelectrochemical reactor has higher energy conversion efficiency than monopolar membrane configurations. However, the advantage of bipolar membrane becomes vanishing with photocurrent rising.

Funding

Solar Optofluidics (SOLO): Water Splitting beyond the 1.23 eV Thermodynamic Constraints

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

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Smart Microfluidics Towards Low-Cost High-Performance Li-Ion Batteries

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

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China-UK International Cooperation and Exchange Project (Newton Advanced Fellowship)

National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant No. 51861130359)

UK Royal Society (grant No. NAF\R1\180146)

History

School

  • Aeronautical, Automotive, Chemical and Materials Engineering

Department

  • Chemical Engineering

Published in

Applied Energy

Volume

268

Pages

115053

Publisher

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Version

  • AM (Accepted Manuscript)

Rights holder

© Elsevier

Publisher statement

This paper was accepted for publication in the journal Applied Energy and the definitive published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.115053

Acceptance date

2020-04-13

Publication date

2020-04-22

Copyright date

2020

ISSN

0306-2619

eISSN

1872-9118

Language

  • en

Depositor

Prof Jin Xuan . Deposit date: 9 September 2020

Article number

ARTN 115053