Solid oxide electrolysis technology is where solid oxide electrolysis cells produce hydrogen and oxygen (by-product), through an electrochemical process, from water and electricity. If utilised electricity is from renewable sources, produced hydrogen is considered as green hydrogen.
A solid oxide electrolysis cell is a thin (ca 0,4mm) ceramic plate that contains different material layers with complex porous system.
Solid oxide electrolysis cells have three main components: anode, cathode and electrolyte. The anode and cathode have a relatively high porosity, which allows gasses to pass through them. The cathode side receives water molecules (steam) and the anode generates oxygen from the oxygen ions recombination. The electrolyte, between the anode and cathode, is dense and conducts oxygen ions from the cathode to the anode.
The water is split on the cathode side, generating H2 and O2- ions. The negatively charged oxygen ions move to the anode side which then loses electrons (after recombination to O2) that return through an external load to the electron deficient cathode side, requiring an external power source (e.g., renewable energy).
Due to the endothermal electrochemical process and water evaporation, the reaction requires external heat that can be produced by a simple electrical resistance or taken from nearby industrial heat sources. Also, the process can be designed as a thermoneutral selecting right operating voltage/current parameters due to heat created by the cell itself.
Single cells produce limited amounts of hydrogen and are therefore combined into stacks. A stack consists of multiple single cells, which are separated by similarly shaped metal interconnector plates. These connect single cells in series and contain channels for air and steam distribution.
One or multiple stacks integrated into an electrolysis system. An electrolysis system contains various components for steam and hydrogen distribution, thermal management, power conversion, controls etc (Balance of Plant (BoP) components). These systems can generate hydrogen with up to 100% efficiency for multiple applications – residential, commercial, industrial and transportation.
Solid oxide electrolysis systems have the potential to reshape how the world is powered, allowing efficient, clean, and reliable hydrogen generation. They can help us sharply reduce our use of fossil fuels, moving away from fuels such as coal to cleaner sources and eventually to renewably generated hydrogen.
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