Pure water has low conductivity and is thus not suitable. Therefore, a water solution usually of
KOH, NaOH or HCl is used to increase the conductivity. With few exceptions, the electrolyte in
conventional electrolysers has a 25-35 wt% content of KOH. The classical, monopolar electrolyser
is constructed as shown in figure:
Figure 1. The monopolar water electrolyser construction, with potassium hydroxide added to
improve the performance
However it is intended to design a plant Based on The Bipolar Alkaline Based( KOH) Electrolyser.
Fig2:. a) Cell walls; b) Electrolyte; c) Cathode; d) Anode; e) Hydrogen outlet; f)Oxygen outlet; g)
Gas collector; h) Diaphragm; i) Outer cathode; j) Outer anode; k) Bipolar electrode; l) Insulation
The Plant is intended to have a design capacity of 14000 tonnes a year.
In order to maintain the techno economic feasibility of the plant additional units may be added in
the future as electrolysis is a power hungry procedure.
Considering the basic schematic of the initial design.
Figure 3. Process diagram of an electrolysis unit with the most important components
a) Rectifier unit; b) Process water demineraliser ion exchange unit; c) Electrolytic cell's water
electrolyser; d) Gas separator and cooler; e) Gas scrubber; f) Electrolyte tank and transfer pump;
g) Gas holder; h) Filter; i) Compressor; j) Gas purifier; k) Drying; l) High-pressure storage tank
and cylinder filling station
2.Material Balance:
The optimal choice of electrolyser is the Lurgi type. This unit combines a high output pressure of
both oxygen and hydrogen (30 bars) and operates at a high temperature. Moreover, the market
position of this equipment is excellent, with more than 100 installed systems worldwide. To
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supply the demanded production rate of hydrogen, a number of parallel units will be needed. The
maximum production rate for a single Lurgi electrolyser is 760 Nm3/h. The pressurised oxygen
product is used in the gasifier. The oxygen residuals in the hydrogen stream are removed in a
catalytic deoxidiser.
However, the Lurgi electrolyser is a very complex and expensive choice and therefore not a
suitable choice for this project. Instead the atmospheric electrolyser from Norsk Hydro is chosen.
When using an atmospheric electrolyser two compressors have to be installed, one for the
hydrogen and one for the oxygen. The maximum production rate for a single electrolyser is 100
Nm3/h. To supply the demanded production of hydrogen several electrolysers will be needed.
So applying the material balance on a single electrolyser unit:
5 tonnes of Hydrogen=5000 kg=5000/0.0898=55679.287 Nm3 of H2.
Which will require 55679.287/100=556.79287557 of such units.
And each unit will be processing nearly nine kilograms of hydrogen and 72 kilograms of oxygen
each hour.
Input to Electrolyser units:
Material
Water
Potassium Hydroxide
mixed
with
Input to Deoxidiser:
Material
Impure Hydrogen Stream
3.Energy Balance:
The main consumers of energy in the process involves:
1. Electricity Consumption in the Electrolysers
2. Compression of product gasses for liquefaction and storage.
3. Heating up of water stream entering the Electrolyser battery.
Through this reaction, two molecules of water are decomposed and hydrogen evolves in the
cathode. In the anode, oxygen evolves and at the same time one molecule of water is regenerated.
As a result, one molecule of water is decomposed and another molecule of water moves to the
anode.
In industrial alkaline water electrolysis, 2040% sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide
aqueous solution is used for electrolyte instead of pure water, since pure water is highly resistive
to electricity.
Er, the reversible potential (equilibrium potential, namely theoretical voltage of electrolysis) is
given by following equation.
= 0
Reversible potential is theoretically decided according to the reaction condition, but overvoltage
and ohmic loss vary with activity of electrodes and cell design. Overvoltage is loss due to
resistance by the chemical reaction rate. To drive the chemical reaction of electrolysis, extra
energy is required in addition to the reversible potential which corresponds to a zero reaction
rate. In water electrolysis, overvoltage is decided by the reaction rate at the electrodes. Therefore
electrodes with highly active electrocatalysts can reduce the overvoltage. Ohmic loss is mainly
caused by electric resistance of electrolyte, which can be reduced by shortening the distance
between anode and cathode. Ohmic loss is also caused by electric resistance of circuitry. Both
overvoltage and ohmic loss increase with the increasing current density (current per unit area of
electrode), hence increase of cell voltage and, therefore, increase of electric power to make
hydrogen.
The water electrolyzers currently used in industry work at a cell voltage of 1.82.2 volts
corresponding to 4.35.3 kWh per N m3 hydrogen. N stand for normal condition that means
the volume at 0oC and 1atm pressure.
So, Considering the fact that we plan to produce 5000 kg of H2 in one hour.
5000 kg of H2=5000/0.0898=55679.287 Nm3 of H2.
55679.287 Nm3 of H2=55679.287 X 4.3=239420.9354 kWh
Hence, 239420.9354 kWh must be supplied to the Electrolyser Battery Alone.
4.Equipment Design:
4.1.Heat Exchanger 1:
LMTD:((90-33)-(35-30))/(log(90-33)/(35-30)=49.2002
Area=552007.225/49.2002=11219.61m2
4.2.Heat Exchanger 2:
Area= 2600512.775kWh/(90-33)=45623.03114m2
5.Cost Estimation:
5.1.Capital Cost:
Item
Electrolysis
Hydro Electrolysis System
Oxygen Compressor
Hydrogen Compressor
Heat Exchangers
HEX1
HEX2
189268500
30946920
Power Generation
Steam Boiler
180262080
Pumps
P1
P2
Storage Vessels
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Total Module Cost
220215420
180262080
14123100
8473860
5649240
138663360
15407040
123256320
19321226460
Cost in RS.
RS.
19321226460
1238337900
2063896500
22623460860
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Material storage
Hydrogen
Spare parts
Oxygen
829440
41277960
6635520
FIXED CAPITAL
48742920
Raw material
Water
Eletricity
Operating staff
Management
Lab work
Maintenance
Wast treatment
4947060
1516273680
61714263
9257160
9257160
412779300
7622820
2021851443
48742920
2021851443
52457160
13114260
50929920
116501340
116501340
2187095703
2187095703
5.4.Investment Analysis:
INVESTMENT ANALYSIS:
ITEM
COST IN RS.
Depreciation of capital cost
1512801300
Operating cost
5093122183
Annual production cost /kg
833094120
Production cost /kg H2
296.4
Electricity price
4.44
Vkk current
360
Interest rate
10%
Economic life span
15 yrs
Hydro electrolyser system cost/unit
45000000
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6.Conclusion:
This Plant will yield a Total Profit of Rs. 13330103595 over the period of 15 yrs. Hence the set up
is feasible. Oxygen however has very small contribution to the profit and is mainly dependent on
Hydrogen gas obtained at a purity of 99.6%.
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7.References:
1.KET050 Feasibility Studies on Industrial Plants Dept of Chemical Engineering, Lund Institute of
Technology
2. ENERGY CARRIERS AND CONVERSION SYSTEMS Vol. I - Alkaline Water Electrolysis - Isao Abe
3. Efficiency Calculation and Configuration Design of a PEM Electrolyzer System for Hydrogen
Production.Houcheng Zhang, Shanhe Su, Guoxing Lin*, Jincan Chen**Department of Physics,
Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, Peoples Republic of China. Int. J. Electrochem. Sci., 7 (2012)
4143 4157.
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