Analysis and experimental investigation of electrochemical hydrogen compression for hydrogen purification
master's thesis, student project report, project report, diploma thesis

Hydrogen from chemical production or natural sources has a low purity and therefore a significant impact on the performance and service life of a fuel cell. The aim of this work is to investigate whether the electrochemical compression (EHC) process, which can be used to compress hydrogen at filling stations, can also be used to remove impurities in hydrogen. This will involve research in the current state of electrochemical compression and the impurities that occur in hydrogen. It will be followed by a process analysis and chemical analysis of the EHC and the assembly of a test object in a test bench. The purification effect will be demonstrated by measuring the gas concentrations in the test bench.

Focus of the work:

• State-of-the-art in fuel cells, hydrogen contamination and electrochemical compression
• Analysis of the process and chemical/electrochemical reactions
• Research and creation of a test protocol for measuring purification
• Assembly of an EHC analysis cell and a measurement system for measuring the purification efficiency and the cells energy requirements
• Measurement of gas concentrations in hydrogen before and after electrochemical compression
• Summary and clear presentation of the results