Process Parameter Optimization via RSM of a PEM based Water Electrolysis Cell for the Production of Green Hydrogen

In the present work, the operating parameters were optimized using Box Behnken Design (BBD) in response surface meth-odology (RSM) to maximize the hydrogen production rate (R-1) and hydrogen production rate per unit watt consumed (R-2)of a proton exchange membrane electrolysis cell (PEMEC), a third response (R3) which was the sum of the scaled valuesof R-1 and R-2 were selected to be maximized so that both hydrogen production rate and hydrogen production rate per unitwatt consumed could be maximized. The major parameters which were influencing the experiment for enhancing the outputresponses were oxygen electrode/anode electrocatalyst loading (A), current supplied (B) and water inlet temperature (C).The commercial proton exchange membrane Nafion (R) was used as the electrolyte. The acetylene black carbon (CAB) sup-ported IrO2 was used as the electrocatalyst for preparing oxygen electrode/anode whereas commercial Pt (40 wt%)/CHSAwas used as the H-2 electrode/cathode electrocatalyst. The quadratic model was developed to predict the output/ responsesand their proximity to the experimental output values. The developed model was found to be significant as the P valuesfor both the responses were < 0.0001 and F values weregreater than 1. The optimum condition for both the responses were O-2 electrode/anode electrocatalyst loading of 1.78 mg/cm(2), supplied current of 0.33 A and water inlet temperature of 54(o)C.The predicted values for hydrogen production rate (R1) and hydrogen production rate per unit watt consumed (R-2) were2.921 mL/min and 2.562 mL/(min<middle dot>W), respectively obtained from the quadratic model. The error % between the predictedresponse values and experimental values were 1.47% and 3.08% for R-1 and R-2, respectively. This model predicted the opti-mum conditions reasonably in good agreement with the experimental conditions for the enhancement of the outputresponses of the developed PEM based electrolyser