Electrolysis of water is the decomposition of water (H2O) into oxygen (O2) and hydrogen gas (H2) due to an electric current being passed through the water.
An electrolyser is a device which splits water into hydrogen and oxygen using electrical energy.
When the electrical input comes from a renewable source, hydrogen has no carbon footprint. This is the only practical way to generate a zero carbon fuel supply.
There are many sizes of electrolysers which is dependent on the amount of Hydrogen that is produced by the Electrolyser;
| H2 PRODUCTION | OUTPUT PRESSURE | WATER CONSUMPTION | H2 PURITY | POWER REQUIREMENT per hour | INPUT VOLTAGE | TECHNOLOGY USED | LIFESPAN HRS Continuous use |
| 1nm3/hr | 30bar (437psi) | 0.8l/hr | 99.940% | 4kW | AC (240V) or DC | AES | 10000 |
| 2nm3/hr | 30bar (437psi) | 1.6l/hr | 99.940% | 8kW | AC (240V) or DC | AES | 10000 |
| 1nm3/hr | 0-7.9bar (0-115psi) | 1l/hr | 99.998% | 6.7kW | AC (240V) or DC | PEM | 30000 |
| 2nm3/hr | 0-7.9bar (0-115psi) | 2l/hr | 99.998% | 13.4kW | AC (240V) or DC | PEM | 30000 |
| 10nm3/hr | 4-10bar (58-146psi) | 15-20l/hr | 99.998% | 54kW | 3phase AC | IMET | 60000 |
| 15nm3/hr | 4-10bar (58-146psi) | 22.5-30l/hr | 99.998% | 81kW | 3phase AC | IMET | 60000 |
| 30nm3/hr | 4-10bar (58-146psi) | 45-60l/hr | 99.998% | 156kW | 3phase AC | IMET | 60000 |
| 45nm3/hr | 4-10bar (58-146psi) | 67.5-90l/hr | 99.998% | 234kW | 3phase AC | IMET | 60000 |
| 60nm3/hr | 4-10bar (58-146psi) | 90-120l/hr | 99.998% | 312kW | 3phase AC | IMET | 60000 |
| 220nm3/hr | 4-10bar (58-146psi | 200-220l/hr | 99.998% | 1MW | 3phase AC | PEM | 60000 |
The main advantages of Hydrogenics’s electrolysers are:
- low cost due to absence of noble metals
- can be connected directly to intermittent power supply (renewables)
- use with filtered rainwater
- user-friendly containing no dangerous caustic electrolyte
- directly compressed hydrogen
- safe, reliable and efficient
- easy to integrate