Page 15 - Introduction to Transfer Phenomena in PEM Fuel Cells

4 Introduction to Transfer Phenomena in PEM Fuel Cells

Figure 1.3. Distribution of H 2 consumption

The process is chosen according to many parameters (type of primary
energy, purity, flows, etc.); it also depends on the target sector that intends to
use this energy vector. Global consumption by application type is shown in
Figure 1.3.

Today, less than 4% of the total production capacity of hydrogen is
provided by electrolysis. This method is used only if the electricity is either
inevitable (for renewable sources such as wind or photovoltaic), or cheap
and/or if a high purity of the hydrogen is required. The increasing use of
renewable sources is leading to the development of electrolysis, an attractive
process for the development of these new energies [AFH 18].

There are even ways of producing hydrogen by wind energy, essentially
by the electrolysis of water using a process that preserves the environment.
Although the exploitation of wind energy and the electrolysis of water
have been widely used in the past, their combination has not been widely
applied at a commercial level. This production remains an efficient and safe
way to store wind energy, especially in times of low energy demand and
strong wind.