Method for operating an electrolyzer for hydrogen production
A method for operating an electrolyzer to produce hydrogen is provided. The method includes providing a compressed gas stream to a vortex tube to generate a cold stream and a hot stream; heating a fluid or a gas with the hot stream from the vortex tube to produce a heated fluid or a heated gas; and providing the heated fluid or heated gas to an electrolyzer. Electrolyzer systems and other methods for operating an electrolyzer are also provided.
1 . A method for operating an electrolyzer to produce hydrogen, the method comprising:
providing a compressed gas stream to a vortex tube to generate a cold stream and a hot stream;
heating a fluid or a gas with the hot stream from the vortex tube to produce a heated fluid; and
providing the heated fluid to the electrolyzer.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises water.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the heated fluid has a temperature of from about 40° C. to about 150° C.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hot stream has a temperature of from about 100° C. to about 200° C.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cold stream has a temperature of from about −50° C. to about 0° C.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more heat exchangers are used to heat the fluid with the hot stream.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein from about 50 vol. % to about 90 vol. % of the compressed gas forms the hot stream.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the compressed gas stream comprises hydrogen gas or air.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising compressing a hydrogen stream from the electrolyzer to form a compressed hydrogen stream.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising cooling the compressed hydrogen stream with the cold stream from the vortex tube.
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the compressed hydrogen stream is cooled to a temperature of from about −40° C. to about 0° C.
12 . A method for operating an electrolyzer to produce hydrogen, the method comprising:
providing a first compressed hydrogen stream from a hydrogen storage tank to a vortex tube to generate a cold hydrogen stream and a hot hydrogen stream;
heating a fluid with the hot hydrogen stream to form a heated fluid;
providing the heated fluid to the electrolyzer; and
after forming the heated fluid, storing the hot hydrogen stream in the hydrogen storage tank.
13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising compressing a low pressure hydrogen stream from the electrolyzer to form a second compressed hydrogen stream.
14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising storing the second compressed hydrogen stream in the hydrogen storage tank.
15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising dispensing the cold hydrogen stream.
16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the fluid comprises water.
17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the heated fluid has a temperature of from about 40° C. to about 150° C.
18 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the cold hydrogen stream has a temperature of from about −50° C. to about 0° C. and the hot hydrogen stream has a temperature of from about 100° C. to about 200° C.
19 . The method of claim 12 , wherein from about 50 vol. % to about 90 vol. % of the first compressed hydrogen stream forms the hot hydrogen stream.