【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】1336–2023: China’s first largest single-unit electrolytic water hydrogen production facility

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Recently, the largest single-unit electrolytic water hydrogen production system in China, which was developed and designed by Professor Liang Changhai’s team from Dalian University of Technology and brought into industrial use in collaboration with Wuxi Huaguang Environmental Protection Energy Group Co., Ltd. – a 3.2MPa, 1500–2000 Nm3/h alkaline electrolytic water hydrogen production system – was unveiled in Wuxi, Jiangsu. Peng Xiaojun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and dean of the School of Chemical Engineering at Dalian University of Technology, said that this achievement fills the gap in domestic thousand-square-foot high-pressure electrolyzers, and this technology has been successfully translated from the laboratory stage to industrial application. This project was carried out through a school-enterprise partnership between Dalian University of Technology and the Zero-Carbon Engineering Technology Research Center of Wuxi Huaguang Environmental Protection Energy Group Co., Ltd. It involved everything from the development of laboratory-scale technologies, to the creation of pilot-scale proof-of-concept devices, as well as the research, design, manufacturing, installation, and operation of pilot-scale systems. The result was the largest single-unit electrolytic water hydrogen production device of its kind in China, which is a 3.2MPa, 1500–2000 Nm3/h alkaline electrolytic water hydrogen production system that represents a breakthrough in this field. The success of the alkaline electrolytic water hydrogen production technology represents another significant breakthrough by Dalian University of Technology in contributing to the **\"dual carbon\" strategic goals, by actively promoting collaboration among industry, academia, and research institutions, as well as accelerating the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements from universities. The results of the pilot test show that the energy consumption per unit of hydrogen produced by the 30 Nm3/h alkaline electrolysis water hydrogen production pilot plant is 4.2 kwh/Nm3, with a system energy efficiency of 84.6%, which is far superior to the first-class energy efficiency standard. The operating load can be adjusted between 20% and 200%, and the device can operate stably for extended periods at current densities up to 5000 A/m2. Based on pilot-scale tests, and utilizing the industry’s first independently developed intelligent, digital design system, a full range of alkaline electrolytic water hydrogen production systems with capacities of 2000 Nm3 and below has been developed. The electrolyzer is designed in accordance with pressure vessel standards, with a hydrogen production pressure of 1.6–3.2 MPa. It is expected that at a current density of 2500 A/m2, the specific energy consumption will be ≤4.0 kwh/Nm3, the purity of hydrogen at the outlet of the electrolyzer will be >99.97%, and the maximum current density can reach 6000 A/m2, ensuring reliable performance. By combining 3D modeling with stress analysis, product lightweighting is achieved, which significantly shortens the manufacturing cycle and saves costs for users. Building on their previous cooperation, the university and the enterprise will continue to work together on zero-carbon technology pathways, technology development, technology integration, equipment manufacturing, and application research in the fields of energy and environmental protection. They will also focus on fostering scientific and technological achievements, establishing standards, and promoting industrial applications, thereby providing cutting-edge technological innovation support for enterprises’ green transformation and carbon recovery initiatives. At the press conference, the university and the enterprise signed a framework cooperation agreement on joint research and development regarding \"the development of ammonia-burning boilers\" and \"the development of key technologies for hydrogen production through proton exchange membrane electrolysis\". In addition, the Chengdu Research Institute of Dalian University of Technology, Wuxi Huaguang Environmental Protection Energy Group Co., Ltd., and the Chengdu New Materials Industry Functional Zone signed a cooperation agreement. The three parties will focus on the field of green and low-carbon development, working together in Chengdu to establish a zero-carbon engineering technology research center as well as a base for the industrialization of new materials and related equipment. They will accelerate the research, development, and commercialization of technologies such as low-energy-consuming electrolyzers, catalysts, and carbon capture methods, strengthen the sharing of intellectual property and information resources, and promote the implementation of projects related to the manufacturing of materials and equipment throughout the industrial chain.