1. High temperature steam electrolysis for hydrogen production:
from material development to durable stack operation
J. Mougin1, G. Gousseau1, B. Morel1, F. Lefebvre-Joud1, F. Le Naour1,
F. Chauveau2, J.C. Grenier2, J.M. Bassat2
1
LITEN, Hydrogen Technology Division, CEA Grenoble,
17 rue des Martyrs, F-38054 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
2
ICMCB-CNRS, Université de Bordeaux 1,
87 Av. Dr. Schweitzer, F-33608 Pessac Cedex, France
Abstract: CEA is carrying out research in the field of High temperature steam
electrolysis (HTSE), from materials, cells and components developments to stack design
and including components and stack testing.
One stack design among those developed at CEA, targeting high compactness, will be
addressed. Several stacks made of three to five cells have been tested, cells being
commercial 225 cm² electrolyte supported cells. Stacks have been operated in pure
water vapor (no hydrogen introduced on the cathode side) at 800 to 825°C. Details
about performance and durability will be presented.
In parallel CEA is carrying out researches on new materials and cells, in order to
increase the cell performances and the stack performances. For that purpose, alternative
materials are studied, and among them layered perovskites used as oxygen electrode.
This research, carried out jointly by ICMCB-CNRS and CEA highlighted the great
potential of nickelates. It has been shown, on button cells at this stage, that electrolyte
supported cells containing the nickelate formulated Nd2NiO4+δ (*) present three times
higher performance at 800°C than cells with the regular LSM.
(*) Patent CNRS - EDF (F) "Procédé et dispositif d’électrolyse de l’eau comprenant un
matériau oxyde d’électrode particulier", P. Stevens, C. Lalanne, J.M. Bassat, F. Mauvy
et J.C. Grenier. France patent : FR 2872174 2005-12-30