Experimental study on multi-mode start-up and dynamic characteristics of proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer system
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PUBLIC SUMMARY
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Systematic experimental investigation of PEM electrolyzer dynamics covering cold start, hot start, and load regulation.
An entropy-TOPSIS integrated evaluation framework for objective and quantitative dynamic performance assessment.
Identification of critical current threshold enabling effective hot start-up to inform rapid operational strategies.
Stepwise load regulation proves superior in enhancing system efficiency and stability, especially during unloading.
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ABSTRACT
This study experimentally investigates and comparatively analyzes the dynamic performance of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer during cold start, hot start, and load regulation. The experimental comparison specifically includes three cold start-up strategies: direct, single-step, and double-step; two hot start-up approaches: direct and multi-step; and two load regulation modes: direct and stepwise. To comprehensively evaluate the dynamic performance of the PEM electrolyzer, this study adopts indicators such as voltage rise rate, average efficiency, and average hydrogen production rate for assessment. To objectively determine the weights of each indicator, the entropy weight method was adopted. Subsequently, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) was used to calculate the closeness coefficient of each operational strategy to the ideal solution, thereby quantifying their overall performance ranking. Results show that the single-step cold start-up strategy exhibits the best overall performance, with its voltage rise rate, average efficiency, and average hydrogen production rate being 2.32 mV/s, 69.68%, and 1.324 mmol/s, respectively. The multi-step hot start-up strategy demonstrates superior overall performance compared to the direct hot start-up, with corresponding indicators of 4.25 mV/s, 71.92%, and 1.315 mmol/s, respectively. The multi-step load regulation strategy exhibits significantly better overall performance than the direct regulation method, particularly during load-decreasing operations. The relative closeness coefficients are0.2816 and0.7184 for direct and multi-step load increasing, respectively, and0.0196 and0.9804 for direct and multi-step load decreasing, respectively. This study provides both experimental evidence and a comprehensive assessment framework for optimizing the dynamic operation strategies of PEM electrolyzers. -
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REFERENCES
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Zhang H., Wang P., Zhao L., et al. (2026). Experimental study on multi-mode start-up and dynamic characteristics of proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer system. The Innovation Energy 3:100160. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-energy.2026.100160
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Zhang H., Wang P., Zhao L., et al. (2026). Experimental study on multi-mode start-up and dynamic characteristics of proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer system. The Innovation Energy 3:100160. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-energy.2026.100160
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Figure 1.
(A) The principle of the experimental system. (B) Key technical parameters and requirements of the PEM
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Figure 2.
Cold start-up characteristics (A) Current, voltage, and temperature in DCS process (B) Hydrogen flow rate, and efficiency in DCS process (C) Current, voltage, and temperature in SCS process (D) Hydrogen flow rate, and efficiency in SCS process (E) Current, voltage, and temperature in MCS process (F) Hydrogen flow rate, and efficiency in MCS process
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Figure 3.
Hot start-up characteristics (A) Current, voltage, and temperature in DHS process (B) Hydrogen flow rate, and efficiency in DHS process (C) Current, voltage, and temperature in MHS process (D) Hydrogen flow rate, and efficiency in MHS process
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Figure 4.
Load regulation Characteristics (A) Current, voltage, and temperature in DLI process (B) Hydrogen flow rate, and efficiency in DLI process (C) Current, voltage, and temperature in MLI process (D) Hydrogen flow rate, and efficiency in MLI process (E) Current, voltage, and temperature in DLD process (F) Hydrogen flow rate, and efficiency in DLD process (G) Current, voltage, and temperature in MLD process (H) Hydrogen flow rate, and efficiency in MLD process
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Figure 5.
Integrated start-up and load regulation characteristics (A) cold start-up (B) hot start-up (C) load increase and decrease
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Figure 6.
Comprehensive evaluation based on TOPSIS and entropy weight method
