By Mary Page Bailey | May 1, 2022
A new category of electrolysis could significantly lower the expenses associated with producing “green” hydrogen. In the new capillary-fed electrolyzer cell — designed by Hysata (Wollongong, Australia; www.hysata.com) based on research from the University of Wollongong (www.uow.edu.au) — water is supplied to electrodes using capillary transport facilitated by a commercially available wicking membrane.
“Rather than having the electrodes surrounded by liquid as in a standard electrolyzer, this wicking membrane takes liquid from a reservoir below the electrodes and delivers targeted electrolyte between the two electrodes. The porous membrane has a very high open area and a much lower electrical resistance than the separators used in other electrolysis methods. This gives us very high current density and…