The Hydrogen Research Department of the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER, President Kim Jong-nam) led by Dr. Kim Chang-hee succeeded in developing equipment for precise evaluation of the performance and efficiency of water electrolysis devices that are used to produce hydrogen, an environmentally friendly energy source.

Decompounding water using electricity, a water electrolysis device is an assembly of electrolysis cells, which consist of a cathode and anode where hydrogen and oxygen are generated, respectively, and a membrane that delivers ions between the two electrodes and prevents the hydrogen and oxygen from being mixed up. The efficiency of an electrolysis device depends on the performance of the electrolysis cells.

In addition to the conventional measurement of voltage efficiency, the team measured the flux and concentrations of hydrogen and oxygen gases generated from the operation of the electrolysis cells in real time and analyzed the level of mix-up. The team’s research accomplishment has significance as an element technology developed in house that is in demand in the research field. The technology also allows for making electrolysis performance evaluation equipment at a cheaper cost compared with leading foreign counterparts, hence contributing to the dissemination of locally developed electrolysis performance evaluation equipment.