Dynamic Response of a Sono-Electrolyzer under PV Supply for Hydrogen Production: A Modelling Approach for the Kinetic and Energetic Assessment under Northern Algerian Meteorological Conditions

Abstract

The experimental work is based on the PV solar powered membraneless KOH alkaline sono-electrolyzer using indirect continuous sonication under real meteorological conditions. The site of the study (36.9° N, 7.77° E) is located at the extreme North-East of Algeria, covering the semester ranging from March to September. A validated semi-empirical model for the dynamic assessment of the global incident solar radiation is adopted, in association with a fundamental model based on the electrical analogy of the electrolytic cell. The experimental setup and measurements coupled to the preliminary numerical model led to a fraction of electrode coverage of 37% with a maximum recovery of 13% and 10% in ohmic and cell voltages, respectively. The characterization of the sonication system through the calorimetric technique demonstrated an acoustic efficiency of 13.7%.