Research Projects

The proposal focuses on developing a scalable and efficient 0.1kW glycerol oxidation-assisted water electrolyzer stack to advance green hydrogen production technologies. This project targets the integration of indigenous, high-performance electrocatalysts into an innovative Membrane Electrode Assembly through direct membrane deposition; Objectives: (i) Exploring and optimizing cost-effective Vanadium Cobalt Phosphide based electrocatalyst with low noble metal loading like Pt, Pd (less than 5 mg.cm-²) through electrodeposition for anodic glycerol oxidation reaction. Designing nickel-based electrocatalyst for cathode that can produce overall hydrogen production with current density exceeding 500 mA.cm-² at a cell voltage of 1.1-1.8 V with 99.9% Faradaic efficiency. (ii) Fabricating Membrane electrode assembly with the optimized, developed electrocatalyst through depositing membrane directly on the optimized anode and cathode electro-catalyst layer using commercial anion ionomer solution for the improved electrode-electrolyte interface with low contact and mass-transport resistance through spray coating and evaluating its electrochemical performance in single electrolyzer cell and studying the effect of temperature, pH, current density, and electrolyte flow rate on electrolyzer performance.(iii) Demonstration of prototype 0.1 kW electrolyzer stack with the power consumption of less than 4kWh.m-3 with 99.9 percentage hydrogen purity. Challenges Addressed: (i) Overcoming high energy consumption and inefficiencies in water electrolysis by leveraging glycerol oxidation’s favorable thermodynamics (oxidation potential of 0.69 V compared to 1.23 V for OER. Improving safety and durability by reducing risks of hydrogen-oxygen mixture explosions and membrane degradation caused by reactive oxygen species (ii) Reducing mass transport and ohmic losses by integrating membrane and catalyst through direct membrane deposition. Innovative contributions: (i) Development of biomass component oxidation-assisted water electrolyzer technology advancing from Technology Readiness Level TRL- 2 to TRL 4, with potential to establish India as a leader in sustainable hydrogen production. (ii) The proposal contributes to several Indian government mission programme like National Green Hydrogen Mission, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India, Viksit Bharat, Swatch Bharath (iii) On successful completion of present project would ensure the efficient way of H2 fuel productions for the societal development. Conclusion This project will establish a sustainable pathway for green hydrogen production while addressing challenges of scalability, energy efficiency, and cost. It holds the potential to position India as a global hub for green hydrogen technologies and carbon-negative energy solutions