METHODS article
Front. Energy Res.
Sec. Process and Energy Systems Engineering
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fenrg.2025.1549219
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvanced Water Splitting Technologies Development: Best Practices and Protocols Volume IIView all 8 articles
A harmonized protocol to assess the single-cell performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers
Provisionally accepted
- 1Nel Hydrogen, Wallingford, CT, United States
- 2National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO, United States
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
The harmonization of testing protocols for proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers is essential for ensuring accurate and reliable performance assessments and accelerating the development of hydrogen production technologies. This protocol provides a structured approach to PEM electrolyzer setup and testing, incorporating key considerations for test station design and single-cell characterization techniques. Polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) are detailed, along with best practices from academic and industry research groups to enhance data accuracy and comparability. By addressing material variability and harmonizing testing methodologies, this framework enables more precise evaluations of membrane electrode assemblies and electrolyzer components. Harmonized protocols not only streamline development efforts but also foster collaboration across institutions, ultimately supporting the commercialization of hydrogen solutions through improved stack efficiency and durability.
Keywords: PEM electrolyzer, Polarization curve, Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), protocol, Test stand
Received: 20 Dec 2024; Accepted: 27 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Fortiner, Ouimet, Young, Bender, Carmo and Ayers. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Marcelo Carmo, Nel Hydrogen, Wallingford, CT, United States
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.