and inefficient in their current construction without the use of force monitoring. The electrolyser is made by stacking multiple anode and cathode plates and a membrane between each, and these are held together by gigantic tie-rods that secure the unit. Over time, if the rods are not monitored, they can loosen and can leak a tremendous amount of energy production efficiency. It is recommended that the users inspect the electrolysers periodically to check for leaks or damage. To do this, 10 or more electrolysers in a line need to be taken down for inspection. This is not only an inefficient process, but it can also lead to tremendous waste as taking the electrolysers down for inspection or repair can cause energy to leak. Therefore, more engineering innovation has been necessary to improve the promise of electrolyser farms. This is where force sensing comes into the equation. To reduce the downtime of an electrolyser, load cells can be used to measure the tie rod in real time. To do this, load cells are secured to the tie rod and connected to a strain bridge transmitter. This allows the user to always monitor the tension of the tie rod. This creates an autonomous monitoring system, which will tell users exactly when repair or inspection is needed, rather than a manual monitoring system that may shut down a portion of electrolysers when it is not necessary. Not to mention, the cost of downtime in electrolysers over time is significant compared to the one-time cost of purchasing a force measurement system to alert the user when repair is needed more accurately.
Additionally, load cells can last an infinite amount of time with the proper calibration and electrolysers rarely ever cycle, which reduces the opportunity for damage to the load cell. This means that this is a solution that will last as long as it is needed. Figure 1 visualises the process for monitoring an electrolyser unit using load cells.
Conclusion
Now is the time to truly invest in the promise of hydrogen energy in order to meet demands for green energy. Electrolysers have been around for a while now – there was a big push in the 1990s for this technology. However, the right elements were not there politically, economically, or climate crisis wise. Now time is running out as global warming becomes an ever-looming threat, pushing governments to mandate green energy innovation and usage. With force sensing capabilities, production, storage and monitoring solutions can become more efficient, safer and cost effective. Force measurement can also be used throughout the hydrogen energy innovation process, from R&D and testing, to real time measuring and monitoring. This promise can already be seen in electrolyser farms, which have become a real solution to help store huge amounts of green energy, while significantly reducing waste. As more applications take advantage of force sensing, its role will continue to grow throughout the journey of hydrogen innovation.
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