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Additive manufacturing of multifunctional electrolyzer components for hydrogen production
Jallow, F. 2025. Additive manufacturing of multifunctional electrolyzer components for hydrogen production. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/eff0c09c-e0b4-4a64-a65d-8fe445386a0b
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867614120125136896 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Jallow, Fama |
| author2 | Neaves, Melody |
| author_browse | Jallow, Fama Neaves, Melody |
| author_facet | Neaves, Melody Jallow, Fama |
| author_sort | Jallow, Fama |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Jallow, F. 2025. Additive manufacturing of multifunctional electrolyzer components for hydrogen production. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/eff0c09c-e0b4-4a64-a65d-8fe445386a0b |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132522 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:46:59.291Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132522 Additive manufacturing of multifunctional electrolyzer components for hydrogen production Jallow, Fama Neaves, Melody Ter Haar, Gerrit McGregor, Craig Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering. Additive manufacturing Hydrogen evolution reaction Computer-aided design UCTD Jallow, F. 2025. Additive manufacturing of multifunctional electrolyzer components for hydrogen production. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/eff0c09c-e0b4-4a64-a65d-8fe445386a0b Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Proton exchange membrane water electrolysers (PEMWEs) represent an efficient and compact technology for hydrogen production. However, their widespread commercial adoption has been hindered by the high costs associated with the fabrication of critical components, such as the mesh flow distributor structures on the anode side. This component plays a crucial role in optimizing the two-phase (oxygen and water) counterflow distribution, enhancing electrical conductivity, and facilitating efficient heat transfer. The complex geometries required for these structures are challenging and costly to produce using conventional manufacturing techniques. This study investigates the potential of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, specifically laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF), for fabricating titanium meshes with varying geometries. By controlling pore and strut shape and dimensions, meshes with tailored porosities and surface areas were produced and characterized using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Surface treatments were applied to chemically polish the as-built surfaces and to enhance hydrophilicity for improving water transport to the catalyst layers, and the treated surfaces were characterized. Moreover, the multifunctional potential of these mesh structures as electrodes was explored through oxidation and cathodization, which generated titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and defect-rich titania (TiOx) structures on the mesh surfaces. The performance of the meshes was evaluated both for their role as electrodes in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and as flow distributors within a single PEMWE cell. In their role as electrodes, meshes with TiOx surface structures showed improved HER activity with higher current densities at lower overpotentials compared to meshes with TiO₂ surface treatment. Polishing further greatly enhances the surface area through microscopic dimple formation, further enhancing catalytic activity. These hierarchically structured electrocatalysts are designed to reduce the reliance on expensive noble metals like platinum, offering cost reduction opportunities. L-PBF fabricated meshes subjected to polishing and hydrophilic treatments further demonstrated similar polarization curves to the standard PEMWE flow distributor mesh and higher hydrogen production rates were observed for high porosity meshes. AM techniques such as L-PBF combined with surface treatments have therefore been shown to produce multifunctional components with competitive performances as electrodes and PEMWE flow distributors for hydrogen production. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Protonuitruilmembraan-waterelektroliseerders (PEMWE's) verteenwoordig 'n doeltreffende en kompakte tegnologie vir waterstofproduksie. Die wydverspreide kommersiële aanvaarding daarvan word egter belemmer deur die hoë koste verbonde aan die vervaardiging van kritieke komponente, soos die maasvloeiverspreiderstrukture aan die anodekant. Hierdie komponent speel 'n belangrike rol in die optimalisering van die tweefase (suurstof en water) teenvloeiverspreiding, die verbetering van elektriese geleidingsvermoë en die fasilitering van doeltreffende hitte-oordrag. Die komplekse geometrieë wat vir hierdie strukture benodig word, is uitdagend en duur om te vervaardig deur gebruik te maak van konvensionele vervaardigingstegnieke. Hierdie studie ondersoek die potensiaal van additiewe vervaardiging (AM) tegnologieë, spesifiek laser-poeierbed samesmelting (L-PBF), vir die vervaardiging van titanium maas met verskillende geometrieë. Deur die vorm en dimensies van porie en stut te beheer, is mase met pasgemaakte porositeite en oppervlakareas geproduseer en gekarakteriseer met behulp van optiese mikroskopie en skandeerelektronmikroskopie. Oppervlakbehandelings is toegepas om die oppervlaktes van die soos geboudemaas chemies te poleer en om hidrofilisiteit te verbeter vir die verbetering van watervervoer na die katalisatorlae, en die behandelde oppervlaktes is gekarakteriseer. Boonop is die multifunksionele potensiaal van hierdie maasstrukture as elektrodes ondersoek deur oksidasie en katodisasie, wat titaandioksied (TiO₂) en defekryke titaandioksied (TiOx) strukture op die maasoppervlaktes gegenereer het. Die werkverrigting van die mase is geëvalueer beide vir hul rol as elektrodes in die waterstof evolusie reaksie (HER) en as vloeiverspreiders binne 'n enkele PEMWE sel. In hul rol as elektrodes het mase met TiOx-oppervlakstrukture verbeterde HERaktiwiteit getoon met hoër stroomdigthede by laer oorpotensiale in vergelyking met mase met TiO₂-oppervlakbehandeling. Polering verbeter die oppervlakte verder aansienlik deur mikroskopiese kuiltjievorming, wat katalitiese aktiwiteit verder verbeter. Hierdie hiërargies gestruktureerde elektrokatalisators is ontwerp om die afhanklikheid van duur edelmetale soos platinum te verminder, wat kosteverminderingsgeleenthede bied. L-PBF-vervaardigde mase wat aan gepoleerde en hidrofiliese behandelings onderwerp is, het verder soortgelyke polarisasiekurwes aan die standaard PEMWE-vloeiverspreidermaas gedemonstreer en hoër waterstofproduksietempo's is waargeneem vir mase met hoë porositeit. Masters 2025-06-10T12:28:03Z 2025-06-10T12:28:03Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132522 Stellenbosch University xv, 84 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Additive manufacturing Hydrogen evolution reaction Computer-aided design UCTD Jallow, Fama Additive manufacturing of multifunctional electrolyzer components for hydrogen production |
| title | Additive manufacturing of multifunctional electrolyzer components for hydrogen production |
| title_full | Additive manufacturing of multifunctional electrolyzer components for hydrogen production |
| title_fullStr | Additive manufacturing of multifunctional electrolyzer components for hydrogen production |
| title_full_unstemmed | Additive manufacturing of multifunctional electrolyzer components for hydrogen production |
| title_short | Additive manufacturing of multifunctional electrolyzer components for hydrogen production |
| title_sort | additive manufacturing of multifunctional electrolyzer components for hydrogen production |
| topic | Additive manufacturing Hydrogen evolution reaction Computer-aided design UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132522 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jallowfama additivemanufacturingofmultifunctionalelectrolyzercomponentsforhydrogenproduction |