Avaliação de um reator constituído por eletrodos porosos de níquel para a produção hidrogênio eletrolítico.

Abstract

The production of gaseous pollutants is linked directly to the large consumption of fossil fuels. The environment is already showing signs of wear, while they are still being extremely important for the global economy. The damage caused by global warming, along with the growing concern about the decreased levels of world reserves of fossil fuels and the growing demand energetic global, motivate studies on the production of hydrogen by him introduce yourself how with a large energy vector. Generally, the basic processes for producing hydrogen from the primary energy sources are: the electrolysis of water; thermochemical processes and also biological processes. The electrolysis; despite being promising; still needs a considerable amount of energy. That is why; researches should be developed to make the H2, indeed, an energy vector. Was following this perspective that the present work aimed to evaluate a bipolar electrolytic reactor composed by electrodes porous the nickel for H2 production. On the reactor studied were used porous electrodes compounds steel of plates (nickel-1020) and sponges porous of nickel welded in the electrolyte area. With the characterization of the reactor was found that he had a superior performance at a reactor composed of steel electrodes nickel plated operating under the same conditions of tension and concentration of the electrolyte. The H2 flow produced in flat electrodes with KOH solution (20 and 25) % were (0,042 and 0,043) L/(h.cm2), respectively. Already the H2 flow of the nickel porous electrode with solution of KOH (20 and 25) % were (0,087 and 0,122) L/(h.cm2), respectively. With this fact it was found that with the same electrolytic area was produced more than the dobro and, practically; triple the H2 with electrodes porous of nickel operating with KOH solution (20 and 25) %; respectively; by mass; as electrolyte. This performance led to savings of up to 46,69 % in energy consumed to produce 1,0 m3 of H2. Based on the results with the reactor, the electrode porous of nickel was shown to be excellent to be employed in the hydrogen production process by making it more effective and viable.