PhD Studentship: Improving the Efficiency of Hydrogen Generation in Electrolysis

A fully funded PhD studentship is available under the supervision of Prof Colm Durkan, with a start date of 1^st January 2025. Funding will cover the student's stipend and tuition fees at the UK rate.

As we strive to transition away from our reliance on fossil fuels, a number of alternative systems have risen in prominence, including electrification and the use of Hydrogen as a fuel. Hydrogen is traditionally created via hydrolysis of water, and the efficiency of this process is greatly increased by adding electrolytes to the water to increase its electrical conductivity.

Alkaline electrolysers are considered to be the most mature type of hydrogen producers; however, there is still much room for improvement in efficiency, particularly due to issues around bubble formation. Bubbles create issues by lingering on the electrodes and blocking reactant access, or though inducing concentration overpotential from micro-convection during bubble growth and departure.

In this project, we will investigate the processes behind nucleation, growth and eventual separation of these bubbles. We will look at this at macroscopic, microscopic and nanoscopic lengthscales and at timescales from below ms to many seconds, and under a variety of industrially-relevant operating conditions including appropriate flow regimes. This will assist in the move towards sustainable energy sources, as the current state of Hydrogen production is severely hampered by this issue.

This work is part of a larger project between the Department of Engineering and the Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows, and is funded by BP-ICAM (International centre for advanced materials).

The project brings together both theory and experiment, with the ultimate aims of:

• Understanding bubble nucleation, growth and separation processes and being able to model them;

• Understanding the role of the electrode structure, composition and surfaces, and using that to design and create surfaces that facilitate rapid removal of bubbles.

The work to be carried out in this phase of the project will be largely based on Optical electron and Atomic Force Microscopy-based mapping and characterisation of the electrode structures, combined with advanced functional property imaging (surface potential, grain structure, chemical functionality).  This will aim to determine the surface properties which lead to formation of bubbles at specific surface sites, and the impact of the modification of surface free energy.  We will then use this information to design and fabricate electrodes with the intention of actively controlling where and how bubbles form.

Applicants should have (or expect to obtain by the start date) at least a good 2.1 degree in an Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science or a related subject.

Applications should be submitted via the University of Cambridge Applicant Portal www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/egegpdpeg, with Professor Colm Durkan identified as the potential supervisor.

Please quote reference NM42451 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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