Hydrogen Electrolysis

Infineon's power semiconductors are designed to meet the growing demand for energy-efficient and eco-friendly products, covering the full performance spectrum for various AC and DC-coupled power conversion topologies from kW to greater than MW scale in the production of green hydrogen. 

Electrolysis produces hydrogen by using electricity to split water into its hydrogen and oxygen components. The process requires high levels of direct current (DC) supplied by power conversion systems. The design of this converter significantly affects the overall efficiency, reliability, and cost of the green hydrogen plant.

Infineon power semiconductors with AC and DC-coupled power conversion topologies are used in large hydrogen plants. AC inputs from the grid or wind-generated electricity sources must be converted to DC for the electrolyzer. DC inputs from photovoltaic or energy storage systems must also be converted to appropriate voltage levels. A variety of power conversion topologies can be found within an electrolysis plan, including:

AFE Rectifiers:

Active front-end rectifiers are IGBT-based converters that can be operated at unity power factors and have low levels of total harmonic distortions (less than 5%). For systems up to 250 kW, Easy and 62 mm modules are economically suited for system outputs. For those above 250 kW, EconoDUAL ™ 3, XHP™, PrimePACK™, and IHM modules are an optimal choice.

Thyristors and Diodes:

Multi-pulse thyristor-based converters, usually 12-pulse or 24-pulse topologies, are popular for AC to DC power conversion because of their robustness, high efficiency levels, and high current density. Thyristor rectifiers are particularly useful in high-power applications (greater than 1 MW). High system power (greater than 50 MW) can be efficiently realized through the interaction of several high-power switches.

Buck Boost/DAB:

Buck-type choppers and a dual-active bridge are often used as the rear stage of thyristor or diode rectifiers with higher power factors across a wide operational converter range.

Resources

• Webinar:
• Green Hydrogen: Efficient electrolysis through comprehensive power conversion solutions
• Presentation:
• Green Hydrogen: Efficient electrolysis through comprehensive power conversion solutions application
• Tech explainer video:
• Power semiconductors for green hydrogen - Infineon's solutions for hydrogen electrolysis
• Podcast episodes:
• Hydrogen deep dive with Varun Raghunath and Nils Przybilla 
• Hydrogen on the horizon with Nils Przybilla and Varun Raghunath