Development of on-demand low temperature electrolysers and their systems

Industrial alkaline electrolysers were electrochemically characterised and analysed on an internal combustion engine. These electrolysers exhibited low efficiencies, low gas flowrates and subsequently zero change in engine emissions due to the poor design and build. An improved alkaline electrolyser was designed, built and tested exhibiting improved efficiency/gas output compared to the industrial electrolysers and an improved reduction in emissions. The increased power consumption of the electrolyser results in a rise in electrode degradation which is responsible for the decrease in electrode lifetime. A method for prolonging the electrode lifetime is proposed through a metallic “oxygen-getter”. Implementation of this has shown to prevent cathodic corrosion of the electrode material and thus reduces oxide layer formation. Electrode lifetime in an alkaline electrolyser increased, but the commercial trend is shifting towards the more attract PEM technology for electrolysis due to higher current densities, ability to handle variable input loads and non-caustic liquid requirement. A commercial on-demand PEM electrolyser was tested and system designed for integration with an existing hydrogen refuelling station at the University of Birmingham. This mimicked the case for a distributed hydrogen system where the hydrogen is produced onsite for fuel cell vehicles resulting in a carbon neutral fuel

High intensity laser interactions with extended atomic cluster and microdroplet media

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Status of the Horizon 2020 EuPRAXIA Conceptual Design Study

The Horizon 2020 Project EuPRAXIA (European Plasma Research Accelerator with eXcellence In Applications) is producing a conceptual design report for a highly compact and cost-effective European facility with multi-GeV electron beams accelerated using plasmas. EuPRAXIA will be set up as a distributed Open Innovation platform with two construction sites, one with a focus on beam-driven plasma acceleration (PWFA) and another site with a focus on laser-driven plasma acceleration (LWFA). User areas at both sites will provide access to FEL pilot experiments, positron generation and acceleration, compact radiation sources, and test beams for HEP detector development. Support centres in four different countries will complement the pan-European implementation of this infrastructure