Challenges and approaches to design serial production of hydrogen electrolyzers

The evolution from fossil fuels to hydrogen energy plays a vital role in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions for a sustainable future. The increasing use of hydrogen will require scaling up the production of large electrolyzer. However, significant challenges in serial production of large electrolyzers exist that are capable of generating power in the megawatt range. This is due to factors such as, large size of components, constraints in weight and uncertain manufacturing and assembly processes. Moreover, lack of established production concepts affects the development of future manufacturing systems and limits potential automation possibilities for serial production based on the challenges in the current scenario. Thus, a strategic approach must be explored to design a production configuration for manufacturing electrolyzer components, cell and stack assembly with automation strategies aimed to scale-up the electrolyzer production. This paper proposes a generic methodology for Digital Factory Planning and Automation Strategies applicable across various manufacturing domains. This investigates viable methodologies utilizing tools like Value Stream Mapping (VSM) to map production flows for electrolyzer components, taking into account feasible manufacturing processes, technologies involved, key performance indicators (KPIs), which influence the cycle times. It also explores potential automation approaches, considering assembly processes, part-handling solutions, and tooling options. Finally, future steps are proposed, including virtual factory simulations and automated assembly solutions for a specific use case.