Review article
Pengxiang Zhao, Lijie Wang, Shaoguang Feng, Xuewei Zhang, Hongfei Zhu, Kunyuan Sun, Yang Yu, Miaoting Sun, Xiaoxiao Meng, Jihui Gao, Guangbo Zhao, Wei Zhou
Accepted: 2026-01-31
Pengxiang Zhao, Lijie Wang, Shaoguang Feng, Xuewei Zhang, Hongfei Zhu, Kunyuan Sun, Yang Yu, Miaoting Sun, Xiaoxiao Meng, Jihui Gao, Guangbo Zhao, Wei Zhou. Hydrogen production by pulsed water electrolysis: principle, current technology status and future trends[J]. Progress in Chemistry, 2026, ():
0.
Hydrogen energy, as a pivotal clean energy carrier under the carbon neutrality goal, urgently demands breakthroughs in its efficient preparation technology. This paper focuses on pulsed electrolysis for hydrogen production, systematically elucidating the mechanisms of reducing the diffusion layer thickness, accelerating bubble detachment, and enhancing electrode stability through periodic modulation of current/voltage. It reveals the optimization mechanisms of suppressing the bubble shielding effect via pulse modulation and shortening the ion relaxation time using high-frequency pulses. The paper summarizes the influence laws of pulse parameters (waveform, frequency, duty cycle, etc.) on hydrogen production characteristics, compares the application potential of inductive pulses, voltage/current pulses, and fluctuating power electrolysis technologies, and highlights their advantages in adapting to the fluctuating power sources of wind and solar energy (wide power regulation range, suppression of voltage flicker). Despite demonstrating high energy efficiency and robust performance, pulsed electrolysis still encounters bottlenecks such as insufficient electrode impact resistance and unclear multi-parameter coupling mechanisms. Future research should integrate intelligent algorithms for dynamic regulation optimization, develop integrated wind-solar-storage-hydrogen systems, promote the application of high-frequency resonance and low ripple filtering technologies, and accelerate the large-scale production of green hydrogen. This paper provides theoretical support for the advancement of pulsed electrolysis technology and its potential engineering applications.
Contents
1. Introduction 3
2. Principle of hydrogen production by pulse electrolysis of water 4
2.1. Introduction to hydrogen production technology through water electrolysis 4
2.2. Analysis of the mechanism for enhancing hydrogen production performance through pulse electroly….….. 6
3. The influence of pulse parameters on hydrogen production characteristics 7
3.1. Impact of pulse waveform 8
3.2. Impact of pulse period, frequency, and duty cycle ……..………. 8
3.3. Impact of pulse potential 10
4. Classification of hydrogen production technology through pulsed electrolysis of water 10
4.1. Hydrogen production through induced pulse electrolysis of water 10
4.2. Hydrogen production through electrolysis of water using voltage pulse 11
4.3. Hydrogen production by electrolysis of water using current pulse 12
4.4. Power fluctuation in hydrogen production through water electrolysis 12
5. Wide-power hydrogen production technology through water electrolysis, adaptable to fluctuating wind and solar inputs 12
5.1. Impact of fluctuation in wind and solar power sources………. 13
5.2. Hydrogen production technology based on wind fluctuation power generation 13
5.3. Photovoltaic fluctuation power generation and hydrogen production technology 14
5.4. Hydrogen production technology through wind-solar hybrid fluctuating power generation 15
6. Summary and Future Outlook