In July, Denso will begin demonstrating hydrogen production in a SOEC (solid oxide water electrolysis cell) and using hydrogen produced in the production line. The SOEC developed by the company will be installed at the Hirose Plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, and the hydrogen generated will be used in the production process of the prototype electric card, which is one of the components of the hybrid vehicle and tram. Announced on June 27th.
Demonstration facility
(Source: Denso)
SOEC is a mechanism in which water (steam) kept at a high temperature of about 700 degrees is introduced into the cell compartment, charged and electrolyzed to split the water into oxygen and hydrogen. We have introduced technologies developed in automotive parts, such as thermal management technology for proper temperature control, ceramic technology for efficient electrolysis at high temperatures, and injection technology. to circulate steam inside the unit without causing waste.
SOEC
(Source: Denso)
Since water tends to be electrolyzed at a lower voltage as temperature increases, SOECs, which operate at high temperatures of around 700°C, produce better hydrogen than alkaline or PEM water electrolyzers, which react at about 60°C . The amount of power required can be reduced.
SOEC mechanism
(Source: Denso)
In this project, the generated hydrogen will be used as a reducing agent to remove oxides from the solder and improve bonding during soldering of the power card components together. We will verify the stability of the production process and the impact of SOEC-produced blue hydrogen on quality while using it in conjunction with an externally purchased conventional hydrogen line.
Two SOECs will be installed at Hirose Works and the volume of hydrogen production will be 320Nm3 per day. This is equivalent to 1/40 to 1/50 of the hydrogen used in the mass production of power cards. At the beginning of the demonstration, the power source for the SOEC will be green electricity purchased from outside the company, but from 2025 onwards, this will be replaced by electricity installed by the solar generating facility in campus created by Hirose Works.
By realizing "local hydrogen production for local consumption", where hydrogen is produced at SOEC in a solar-powered plant and consumed in-house, we will solve the problem. the cost of transporting hydrogen. We aim to integrate the know-how and technology cultivated at Hirose Manufacturing Co., Ltd., the company responsible for the production of semiconductors, with the knowledge gained from the demonstration and application of the knowledge. knowledge into future mass production lines.
