Electrolysis of salt water for chlorine production by photovoltaic power

Photovoltaic (PV) was applied to an electrode cell to produce liquid chlorine using brine of sodium chloride. The amount of chlorine is proportional to the Ah and the salinity level. Detailed modeling was made to compare the system performance with and without a maximum power point tracker (MPPT). It was found that optimum performance can be achieved if the load line intercepts the PV curves at a voltage lower than the peak power point. This enabled a tool to size the PV system based on rated current and nominal electrode voltage. Results show that using a MPPT may be advantageous to boost chlorine production and would reduce the number of PV panels. Field testing showed that the variation in solar radiation matches well the need for chlorine production. This is true for the daily as well as for the seasonal changes. If adopted, PV- chlorinators offer cheaper and cleaner alternative to mains power.