Enhanced low-humidity performance in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell by the insertion of microcrystalline cellulose between the gas diffusion layer and the anode catalyst layer

2015 ◽  
Vol 40 (45) ◽  
pp. 15613-15621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanying Hou ◽  
Huaneng Su ◽  
Haobin Zou ◽  
Dai Dang ◽  
Huiyu Song ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Microcrystalline Cellulose ◽  
Diffusion Layer ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Catalyst Layer ◽  
Gas Diffusion ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Anode Catalyst ◽  
Low Humidity ◽  
Exchange Membrane

scholarly journals Modifying the Catalyst Layer Using Polyvinyl Alcohol for the Performance Improvement of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells under Low Humidity Operations

Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prathak Jienkulsawad ◽  
Yong-Song Chen ◽  
Amornchai Arpornwichanop
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Polyvinyl Alcohol ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Catalyst Layer ◽  
Gas Diffusion ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Membrane Electrode ◽  
Power Sources ◽  
Low Humidity ◽  
Exchange Membrane

A proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system for the application of unmanned aerial vehicles is equipped without humidifiers and the cathode channels of the stack are open to the environment due to limited weight available for power sources. As a result, the PEMFC is operated under low humidity conditions, causing membrane dehydration, low performance, and degradation. To keep the generated water within the fuel cell to humidify the membrane, in this study, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is employed in the fabrication of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs). The effect of PVA content, either sprayed on the gas diffusion layer (GDL) or mixed in the catalyst layer (CL), on the MEA performance is compared under various humidity conditions. The results show that MEA performance is increased with the addition of PVA either on the GDL or in the CL, especially for non-humidified anode conditions. The result suggested that 0.03% PVA in the anode CL and 0.1% PVA on the GDL can improve the MEA performance by approximately 30%, under conditions of a non-humidified anode and a room-temperature-humidified cathode. However, MEAs with PVA in the anode CL show better durability than those with PVA on the GDL according to measurement with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

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