The Effect of Inlet Parameters on Fluid Flow and Cell Performance at Cathode of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Utku Gulan ◽  
Hasmet Turkoglu ◽  
Irfan Ar
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Power Density ◽  
Current Density ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Catalyst Layer ◽  
Pem Fuel Cell ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Exchange Membrane ◽  
Oxygen Mole Fraction

In this study, the fluid flow and cell performance in cathode side of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell were numerically analyzed. The problem domain consists of cathode gas channel, cathode gas diffusion layer, and cathode catalyst layer. The equations governing the motion of air, concentration of oxygen, and electrochemical reactions were numerically solved. A computer program was developed based on control volume method and SIMPLE algorithm. The mathematical model and program developed were tested by comparing the results of numerical simulations with the results from literature. Simulations were performed for different values of inlet Reynolds number and inlet oxygen mole fraction at different operation temperatures. Using the results of these simulations, the effects of these parameters on the flow, oxygen concentration distribution, current density and power density were analyzed. The simulations showed that the oxygen concentration in the catalyst layer increases with increasing Reynolds number and hence the current density and power density of the PEM fuel cell also increases. Analysis of the data obtained from simulations also shows that current density and power density of the PEM fuel cell increases with increasing operation temperature. It is also observed that increasing the inlet oxygen mole fraction increases the current density and power density.

The Effects of Feeding Configurations to Water Flooding and General Performance of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. B. Mahmud Hasan ◽  
S. M. Guo ◽  
S. V. Ekkad
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Power Density ◽  
Current Density ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Cell Voltage ◽  
Bipolar Plate ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Water Flooding ◽  
Cathode Side ◽  
Exchange Membrane

The performance of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) using different feeding configurations has been studied. Three bipolar plates, namely serpentine, straight channel and interdigitated designs, were arranged in different combinations for the PEMFC anode and cathode sides. Nine combinations in total were tested under different flow rates, working temperatures and loadings. The cell voltage versus current density and the cell power density versus current density curves were obtained. After operating the PEMFC under high current densities, the cell was split and the water flooding in the feeding channels was visually inspected. Experimental results showed that for different feeding configurations, interdigitated bipolar plate in anode side and serpentine bipolar plate in cathode side had the best performance in terms of cell voltage-current density curve, power density output rate, percentage of flooded area in the feeding channels, the pattern of flooding and the fuel utilization rate.

Carbon Nanotube Free-Standing Membrane of Pt/SWNTs as Catalyst Layer in Hydrogen Fuel Cells

2007 ◽  
Vol 60 (7) ◽  
pp. 528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason M. Tang ◽  
Kurt Jensen ◽  
Wenzhen Li ◽  
Mahesh Waje ◽  
Paul Larsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Nanotube ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Power Density ◽  
Peak Power ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Catalyst Layer ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Free Standing ◽  
Peak Power Density ◽  
Exchange Membrane

A simple and promising fuel-cell architecture is demonstrated using a carbon nanotube free-standing membrane (CNTFSM) made from Pt supported on purified single-walled carbon nanotubes (Pt/SWNT), which act as the catalyst layer in a hydrogen proton exchange membrane fuel cell without the need for Nafion in the catalyst layer. The CNTFSM made from Pt/SWNT at a loading of 0.082 mg Pt cm–2 exhibits higher performance with a peak power density of 0.675 W cm–2 in comparison with a commercially available E-TEK electrocatalyst made of Pt supported on XC-72 carbon black, which had a peak power density of 0.395 W cm–2 at a loading of 0.084 mg Pt cm–2 also without Nafion in the catalyst layer.

Composition and Performance Optimization of Catalyst Layer in a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

1997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Curtis Marr ◽  
Xianguo Li
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Current Density ◽  
Performance Optimization ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Platinum Catalyst ◽  
Catalyst Layer ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Mass Transport Process ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Exchange Membrane

The composition and performance optimisation of cathode catalyst platinum and catalyst layer structure in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell has been investigated by including both electrochemical reaction and mass transport process. It is found that electrochemical reactions occur in a thin layer within a few micrometers thick, indicating ineffective catalyst utilization for the present catalyst layer design. The effective use of platinum catalyst decreases with increasing current density, hence lower loadings of platinum are feasible for higher current densities of practical interest without adverse effect on cell performance. The optimal void fraction for the catalyst layer is about 60% and fairly independent of current density, and a 40% supported platinum catalyst yields the best performance amongst various supported catalysts investigated. An optimal amount of membrane content in the void region of the catalyst layer exists for minimum cathode voltage losses due to competition between proton migration through the membrane and oxygen transfer in the void region. The present results will be useful for practical fuel cell designs.

Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Catalyst Layer Composition on the Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Russell ◽  
Michael W. Ellis
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Film Thickness ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Catalyst Layer ◽  
Pem Fuel Cell ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Polarization Curves ◽  
Nafion Film ◽  
Exchange Membrane ◽  
Layer Composition

The catalyst layer of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is a porous mixture of polymer, carbon, and platinum. The characteristics of the catalyst layer play a critical role in determining the performance of the PEM fuel cell. In this research, sample membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) are prepared using various combinations of polymer and carbon loadings while the platinum catalyst surface area is held constant. For each MEA, polarization curves are determined at common operating conditions. The polarization curves are compared to assess the effects of the catalyst layer composition. The results show that both Nafion and carbon content significantly affect MEA performance. The physical characteristics of the catalyst layer including porosity, thickness, and apparent Nafion film thickness are investigated to explain the variation in performance. The results show that for the range of compositions considered in this work, the porosity and thickness have little effect on performance but the apparent Nafion film thickness is significant.

scholarly journals Performance Analysis of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Based Syngas

Entropy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Xiuqin Zhang ◽  
Qiubao Lin ◽  
Huiying Liu ◽  
Xiaowei Chen ◽  
Sunqing Su ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Power Density ◽  
Steam Reforming ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Pem Fuel Cell ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Molar Ratio ◽  
Utilization Factor ◽  
Steam Reformer ◽  
Exchange Membrane

External chemical reactors for steam reforming and water gas shift reactions are needed for a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell system using syngas fuel. For the preheating of syngas and stable steam reforming reaction at 600 °C, residual hydrogen from a fuel cell and a certain amount of additional syngas are burned. The combustion temperature is calculated and the molar ratio of the syngas into burner and steam reformer is determined. Based on thermodynamics and electrochemistry, the electric power density and energy conversion efficiency of a PEM fuel cell based syngas are expressed. The effects of the temperature, the hydrogen utilization factor at the anode, and the molar ratio of the syngas into burner and steam reformer on the performance of a PEM fuel cell are discussed. To achieve the maximum power density or efficiency, the key parameters are determined. This manuscript presents the detailed operating process of a PEM fuel cell, the allocation of the syngas for combustion and electric generation, and the feasibility of a PEM fuel cell using syngas.

scholarly journals An Artificial Intelligence Solution for Predicting Short-Term Degradation Behaviors of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (14) ◽  
pp. 6348
Author(s):  
Zijun Yang ◽  
Bowen Wang ◽  
Xia Sheng ◽  
Yupeng Wang ◽  
Qiang Ren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Pem Fuel Cell ◽  
Activation Function ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Cell Performance ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Degradation Behaviors ◽  
Hidden Layer ◽  
Exchange Membrane

The dead-ended anode (DEA) and anode recirculation operations are commonly used to improve the hydrogen utilization of automotive proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. The cell performance will decline over time due to the nitrogen crossover and liquid water accumulation in the anode. Highly efficient prediction of the short-term degradation behaviors of the PEM fuel cell has great significance. In this paper, we propose a data-driven degradation prediction method based on multivariate polynomial regression (MPR) and artificial neural network (ANN). This method first predicts the initial value of cell performance, and then the cell performance variations over time are predicted to describe the degradation behaviors of the PEM fuel cell. Two cases of degradation data, the PEM fuel cell in the DEA and anode recirculation modes, are employed to train the model and demonstrate the validation of the proposed method. The results show that the mean relative errors predicted by the proposed method are much smaller than those by only using the ANN or MPR. The predictive performance of the two-hidden-layer ANN is significantly better than that of the one-hidden-layer ANN. The performance curves predicted by using the sigmoid activation function are smoother and more realistic than that by using rectified linear unit (ReLU) activation function.

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