scholarly journals High temperature PEM fuel cell steady-state transport modeling

2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viorel Ionescu
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Waste Heat ◽  
Water Concentration ◽  
Pem Fuel Cell ◽  
Pem Fuel Cells ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Electrochemical Kinetics

AbstractA fuel cell is a device that can directly transfer chemical energy to electric and thermal energy. Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) are highly efficient power generators, achieving up to 50-60% conversion efficiency, even at sizes of a few kilowatts. There are several compelling technological and commercial reasons for operating H2/air PEM fuel cells at temperatures above 100 °C; rates of electrochemical kinetics are enhanced, water management and cooling is simplified, useful waste heat can be recovered, and lower quality reformed hydrogen may be used as the fuel. All of the High Temperature PEMFC model equations are solved with finite element method using commercial software package COMSOL Multiphysics. The results from PEM fuel cell modeling were presented in terms of reactant (oxygen and hydrogen) concentrations and water concentration in the anode and cathode gases; the polarization curve of the cell was also displayed.

scholarly journals Recent Progress in the Development of Composite Membranes Based on Polybenzimidazole for High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cell Applications

Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1861 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Escorihuela ◽  
Jessica Olvera-Mancilla ◽  
Larissa Alexandrova ◽  
L. Felipe del Castillo ◽  
Vicente Compañ
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Composite Membranes ◽  
Pem Fuel Cell ◽  
Pem Fuel Cells ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Exchange Membrane

The rapid increasing of the population in combination with the emergence of new energy-consuming technologies has risen worldwide total energy consumption towards unprecedent values. Furthermore, fossil fuel reserves are running out very quickly and the polluting greenhouse gases emitted during their utilization need to be reduced. In this scenario, a few alternative energy sources have been proposed and, among these, proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are promising. Recently, polybenzimidazole-based polymers, featuring high chemical and thermal stability, in combination with fillers that can regulate the proton mobility, have attracted tremendous attention for their roles as PEMs in fuel cells. Recent advances in composite membranes based on polybenzimidazole (PBI) for high temperature PEM fuel cell applications are summarized and highlighted in this review. In addition, the challenges, future trends, and prospects of composite membranes based on PBI for solid electrolytes are also discussed.

Alloys that form conductive and passivating oxides for proton exchange membrane fuel cell bipolar plates

2004 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 1723-1729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil Aukland ◽  
Abdellah Boudina ◽  
David S. Eddy ◽  
Joseph V. Mantese ◽  
Margarita P. Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Oxide Films ◽  
Pem Fuel Cell ◽  
Pem Fuel Cells ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Bipolar Plates ◽  
Concentrated Solutions ◽  
Exchange Membrane

During the operation of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, a high-resistance oxide is often formed on the cathode surface of base metal bipolar plates. Over time, this corrosion mechanism leads to a drop in fuel cell efficiency and potentially to complete failure. To address this problem, we have developed alloys capable of forming oxides that are both conductive and chemically stable under PEM fuel cell operating conditions. Five alloys of titanium with tantalum or niobium were investigated. The oxides were formed on the alloys by cyclic voltammetry in solutions mimicking the cathode- and anode-side environment of a PEM fuel cell. The oxides of all tested alloys had lower surface resistance than the oxide of pure titanium. We also investigated the chemical durability of Ti–Nb and Ti–Ta alloys in more concentrated solutions beyond those typically found in PEM fuel cells. The oxide films formed on Ti–Nb and Ti–Ta alloys remained conductive and chemically stable in these concentrated solutions. The stability of the oxide films was evaluated; Ti alloys having 3% Ta and Nb were identified as potential candidates for bipolar plate materials.

Development of an Optical Sensor for Temperature Measurement and Water Droplet Detection in PEMFC Gas Channels

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristopher Inman ◽  
Xia Wang ◽  
Brian Sangerozan
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Temperature Measurement ◽  
Water Droplet ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Pem Fuel Cell ◽  
Pem Fuel Cells ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Droplet Movement ◽  
Temperature Measurement System

Thermal and water management in Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells provide a significant challenge for engineers and fuel cell designers as both have a direct effect on performance and durability. Internal temperature is very difficult to measure due to component geometry and the internal environment possessed by PEM fuel cells along with a lack of sufficient temperature measurement methods which are often highly invasive. This research presents initial developments for creating a non-intrusive temperature measurement system, based on the principles of phosphor thermometry, which also has the ability to optically detect liquid water formation and movement in PEMFC gas channels. The sensor was designed, calibrated and then installed in a 25 cm2 PEM fuel cell for in-situ testing. The experimental data show that a relationship exists between temperature variation and water droplet movement in gas channels of a PEM fuel cell.

Design and Experimental Characterization of a High-Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Stack

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Radu ◽  
Nicola Zuliani ◽  
Rodolfo Taccani
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Single Cells ◽  
Pem Fuel Cells ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Pure Hydrogen ◽  
Exchange Membrane

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells based on polybenzimidazole (PBI) polymers and phosphoric acid can be operated at temperature between 120 °C and 180 °C. Reactant humidification is not required and CO content up to 1% in the fuel can be tolerated, only marginally affecting performance. This is what makes high-temperature PEM (HTPEM) fuel cells very attractive, as low quality reformed hydrogen can be used and water management problems are avoided. From an experimental point of view, the major research effort up to now was dedicated to the development and study of high-temperature membranes, especially to development of acid-doped PBI type membranes. Some studies were dedicated to the experimental analysis of single cells and only very few to the development and characterization of high-temperature stacks. This work aims to provide more experimental data regarding high-temperature fuel cell stacks, operated with hydrogen but also with different types of reformates. The main design features and the performance curves obtained with a three-cell air-cooled stack are presented. The stack was tested on a broad temperature range, between 120 and 180 °C, with pure hydrogen and gas mixtures containing up to 2% of CO, simulating the output of a typical methanol reformer. With pure hydrogen, at 180 °C, the considered stack is able to deliver electrical power of 31 W at 1.8 V. With a mixture containing 2% of carbon monoxide, in the same conditions, the performance drops to 24 W. The tests demonstrated that the performance loss caused by operation with reformates, can be partially compensated by a higher stack temperature.

Transparent PEM Fuel Cells for Direct Visualization Experiments

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. I. Rosli ◽  
D. J. Borman ◽  
D. B. Ingham ◽  
M. S. Ismail ◽  
L. Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Pem Fuel Cell ◽  
Pem Fuel Cells ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Field Pattern ◽  
Direct Visualization ◽  
Serpentine Flow Field ◽  
Water Behavior

This paper reviews some of the previous research works on direct visualization of water behavior inside proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells using a transparent single cell. Several papers which have employed the method have been selected and summarized, and a comparison between the design of the cell, materials, methods, and visual results are presented. The important aspects, advantages of the method, and a summary on the previous investigations are discussed. Some initial works on transparent PEM fuel cell design using a single serpentine flow-field pattern are described. The results show that the direct visualization via transparent PEM fuel cells could be one potential technique for investigating the water behavior inside the channels and a very promising way forward to provide useful data for validation in PEM fuel cell modeling and simulation.

scholarly journals Accelerated Lifetime Testing for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells Using Extremely High Temperature and Unusually High Load

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianlu Zhang ◽  
Chaojie Song ◽  
Jiujun Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Pem Fuel Cell ◽  
High Load ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Accelerated Lifetime ◽  
Lifetime Testing ◽  
Exchange Membrane

In this paper, two testing protocols were developed in order to accelerate the lifetime testing of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. The first protocol was to operate the fuel cell at extremely high temperatures, such as 300 °C, and the second was to operate the fuel cell at unusually high current densities, such as 2.0 A/cm2. A PEM fuel cell assembled with a PBI membrane-based MEA was designed and constructed to validate the first testing protocol. After several hours of high temperature operation, the degraded MEA and catalyst layers were analyzed using SEM, XRD, and TEM. A fuel cell assembled with a Nafion 211 membrane-based MEA was employed to validate the second protocol. The results obtained at high temperature and at high load demonstrated that operating a PEM fuel cell under certain extremely high-stress conditions could be used as methods for accelerated lifetime testing.

Effects of CO on Performance of HT-PEM Fuel Cells

2013 ◽  
Vol 724-725 ◽  
pp. 723-728
Author(s):  
Xue Nan Zhao ◽  
Hong Sun ◽  
Zhi Jie Li
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Electrochemical Reaction ◽  
Pem Fuel Cell ◽  
Pem Fuel Cells ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Fuel Cell Performance

High temperature proton exchange membrane (HT-PEM) fuel cell is considered as one of the most probable fuel cells to be large-scale applied due to characteristics of high efficiency, friendly to environment, low fuel requirement, ease water and heat management, and so on. However, carbon monoxide (CO) content in fuel plays an important role in the performance of HT-PEM fuel cells. Volt-ampere characteristics and AC impedance of HT-PEM fuel cell are tested experimentally in this paper, and effects of CO in fuel on its performance are analyzed. The experimental results show that CO in fuel increases remarkably the Faraday resistance of HT-PEM fuel cell and decreases the electrochemical reaction at anode; the more CO content in fuel is, the less HT-PEM fuel cell performance is; with the increasing cell temperature, the electrochemical reaction on the surface of catalyst at anode is improved and the poisonous effects on the HT-PEM fuel cell are alleviated.

scholarly journals Optimal Estimation of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells Parameter Based on Coyote Optimization Algorithm

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 2052
Author(s):  
Amlak Abaza ◽  
Ragab A. El-Sehiemy ◽  
Karar Mahmoud ◽  
Matti Lehtonen ◽  
Mohamed M. F. Darwish
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Optimization Algorithm ◽  
Distribution Systems ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Pem Fuel Cell ◽  
Pem Fuel Cells ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Exchange Membrane

In recent years, the penetration of fuel cells in distribution systems is significantly increased worldwide. The fuel cell is considered an electrochemical energy conversion component. It has the ability to convert chemical to electrical energies as well as heat. The proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell uses hydrogen and oxygen as fuel. It is a low-temperature type that uses a noble metal catalyst, such as platinum, at reaction sites. The optimal modeling of PEM fuel cells improves the cell performance in different applications of the smart microgrid. Extracting the optimal parameters of the model can be achieved using an efficient optimization technique. In this line, this paper proposes a novel swarm-based algorithm called coyote optimization algorithm (COA) for finding the optimal parameter of PEM fuel cell as well as PEM stack. The sum of square deviation between measured voltages and the optimal estimated voltages obtained from the COA algorithm is minimized. Two practical PEM fuel cells including 250 W stack and Ned Stack PS6 are modeled to validate the capability of the proposed algorithm under different operating conditions. The effectiveness of the proposed COA is demonstrated through the comparison with four optimizers considering the same conditions. The final estimated results and statistical analysis show a significant accuracy of the proposed method. These results emphasize the ability of COA to estimate the parameters of the PEM fuel cell model more precisely.

scholarly journals Effective Technique for Improving Electrical Performance and Reliability of Fuel Cells

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1868
Author(s):  
A. Albarbar ◽  
M. Alrweq
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Pem Fuel Cell ◽  
Pem Fuel Cells ◽  
Gas Diffusion ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Electrical Performance ◽  
And Performance

To optimise the electrical performance of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, a number of factors have to be precisely monitored and controlled. Water content is one of those factors that has great impact on reliability, durability and performance of PEM fuel cells. The difficulty in controlling water content lies in the inability to determine correct level of water accumulated inside the fuel cell. In this paper, a model-based technique, implemented in COMSOL, is presented for monitoring water content in PEM fuel cells. The model predicts, in real time, water content taking account of other processes occurring in gas channels, across gas diffusion layers (GDL), electrodes, and catalyst layer (CL) and within the membrane to minimize voltage losses and performance degradation. The level of water generated is calculated as function of cell’s voltage and current. Model’s performance and accuracy are verified using a transparent 500 mW PEM fuel cell. Results show model predicted current and voltage curves are in good agreement with the experimental measurements. The unique feature of this model is that, no special requirements are needed as only current, and voltage of the PEM fuel cell were measured thus, is expected to pave the path for developing non-intrusive control and monitoring systems for fuel cells.

Degradation Effects on PEM Fuel Cells Supplied with Hydrogen from a LOHC System

2016 ◽  
Vol 839 ◽  
pp. 165-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Luschtinetz ◽  
Andreas Sklarow ◽  
Johannes Gulden
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Pem Fuel Cell ◽  
Pem Fuel Cells ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Pure Hydrogen ◽  
Exchange Membrane

Liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC) are a promising form to store hydrogen. However, the process of dehydrogenation has to be demonstrated for applications with proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells which require very pure hydrogen. Here we document the measured degradation effects due to CO contamination on a PEM fuel cell that is supplied with hydrogen from a LOHC and we want to use later in a maritime application.

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