Effect of Gas Diffusion Layer Thickness on the Performance of Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Gas diffusion layers (GDLs) play a critical role in anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC) water management. In this work, the effect of GDL thickness on the cell performance of the AEMFC was experimentally investigated. Three GDLs with different thicknesses of 120, 260, and 310 µm (denoted as GDL-120, GDL-260, and GDL-310, respectively) were prepared and tested in a single H2/O2 AEMFC. The experimental results showed that the GDL-260 employed in both anode and cathode electrodes exhibited the best cell performance. There was a small difference in cell performance for GDL-260 and GDL-310, while water flooding was observed in the case of using GDL-120 operated at current densities greater than 1100 mA cm−2. In addition, it was found that the GDL thickness had more sensitivity to the AEMFC performance as used in the anode electrode rather than in the cathode electrode, indicating that water removal at the anode was more challenging than water supply at the cathode. The strategy of water management in the anode should be different from that in the cathode. These findings can provide a further understanding of the role of GDLs in the water management of AEMFCs.

Enhancing carbon dioxide gas-diffusion electrolysis by creating a hydrophobic catalyst microenvironment

Electroreduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) over copper-based catalysts provides an attractive approach for sustainable fuel production. While efforts are focused on developing catalytic materials, it is also critical to understand and control the microenvironment around catalytic sites, which can mediate the transport of reaction species and influence reaction pathways. Here, we show that a hydrophobic microenvironment can significantly enhance CO2 gas-diffusion electrolysis. For proof-of-concept, we use commercial copper nanoparticles and disperse hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) nanoparticles inside the catalyst layer. Consequently, the PTFE-added electrode achieves a greatly improved activity and Faradaic efficiency for CO2 reduction, with a partial current density >250 mA cm−2 and a single-pass conversion of 14% at moderate potentials, which are around twice that of a regular electrode without added PTFE. The improvement is attributed to a balanced gas/liquid microenvironment that reduces the diffusion layer thickness, accelerates CO2 mass transport, and increases CO2 local concentration for the electrolysis.

Experiments and Simulations on the Turbulent, Rarefaction Wave Driven Rayleigh–Taylor Instability

Experiments were performed to observe the growth of the turbulent, Rayleigh–Taylor unstable mixing layer generated between air and SF6, with an Atwood number of A=(ρ2−ρ1)/(ρ2+ρ1)=0.64, where ρ1 and ρ2 are the densities of air and SF6, respectively. A nonconstant acceleration with an average value of 2300g0, where g0 is the acceleration due to gravity, was generated by interaction of the interface between the two gases with a rarefaction wave. Three-dimensional, multimode perturbations were generated on the diffuse interface, with a diffusion layer thickness of δ=3.6 mm, using a membraneless vertical oscillation technique, and 20 experiments were performed to establish a statistical ensemble. The average perturbation from this ensemble was extracted and used as input for a numerical simulation using the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Miranda code. Good qualitative agreement between the experiment and simulation was observed, while quantitative agreement was best at early to intermediate times. Several methods were used to extract the turbulent growth constant α from experiments and simulations while accounting for time varying acceleration. Experimental, average bubble and spike asymptotic self-similar growth rate values range from α=0.022 to α=0.032 depending on the method used, and accounting for variable acceleration. Values found from the simulations range from α=0.024 to α=0.041. Values of α measured in the experiments are lower than what are typically measured in the literature but are more in line with those found in recent simulations.

Theoretical description of the ligand function for ionoselective electrodes reversible to metal anion complexes. 1. Lower detection limit and its determining factors

Within the framework of the steady-state diffusion model, the theoretical description for the thiocyanate ion lower detection limit (LDL) by the tetrathiocyanatozincate selective electrode, has been presented. The main assumptions of this model are constancy of the ion exchanger concentration along the membrane, traditionally used in various phaseboundary potential diffusion models, and linear profiles of components’ concentrations in diffusion layers. Simple quantitative expressions have been obtained, connecting thiocyanate ion concentration in the solution surface layer (responsible for LDL value) with phase boundary extraction equilibria constants, stability constants for zinc thiocyanate complexes, and diffusion parameters in the membrane and solution phases. Calculated LDL values are in good agreement with experimental data provided in the literature. It has been shown that LDL can be reduced substantially by controlling such easily regulated diffusion parameters as diffusion layer thickness in the membrane phase, which is a function of time, and diffusion layer thickness of the sample solution, which is governed by stirring regime.

Effect of Galvannealed Coating Evolution during Press Hardening on RSW Weldability

Press-hardening steels (PHSs) are used in modern passenger vehicles to increase part strength while reducing vehicle weight to meet both environmental and safety regulations. To prevent oxidization and decarburization during heat treatment, some PHSs are coated with Zn (galvanized or galvannealed). Heating during the press-hardening process drives interdiffusion of Zn from the coating and the Fe from the steel substrate, forming a diffusion layer composed of -Fe phase (a Zn-Fe solid solution). The electrical resistance of the diffusion layer is a function of its thickness and Zn-Fe composition. Both the diffusion layer thickness and the Zn-Fe composition are dependent on the initial coating thickness and heat-treatment time/temperature conditions. Changes to the heat-treatment process shift the resistance spot welding process window by altering the resistance behavior of the material. If the shift in the process window is not accounted for during assembly welding, the welds produced may either be too small or exhibit expulsion, both of which will reduce the strength of the weld. This study showed increasing heat-treatment time shifted the process window toward lower current. A final combined processing window of 1.5 kA, which is suitable for industrial application, was obtained when taking into account the variation in heat-treatment time. The tensile shear performance was not affected by the heat treatment, as increased softening in the heat-affected zone at longer heat-treatment time canceled the strength gain from increasing nugget size.

How Electrical Heterogeneity Parameters of Ion-Exchange Membrane Surface Affect the Mass Transfer and Water Splitting Rate in Electrodialysis

Electrodialysis (ED) has been demonstrated as an effective membrane method for desalination, concentration, and separation. Electroconvection (EC) is a phenomenon which can essentially increase the mass transfer rate and reduce the undesirable water splitting effect. Efforts by a number of researchers are ongoing to create conditions for developing EC, in particular, through the formation of electrical heterogeneity on the membrane surface. We attempt, for the first time, to optimize the parameters of surface electrical heterogeneity for ion-exchange membranes used in a laboratory ED cell. Thirteen different patterns on the surface of two Neosepta anion-exchange membranes, AMX and AMX-Sb, were tested. Low-conductive fluoropolymer spots were formed on the membrane surface using the electrospinning technique. Spots in the form of squares, rectangles, and circles with different sizes and distances between them were applied. We found that the spots’ shape did not have a visible effect. The best effect, i.e., the maximum mass transfer rate and the minimum water splitting rate, was found when the spots’ size was close to that of the diffusion layer thickness, δ (about 250 μm in the experimental conditions), and the distance between the spots was slightly larger than δ, such that the fraction of the screened surface was about 20%.