Electrochemical devices fuel cells

At present, intercalation compounds are used widely in various electrochemical devices (batteries, fuel cells, electrochromic devices, etc.). At the same time, many fundamental problems in this field do not yet have an explanation (e.g., the influence of ion solvation, the influence of defects in the host structure and/or in the host stoichiometry on the kinetic and thermodynamic properties of intercalation compounds). Optimization of the host stoichiometry of high-voltage intercalation compounds into oxide host materials is of prime importance for their practical application. Intercalation processes into organic polymer host materials are discussed in Chapter 26. 

As for the other electrochemical storage/conversion devices, the fuel cell electrolyte must be a pure ionic conductor to prevent an internal short circuit of the cell. It may have an inert matrix that serves to physically separate the two electrodes. Fuel cells may contain all kinds of electrolytes including liquid, polymer, molten salt, or ceramic. 

Figure 3.3.3 schematically depicts the basic structure of an electrochemical fuel cell device. Generally, in electrochemical cells the overall chemical redox reaction proceeds via two coupled, yet spatially separated half-cell redox reactions at two separate electrodes. 

Semiconductor fabrication techniques permit the feature size of Si-based devices to reach into the deep submicron regime [i]. Additionally, Si can be anodized electrochemically or chemically (e.g., in an HF-containing electrolyte) to produce a sponge-like porous layer of silicon, with pore dimensions that range from several microns in width to only a few nanometers [ii]. These properties of Si make it a useful substrate for fabricating sensor platforms, photonic devices and fuel cell electrodes [iii]. 

The most important aspects of the study of oxygen conductors are the abilities to enhance their ionic conductivity and reaction kinetics. Both features are essential for the development of electrochemical devices including fuel cells, gas sensors and ionic membranes. These devices have the potential to deliver high economic and ecological benefits however to achieve satisfactory performance, it is necessary to optimize the ionic conductivity of the solid electrolytes. 

Porous-electrode theory has been used to describe a variety of electrochemical devices including fuel cells, batteries, separation devices, and electrochemical capacitors. In many of these systems, the electrode contains a single solid phase and a single fluid phase. Newman and Tiedemann reviewed the behavior of these flooded porous electrodes [23]. Many fuel-cell electrodes, however, contain more than one fluid phase, which introduces additional complications. Typical fuel cell catalyst layers, for example, contain both an electrolytic phase and a gas phase in addition to the solid electronically conducting phase. An earher review of gas-diffusion electrodes for fuel cells is provided by Bockris and Srinivasan [24]. 

Lutkenhaus, J.L., Hammond, P.T. Electrochemically enabled polyelectrolyte multilayer devices from fuel cells to sensors. Soft Matter 3, 804—816 (2007)... 

The key feature of any fuel cell is that it converts the chemical energy of an incoming fuel stream directly into electrical energy via an electrochemical reaction [6j. As with other electrochemical devices, a fuel cell relies on an... 

While not a formally required aspect of electrochemical energy storage devices or fuel cells, separators are an enabling technology that has shown above can greatly improve the power... 

Ionic conductor with negligible electronic conductivity, used as a membrane between an oxidation atmosphere and a reduction atmosphere. The essential material to construct electrochemical devices including fuel cells. 

The purpose of the present book is to satisfy this need. The book starts by covering the basic subjects of interfacial electrochemistry. This is followed by a description of some of the most important techniques (such as cyclic voltammetry, the rotating disc electrode, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and the electrochemical quartz-crystal microbalance). Finally, there is a rather detailed discussion of electroplating (including alloy deposition), corrosion, and electrochemical energy conversion devices (batteries, fuel cells and super-capacitors). 

Fuel Cell Catalysts. Euel cells (qv) are electrochemical devices that convert the chemical energy of a fuel direcdy into electrical and thermal energy. The fuel cell, an environmentally clean method of power generation (qv), is more efficient than most other energy conversion systems. The main by-product is pure water. 

The industrial economy depends heavily on electrochemical processes. Electrochemical systems have inherent advantages such as ambient temperature operation, easily controlled reaction rates, and minimal environmental impact (qv). Electrosynthesis is used in a number of commercial processes. Batteries and fuel cells, used for the interconversion and storage of energy, are not limited by the Carnot efficiency of thermal devices. Corrosion, another electrochemical process, is estimated to cost hundreds of millions of dollars aimuaUy in the United States alone (see Corrosion and CORROSION control). Electrochemical systems can be described using the fundamental principles of thermodynamics, kinetics, and transport phenomena. 

Electrochemistry is the basis of many important and modem applications and scientific developments such as nanoscale machining (fabrication of miniature devices with three dimensional control in the nanometer scale), electrochemistry at the atomic scale, scanning tunneling microscopy, transformation of energy in biological cells, selective electrodes for the determination of ions, and new kinds of electrochemical cells, batteries and fuel cells. 

Imagine if we could extract significantly more useful energy out of our precious fuel resources Think how remarkable it would be to carry out combustion processes at efficiencies not possible in even the most sophisticated heat engines. These are not empty dreams. Such a device was first demonstrated in 1839. Called a fuel cell, this electrochemical device may eventually reshape major energy use patterns throughout society. 

Fuel-cell-based power plants (or electrochemical generators, the rather appropriate Russian term) have several constituent parts (1) the fuel cell battery or stack itself (2) vessels for the reactants (hydrogen or methanol oxygen when needed) (3) special devices controlling the supply of reactants and withdrawal of the reaction products according to their consumption and formation in the electrochemical reactions ... 

In this section we treat some electrochemical reactions at interfaces with solid electrolytes that have been chosen for both their technological relevance and their scientific relevance. The understanding of the pecularities of these reactions is needed for the technological development of fuel cells and other devices. Investigation of hydrogen or oxygen evolution reactions in some systems is very important to understand deeply complex electrocatalytic reactions, on the one hand, and to develop promising electrocatalysts, on the other. 

Despite their high cost, they are used in industrial electrolyses, fuel cells, and many electrochemical devices. The large investments associated with platinum electrocatalysts usually are paid back by appreciably higher efficiencies. 

Electrolytes for Electrochromic Devices Liquids are generally used as electrolytes in electrochemical research, but they are not well suited for practical devices (such as electrochromic displays, fuel cells, etc.) because of problems with evaporation and leakage. For this reason, solid electrolytes with single-ion conductivity are commonly used (e.g., Nafion membranes with proton conductivity. In contrast to fuel cells in electrochromic devices, current densities are much lower, so for the latter application, a high conductivity value is not a necessary requirement for the electrolyte. 

Fuel cells are electrochemical devices transforming the heat of combustion of a fuel (hydrogen, natural gas, methanol, ethanol, hydrocarbons, etc.) directly into electricity. The fuel is electrochemically oxidized at the anode, whereas the oxidant (oxygen from the air) is reduced at the cathode. This process does not follow Carnot s theorem, so that higher energy efficiencies are expected up to 40-50% in electrical energy and 80-85% in total energy (heat production in addition to electricity). 

A wide variety of solid-state sensors based on hydrogen-specific palladium, metal oxide semiconductor (MOS), CB, electrochemical, and surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology are used in the industry for several years. Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and nanotechnology-based devices for the measurement of hydrogen are the recent developments. These developments are mainly driven by the demands of the fuel cell industry. Solid-state approaches are gaining rapid popularity within the industry due to their low cost, low maintenance, replacements, and flexibility of multiple installations with minimal labor. 

The oxide Ba2In205 is another well-studied phase that adopts the brownmillerite structure. This material disorders above 930°C to a perovskite-type structure containing oxygen vacancies. Both the Sr-Fe and Ba-In oxides are of interest for electrochemical applications in fuel cells and similar devices (Section 6.10). 

Fuels cells are of interest both from energetic and environmental considerations. When methanol is fed directly to an anode, as in Direct Methanol Fuel Cells , electric power is generated, making the devices suitable for small and lightweight uses [53], Alternative fuels such as polyhydric alcohols like ethylene glycol and glycerol are much less volatile and toxic, on the one hand, and electrochemically oxidizable on the other [54]. Therefore, the electrochemical oxidation of various polyhydric alcohols has been investigated in acidic as well as in alkaline conditions. 

---