Fuel Cell-related Applications

Using the same techniques, Parthasarathy et al. determined the impact of temperature on the oxygen diffusion coefficient and solubility in Nafion [32]. They 

It has been well established that alloys of Pt with some base metals such as Co, Ni, and Cr have higher catalytic ability than Pt alone. Some alloys of Pt with other noble metals have also been shown to have higher catalyst ability. By analyzing the data from the Koutecky-Levich plots using Ptx y and Pt catalysts, loroi and Yasuda found that alloying Pt with 5 to 20% wt. Ir enhanced the kinetic current, i, for ORR by a factor of about 1.5 at 0.8 V [18]. 

RRDE is often used to study the extent of H2O2 formation during the ORR via the following side reaction  

This is a 2-electron reaction process, and the H2O2 produced can form radicals such as OH and OOH. These radicals can attack the ionomer to cause it to decay. It is believed that radical attack is one of the major membrane failure mechanisms. Catalysts that lead to negligible formation of H2O2 or operating a fuel cell under conditions that lead to negligible formation of H2O2 are preferred in order to minimize such an attack. 

In an RRDE configuration for evaluating the amount of H2O2 produced during ORR, the potential of the disk electrode scans from about 1.0 to 0.4 V or lower and the ring potential is kept constant at 1.2 to 1.4 V, which can quickly oxidize H2O2. The ratio of H2O2 formed from one O2 molecule can be calculated by 

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Being a one-carbon organic molecule, formic acid has also drawn attention as a potential fuel for fuel cell related applications. When considered in acidic media, the oxidation of formic acid proceeds according to the following reaction. 

The analysis of the above sub-systems refers to BOP components suitable for fuel cell vehicle applications, and underlines the main aspects related to the framework of interactions inside a whole FCS. 

Maillard F, Pronkin S, Savinova ER (2009) Influence of size on the electrocatalytic activities of supported metal nanoparticles in fuel cells related reactions. In Vielstich W, Gasteiger HA, Yokokawa H (eds) Handbook of fuel cells - fundamentals, technology and applications. Wiley, New York... 

The rapid development and application of fuel cells throughout the world has created the need for fuel cell technology related codes and standards. Several organizations and committees are currently working on the development of codes and standards related to fuel cells. 

In this chapter, we will pay attention to the basic or common materials requirements of the plate according to its functions in fuel cells. The emphasis will be put on plate materials used in transportation fuel cells because these applications, more directly for automotive, have potentially the largest market for fuel cells and the related material requirements are most challenging [1]. The various plate materials, fabrication process, and major challenges will be introduced and analyzed. The underlying mechanism and development trends will also be discussed. 

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