Fuel cell technology PEMFC

Franco AA (2012) PEMFC degradation modeling and analysis. In Hartnig C, Roth C (eds) Polymer electrolyte membrane and direct methanol fuel cell technology (PEMFCs and DMFCs). Volume 1 Fundamentals and performance. Woodhead, Cambridge, UK... 

Participant PAFC Fuel cell technology PEMFC MCFC SOFC... 

The stability of electrocatalysts for PEMFCs is increasingly a key topic as commercial applications become nearer. The DoE has set challenging near-term durability targets for fuel cell technology (automotive 5,000 h by 2010 stationary 40,000 h by 2011) and has detailed the contribution of the (cathode) catalyst to these. In particular, for automotive systems as well as steady-state stability, activity after simulated drive cycles and start-stop transients has been considered. In practice, both these treatments have been found to lead to severe degradation of the standard state-of-the-art Pt/C catalyst, as detailed next. 

This volume assesses the current status of PEMFC fuel cell technology, research and development directions, and the scientific and engineering challenges facing the fuel cell community. It demonstrates how the production of a commercially viable PEMFC requires a compromise of materials with adequate properties, design interaction, and manufacturability. 

The PEMFC is nowadays the most advanced low-temperature fuel cell technology [19, 20], because it can be used in several applications (space programs, electric vehicles, stationary power plants, auxiliary power units, portable electronics). The progress made in one application is greatly beneficial to the others. 

With respect to fuel cells, Korea is working to build up highly competitive capabilities for manufacturing advanced fuel cell technology. The target for 2012 is to introduce stationary fuel cells (370 MW) into the market. In addition, 10,000 fuel cell vehicles are planned to be running on the road by 2012. Small fuel cells for replacing batteries, either DMFC or PEMFC with a micro fuel processor, are expected to be introduced into the market by private companies in 2006. 

According to the electrolyte and working temperature, one distinguishes the low-temperature fuel cell technologies (i) alkaline fuel cell, AFC (70 to 80°C), (ii) proton exchange membrane fuel cell, PEMFC (70 to 80°C), (iii) phosphoric acid cell, PAFC (200°C) from the high-temperature technologies, (iv) molten carbonate fuel cell, MCFC (650 to 700°C), and (v) solid oxide fuel cell, SOFC (1000°C). 

In this chapter, after recalling the working principles and the different kinds of fuel cells, the discussion will be focused on low-temperature fuel cells (AFC, PEMFC, and DAFC), in which several kinds of carbon materials are used (catalyst support, gas-diffusion layer [GDL], bipolar plates [BP], etc.). Then some possible applications in different areas will be presented. Finally the materials used in fuel cells, particularly carbon materials, will be discussed according to the aimed applications. To read more details on the use of carbon in fuel cell technology, see the review paper on The role of carbon in fuel cell technology recently published by Dicks [6],... 

Fuel cells are classified primarily according to the nature of the electrolyte. Moreover, the nature of the electrolyte governs the choices of the electrodes and the operation temperatures. Shown in table 10.1 are the fuel cell technologies currently under development. "" Technologies attracting attention toward development and commercialization include direct methanol (DMFC), polymer electrolyte membrane (PEMFC), solid-acid (SAFC), phosphoric acid (PAFC), alkaline (AFC), molten carbonate (MCFC), and solid-oxide (SOFC) fuel cells. This chapter is aimed at the solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and related electrolytes used for the fabrication of cells. 

In summary, AFCs based on pure oxygen have been proved to be both powerful and successful, whereas those operating on air appear not to have a commercial future at present. In fact, it is generally considered that the sensitivity of alkaline electrolyte solutions to carbon dioxide is the principal reason why PAFCs have made such an inroad into fuel-cell technology since the 1970s and have been followed by PEMFC systems in recent years. If it were not for this poisoning problem, it is likely that air-based AFCs would also be serious competitors. 

In PEMFC, the current state-of-the-art fuel cell technology primarily involves the use of perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membrane as electrolyte. PFSA membranes are composed of carbon fluorine backbone chains with perfluoro side chains containing... 

A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that continuously and directly converts the chemical energy of externally supplied fuel and oxidant to electrical energy. Fuel cells are customarily classified according to the electrolyte employed. The five most common technologies are polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEM fuel cells or PEMFCs), alkaline fuel cells (AFCs), phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFCs), molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). However, the popularity of PEMFCs, a relatively new type of fuel cell, is rapidly outpacing that of the others. 

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