Fuel cells properties

When we begin to investigate an electrochemical system, we normally know little about the processes or mechanisms within the system. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) can be a powerful approach to help us establish a hypothesis using equivalent circuit models. A data-fitted equivalent circuit model will suggest valuable chemical processes or mechanisms for the electrochemical system being studied. From Chapter 1, we know that a fuel cell is actually an electrochemical system involving electrode/electrolyte interfaces, electrode reactions, as well as mass transfer processes. Therefore, EIS can also be a powerful tool to diagnose fuel cell properties and performance. 

Although EIS offers many advantages for diagnosing fuel cell properties, clear difficulties exist for applying impedance methods and fitting the data to the model to extract the relevant electrochemical parameters. The limitations of the EIS technique derive from the several requirements required to obtain a valid impedance spectrum, because the accuracy of EIS measurement depends not only on the technical precision of the instrumentation but also on the operating procedures. Theoretically, there are three basic requirements for AC impedance measurements linearity, stability, and causality. 

Hickner, M.A. and Pivovar, B.S., The chemical and structural nature of proton exchange membrane fuel cell properties. Fuel Cells, 5, 213, 2005. 

The path to final production demonstration is split into two major parts in this program. Phase I focuses upon material and composition refinement to satisfy the fuel cell property and performance requirements. Also in Phase I, investigations and demonstrations of research-scale rapid material formation techniques will be performed. 

Yoshioka H, Nojiri Y and Tanase S (2008), Ionic conductivity and fuel cell properties of apatite-type lanthanum silicates doped with Mg and containing excess oxide ions . Solid State Ionics, 179,2165-2169. 

However, the relaxation times of the physical processes themselves cannot be observed directly from the measurement data if their impedance contributions overlap in the spectrum. Therefore, the impedance data have to be analyzed with respect to the underlying dynamic processes. The physical interpretation of this kinetic information is the key to predicting fuel-cell properties under different operating conditions and different material configurations and thus to permitting a well-directed improvement of fuel-cell performance. 

As previously said, the fuel cell can operate at different operation modes during its lifetime, so contact pressure can also be varied and stress the MEA. Therefore, other interesting point is if the fuel cell properties are reversible during contact... 

There is no single, perfect, and all-comprising model for predicting fuel cell properties on all length- and time scales. As shown in Figure 3.2, the density functional theory (DFT) can be applied at the atomistic scale (10 m) chemical reactions in the three-phase boundary (TPB) the molecular Dynamics (MD) and Monte Carlo (MC) methods, based on classical force fields, can be employed to describe individual atoms or clusters of catalyst materials at the nano-Zmicro-scale (10 —10 m) the particle-based methods (e.g. DPD) or mesh-based methods, for example Lattice-Boltzmann (LB), are used to solve the complex fluid flows in the porous media at the meso-scopic scale (10 10 m) and at the macroscopic scale (>10 m), continuum models... 

Grafting of a co-monomer (e.g., acrylonitrile) at a-position of the grafted styrene monomer [137]. This approach requires careful optimization of the content of the co-monomer to retain favorable membrane fuel cell properties. 

V. S. SUva, A. Mendes, L. M. Maderia, and S. R Nunes, Proton exchange membranes for direct methanol fuel cells Properties critical study concerning methanol crossover and proton conductivities, J. Membr Sci. 276(1-2), 126-134 (2006). 

Property (H2/air fuel cell) Properties for DMFC Property... 

Oxidation can also occur at the central metal atom of the phthalocyanine system (2). Mn phthalocyanine, for example, can be produced ia these different oxidation states, depending on the solvent (2,31,32). The carbon atom of the ring system and the central metal atom can be reduced (33), some reversibly, eg, ia vattiag (34—41). Phthalocyanine compounds exhibit favorable catalytic properties which makes them interesting for appHcations ia dehydrogenation, oxidation, electrocatalysis, gas-phase reactions, and fuel cells (qv) (1,2,42—49). 

In the ceramics field many of the new advanced ceramic oxides have a specially prepared mixture of cations which determines the crystal structure, through the relative sizes of the cations and oxygen ions, and the physical properties through the choice of cations and tlreh oxidation states. These include, for example, solid electrolytes and electrodes for sensors and fuel cells, fenites and garnets for magnetic systems, zirconates and titanates for piezoelectric materials, as well as ceramic superconductors and a number of other substances... 

By the time the next overview of electrical properties of polymers was published (Blythe 1979), besides a detailed treatment of dielectric properties it included a chapter on conduction, both ionic and electronic. To take ionic conduction first, ion-exchange membranes as separation tools for electrolytes go back a long way historically, to the beginning of the twentieth century a polymeric membrane semipermeable to ions was first used in 1950 for the desalination of water (Jusa and McRae 1950). This kind of membrane is surveyed in detail by Strathmann (1994). Much more recently, highly developed polymeric membranes began to be used as electrolytes for experimental rechargeable batteries and, with particular success, for fuel cells. This important use is further discussed in Chapter 11. 

Selected physical properties of oxygen are included in Table 9.24. It is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas which is essential for life and considered to be non-toxic at atmospheric pressure. It is somewhat soluble in water and is slightly heavier than air. Important uses are in the steel and glass industries, oxyacetylene welding, as a chemical intermediate, waste-water treatment, fuel cells, underwater operations and medical applications. 

Ren, X. Springer, T. E. and Gottesfeld, S. (1998). Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Transport Properties of the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane and Cell Performance. Vol. 98-27. Proc. 2nd International Symposium on Proton Conducting Membrane Euel Cells. Pennington, NJ Electrochemical Society. 

Today, the term solid electrolyte or fast ionic conductor or, sometimes, superionic conductor is used to describe solid materials whose conductivity is wholly due to ionic displacement. Mixed conductors exhibit both ionic and electronic conductivity. Solid electrolytes range from hard, refractory materials, such as 8 mol% Y2C>3-stabilized Zr02(YSZ) or sodium fT-AbCb (NaAluOn), to soft proton-exchange polymeric membranes such as Du Pont s Nafion and include compounds that are stoichiometric (Agl), non-stoichiometric (sodium J3"-A12C>3) or doped (YSZ). The preparation, properties, and some applications of solid electrolytes have been discussed in a number of books2 5 and reviews.6,7 The main commercial application of solid electrolytes is in gas sensors.8,9 Another emerging application is in solid oxide fuel cells.4,5,1, n... 

The extent to which anode polarization affects the catalytic properties of the Ni surface for the methane-steam reforming reaction via NEMCA is of considerable practical interest. In a recent investigation62 a 70 wt% Ni-YSZ cermet was used at temperatures 800° to 900°C with low steam to methane ratios, i.e., 0.2 to 0.35. At 900°C the anode characteristics were i<>=0.2 mA/cm2, Oa=2 and ac=1.5. Under these conditions spontaneously generated currents were of the order of 60 mA/cm2 and catalyst overpotentials were as high as 250 mV. It was found that the rate of CH4 consumption due to the reforming reaction increases with increasing catalyst potential, i.e., the reaction exhibits overall electrophobic NEMCA behaviour with a 0.13. Measured A and p values were of the order of 12 and 2 respectively.62 These results show that NEMCA can play an important role in anode performance even when the anode-solid electrolyte interface is non-polarizable (high Io values) as is the case in fuel cell applications. 

Fluorinated phosphonates exhibit interesting properties as enzyme inhibitors, chelating agents or as fuel cell electrolytes [29] however, only few methods of preparation for these compounds are available. Burton et al. [30] developed several methods to prepare fluorinated phosphates which involve phosphonyl, and likely phosphoranyl radicals as chain carriers (Scheme 11). 

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