Hydrogen membrane fuel cell

KUlmeyer RP. NETL progress on S-tolerant hydrogen membranes. Fuel Cell Bull. 2004 2 3. Emonts B, Hansen JB, Jorgensen SL, H Uein B, Peters R. Compact methtmol reformer test for fuel-cell powered light-duty vehicles. J Power Sources. 1998 7 288. 

Fig. 14.4 Schematic diagram of hydrogen membrane fuel cell structure...

Ford Motor Company. (1997). Direct Ilydrogcn-Fuclcd Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell System for Transportation Applications Hydrogen Vehicle... 

Electro-catalysts which have various metal contents have been applied to the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell(PEMFC). For the PEMFCs, Pt based noble metals have been widely used. In case the pure hydrogen is supplied as anode fuel, the platinum only electrocatalysts show the best activity in PEMFC. But the severe activity degradation can occur even by ppm level CO containing fuels, i.e. hydrocarbon reformates[l-3]. To enhance the resistivity to the CO poison of electro-catalysts, various kinds of alloy catalysts have been suggested. Among them, Pt-Ru alloy catalyst has been considered one of the best catalyst in the aspect of CO tolerance[l-3]. 

The principle of the fuel cell was first demonstrated by Grove in 1839 [W. R. Grove, Phil. Mag. 14 (1839) 137]. Today, different schemes exist for utilizing hydrogen in electrochemical cells. We explain the two most important, namely the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) and the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC). 

The situation changed drastically in the mid-1990s in view of the considerable advances made in the development of membrane hydrogen-oxygen (air) fuel cells, which could be put to good use for other types of fuel cells. At present, most work in methanol fuel cells utilizes the design and technical principles known from the membrane fuel cells. Both fuel-cell types use Pt-Ru catalyst at the anode and pure platinum catalyst at the cathode. The membranes are of the same type. 

In the case of 50 kW power, the rate of hydrogen supply needed (LH) is around 1.69 X 103 (mol/h) at the energy-conversion-efficiency level of 45% for the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEM-FC) [38]. 

Catalytic Processes of Hydrogen Production for Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell... 

The PEMFC (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell) is a fuel cell with a protonconducting fluorinated polymer as electrolyte. Figure 14.12 gives a schematic drawing of the PEMFC. At the anode, hydrogen is oxidized to protons. At the cathode, oxygen from air is reduced to water. The PEMFC is in development for various applications. 

Kim, C. S., Ghun, Y. G., Peck, D. H., and Shin, D. R. A novel process to fabricate membrane electrode assemblies for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 1998 23 1045-1048. 

All acidic proton conductors discussed so far in this review have relied on the presence of large amounts of water (A = 10—30) as a mobile phase for the conduction of protons. Current targets for automotive use of hydrogen/air fuel cells are 120 °C and 50% or lower relative humidity. Under these conditions, the conductivity of the membrane decreases due to low water uptake at 50% relative humidity and thus creates large resistive losses in the cell. To meet the needs of advanced fuel cell systems, membranes will have to function without large amounts of absorbed water. Organic—inorganic composites are one preferred approach. ... 

Researchers at Lehigh University are developing a methanol reforming silicon reactor with a palladium membrane for a hydrogen purification system built using semiconductor fabrication techniques. The device is designed to produce hydrogen for fuel cells for portable electronic devices, such as laptop computers and cell phones. 

DMFCs and direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) are based on the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEM FC), where hydrogen is replaced by the alcohol, so that both the principles of the PEMFC and the direct alcohol fuel cell (DAFC), in which the alcohol reacts directly at the fuel cell anode without any reforming process, will be discussed in this chapter. Then, because of the low operating temperatures of these fuel cells working in an acidic environment (due to the protonic membrane), the activation of the alcohol oxidation by convenient catalysts (usually containing platinum) is still a severe problem, which will be discussed in the context of electrocatalysis. One way to overcome this problem is to use an alkaline membrane (conducting, e.g., by the hydroxyl anion, OH ), in which medium the kinetics of the electrochemical reactions involved are faster than in an acidic medium, and then to develop the solid alkaline membrane fuel cell (SAMFC). 

Unlike alkaline, phosphoric acid, and polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, MCFCs don t reguire an external reformerto convert more energy-dense fuels to hydrogen. Due to the high temperatures at which they operate, these fuels are converted to hydrogen within the fuel cell itself by a process called internal reforming, which also reduces cost. 

Hydrogen-fuelled solid polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. 

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