Membrane electrode assembly , fuel cell technology

These selection and evaluation criteria were applied systematically to four technological fields, three of which contribute to new energy-efficient solutions. Passive houses, for example, with their major components of insulation solutions, window systems, ventilation and control techniques are close to market diffusion within the next ten years. Fuel cells for mobile uses in vehicles, however, are still a long way from market introduction, for instance, because of unresolved problems regarding the deactivation of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and the need for cost reductions by about one order of magnitude. Other types of fuel cells for stationary uses may be closer to market introduction, owing to less severe technical bottlenecks and better economic competitiveness. 

Advances in fuel cell technology over the last four decades have come primarily from improved electrocatalysts, membrane electrode assembly fabrication strategies, and cell/stack/system engineering. Apart from Nafion, new ion conducting polymeric materials have played only a minor role in significantly increasing cell performance. However, new materials... 

In PEMFCs working at low temperatures (20-90 °C), several problems need to be solved before the technological development of fuel cell stacks for different applications. This concerns the properties of the components of the elementary cell, that is, the proton exchange membrane, the electrode (anode and cathode) catalysts, the membrane-electrode assemblies and the bipolar plates [19, 20]. This also concerns the overall system vdth its control and management equipment (circulation of reactants and water, heat exhaust, membrane humidification, etc.). 

Fuel Cell Technology Membrane Electrode Assemblies... 

The proton exchange membrane - also known as polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) - fuel cell uses a polymeric electrolyte. The protonconducting polymer forms the heart of each cell electrodes, usually made of porous carbon with catalytic platinum incorporated into them, are bonded to either side of the electrolyte to form a one-piece membrane-electrode assembly (MEA). The following are some key advantages that make PEMs such a promising technology for the automotive market ... 

This introductory chapter provides a brief outline and history of the PEFC technology, and important requirements and aspects in the development of polymer membranes for fuel cells. To obtain materials that meet specific requirements, the relationship of composition/structure and the properties has to be estabUshed. For the preparation of the membrane electrode assembly, it is important to understand the interfacial properties between membrane and electrodes. 

Jinli Qiao is a professor, PhD supervisor, and scientific core-competency leader at Donghua University, China. She earned her PhD in electrochemistry from Yamaguchi University, Japan, in 2004 before joining the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan, as a research scientist. From 2004 to 2008, Dr. Qiao carried out seven fuel cell projects including two NEDO projects in Japan on the development of novel proton-conducting membranes, new binders for membrane electrode assembly (MEA)... 

With respect to fuel-cell technology itself, the small portable units use commercially available membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) and gas diffusion layers (GDL). As the operating temperature of small fuel-cell stacks usually lies below 50 °C, the requirements with respect to material stability of MEA and GDL, but also of sealing gaskets and bipolar plates are comparable lower than for other applications. For example, it is well known that metallic bipolar plates show significantly lower corrosion below 50 °C than at typical operation temperature of 80 °C [6,7], so that a sufficient lifetime for portable applications can be achieved with stainless steel. 

Wang C. Y., Yang X. G., Tabuchi Y., Kagami F. 2010. Cold-start durabihty of membrane-electrode assemblies, Handbook of Fuel Cells Fundamentals Technology and Applications. Wiley Onhne Library. DOl 10.1002/9780470974001.f500057a... 

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