Membrane electrode assembly PEMFC

Sol-gel techniques have been successfidly applied to form fuel cell components with enhanced microstructures for high-temperature fuel cells. The apphcations were recently extended to synthesis of hybrid electrolyte for PEMFC. Although die results look promising, the sol-gel processing needs further development to deposit micro-structured materials in a selective area such as the triple-phase boundary of a fuel cell. That is, in the case of PEMFC, the sol-gel techniques need to be expanded to form membrane-electrode-assembly with improved microstructures in addition to the synthesis of hybrid membranes to get higher fuel cell performance. 

In PEMFCs, the membrane electrode assembly (MEA, Eig. 15.2a) is a multilayer sandwich composed of catalytic layers (CLs) where electrochemical reactions take place, gas-diffusion media providing access of gases to the CLs, and a proton exchange membrane (PEM) such as Nafion . The CL is a multiphase multicomponent medium comprising ... 

Kraemer, S. V., Lindbergh, G., Lafitte, B., Puchner, M., andJannasch, P. Substitution of Nafion with sulfonated polysulfone in membrane-electrode assembly components for 60-120°C PEMFC operation. Journal of the Electrochemical Society 2008 155 B1001-B1007. 

Zhao, J., He, X., Wang, L., Tian, J., Wan, C., and Jiang, C. Addition of NH4HCO3 as pore-former in membrane electrode assembly for PEMFC. International Journal... 

Figure 4.1 shows a schematic of a typical polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). A typical membrane electrode assembly (MEA) consists of a proton exchange membrane that is in contact with a cathode catalyst layer (CL) on one side and an anode CL on the other side they are sandwiched together between two diffusion layers (DLs). These layers are usually treated (coated) with a hydrophobic agent such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in order to improve the water removal within the DL and the fuel cell. It is also common to have a catalyst-backing layer or microporous layer (MPL) between the CL and DL. Usually, bipolar plates with flow field (FF) channels are located on each side of the MFA in order to transport reactants to the... 

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.). 

An elementary PEMFC comprises several elements and components the membrane-electrode assembly (MEA), the flow-field plate (bipolar plate, which also ensures electric contact with the next cell), gaskets to ensure tightness to reactants and end plates (Figure 9.4). 

As shown in Figure 1.6, the optimized cathode and anode structures in PEMFCs include carbon paper or carbon cloth coated with a carbon-PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) sub-layer (or diffusion layer) and a catalyst layer containing carbon-supported catalyst and Nafion ionomer. The two electrodes are hot pressed with the Nafion membrane in between to form a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), which is the core of the PEMFC. Other methods, such as catalyst coated membranes, have also been used in the preparation of MEAs. 

A state-of-the-art PEMFC and steady-state current-potential measurements are illustrated in Figure 3.18, which shows a schematic view of the PEMFC geometry, the basic electric circuit of the membrane electrode assembly and the gas diffusion layers at both anode and cathode. 

Figure 3.18. Schematic of the PEMFC geometry and basic electric circuit showing the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and the gas diffusion layers (GDLs) at both anode and cathode [33], (Reprinted from Electrochimica Acta, 51(13), Tsampas MN, Pikos A, Brosda S, Katsaounis A, Vayenas CG, The effect of membrane thickness on the conductivity of Nafion, 2743-55. 2006, with permission from Elsevier.)...

The membrane electrode assembly (MEA), which consists of three components (two gas diffusion electrodes with a proton exchange membrane in between), is the most important component of the PEMFC. The MEA exerts the largest influence on the performance of a fuel cell, and the properties of each of its parts in turn play significant roles in that performance. Although all the components in the MEA are important, the gas diffusion electrode attracts more attention because of its complexity and functions. In AC impedance spectra, the proton exchange membrane usually exhibits resistance characteristics the features of these spectra reflect the properties of the gas diffusion electrode. In order to better understand the behaviour of a gas diffusion electrode, we introduce the thin-film/flooded agglomerate model, which has been successfully applied by many researchers to... 

Clearly, a fundamental understanding of the key strac-ture/property relationships, particularly membrane morphology and conductivity as a function of polymer electrolyte architecture and water content - both in the bulk hydrated membrane and at the various interfaces within the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), can provide guidance in the synthesis of novel materials or MEA manufacturing techniques that lead to the improvement in the efficiency and/or operating range of PEMFCs. 

During the course of membrane electrode assembly (MEA), manufacture and PEMFC operation, the membranes are exposed to the impacts of temperature, humidity, and pressure. Consequently, it is important that the membranes possess a good mechanical stability, and in particular a high mechanical strength and minimal swelling. 

C. Yuh, P. Patel, R. Kopp, S. Katikaneni and S. Grot, "Novel Composite Membrane-Electrode Assembly for High-Temperature PEMFC," 3rd International Symposium on Proton Conducting Membrane Fuel Cells, The Electrochemical Society Fall Meeting, Salt Fake City, Utah, October 20-24, 2002. 

SD is routinely used to deposit thin films and has proven benefits from economies of scale in the metallization of plastics. The technique has already been used to create enhanced and unique MEAs for H2 -air proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) systems. In this project, JPL is pursuing the use of SD to create DMFC membrane electrode assembly structures with highly electro-active catalyst layers that will reduce the amount and cost of the Pt-alloy catalyst at the fuel cell anode. 

Figure 12.1 Schematic representation of a membrane-electrode assembly of a PEMFC. Platinnm particles and carbon agglomerates are colored in black and dark gray, respectively.

Recently, taking advantage of the very narrow size distribution of the metal particles obtained, microemulsion has been used to prepare electrocatalysts for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) Catalysts containing 40 % Pt Ru (1 1) and 40% Pt Pd (1 1) on charcoal were prepared by mixing aqueous solutions of chloroplatinic acid, ruthenium chloride and palladium chloride with Berol 050 as surfactant in iso-octane. Reduction of the metal salts was complete after addition of hydrazine. In order to support the particles, the microemulsion was destabilised with tetrahydrofurane in the presence of charcoal. Both isolated particles in the range of 2-5 nm and aggregates of about 20 nm were detected by transmission electron microscopy. The electrochemical performance of membrane electrode assemblies, MEAs, prepared using this catalyst was comparable to that of the MEAs prepared with a commercial catalyst. 

A publication by the Paul Scherrer Institute reports progress in preparing membrane/electrode assemblies for PEMFCs based on radiation-grafted FEP PSSA man-branes. Hot-pressing with Naflon was nsed to improve the interfaces. These improved MEAs showed performance data comparable to those of MEAs based on Naflon 112 and a service life in H2/O2 fuel cells of more than 200 h at bO C and 500 mA cm". ... 

The earliest PEMFC system models [1,2] were for single cells at steady state, assuming isothermal and isobar conditions. Performance is averaged over the cross-channel direction, and transport in gas channels is decoupled from transport through the Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA). The power of... 

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