Polymer electrolyte fuel cells applications

Echigo, M. and Tabata, T. A study of CO removal on an activated Ru catalyst for polymer electrolyte fuel cell applications. Applied Catalysis. A, General, 2003, 251, 157. 

In recent years, the preparation and properties of Pt-Ru/C electrocatalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cell applications have received considerable attention [94-97]. 

Zhang X, Hu Z, Pu Y, Chen S, Ling J, Bi H, et al. Preparation and properties of novel sulfonated poly(p-phenylene-co-aryl ether ketone)s for polymer electrolyte fuel cell applications. J Power Sources 2012 16 261-8. 

Lin CC, Chang CB, Wang YZ. Preparation and properties of cross-linked sulfonated poly(imide-siloxane) for polymer electrolyte fuel cell application. J Power Sources 2013 223 277-83. 

Sherazi, T.A., Ahmad, S., Akram Kashmiri, S., Kim, D.S., Guiver, M.D. Radiation-induced grafting of styrene onto ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene powder for polymer electrolyte fuel cell application. II. Sulfonation and characterization. J. Membr. Sci. 333,... 

M. Echigo, T. Tabata, CO removal from reformed gas by catalytic methanation for polymer electrolyte fuel cell applications. J. Chem. Eng.Jpn. 2004, 37, 75-81. 

Poltarzewski, Z. Staiti, P. Alderucci, V. Wieczorek, W. Giordano, N. (1992). Nafion distribution in gas diffusion electrodes for solid-polymer-electrolyte-fuel-cell application. Z. Electrochem. Soc., 139, 761-765. 

Abstract During the last two decades, extensive efforts have been made to develop alternative hydrocarbon-based polymer electrolyte membranes to overcome the drawbacks of the current widely used perfluorosulfonic acid Nafion. This chapter presents an overview of the synthesis, chemical properties, and polymer electrolyte fuel cell applications of new proton-conducting polymer electrolyte membranes based on sulfonated poly(arylene ether ether ketone) polymers and copolymers. 

J. Kerres, M. Hein, W. Zhang, N. Nicoloso, S. Graf, Development of new blend membranes for polymer electrolyte fuel cell applications, J. New Mat. Electrochem. Syst. 6(4), 223-229 (2003)... 

Xiao, L., Zhang, H., Scanlon, E., Chen, R., Choe, E.-W., Ramanathan, L. S., Yu, S., and Benicewicz, B. (2005a) Synthesis and characterization of pyridine-based polybenzimidazoles for high-temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cell applications. Fuel Cells 5(2), 287-295. 

Hu, Z., Yin, Y., Kita, H., Okamoto, K.I., Suto, Y., Wang, H., Kawasato, H. (2007) Synthesis and properties of novel sulfonated polyimides bearing sulfophenyl pendant groups for polymer electrolyte fuel cell application. Polymer, 48, 1962-1971. 

FIGURE 6.16 Performance of PEMFCs with SPP-co-PAEK (3/1) and Nafion 112 at90°C/0.2 MPa with supply of Hj/air and gas humidification of (a) 82%/68% RH, (h) 48%/48%, and (c) 27%/27% RH. (Reprinted from/. Power Sources, 216, Zhang, X., Hu, Z., Pu, Y., Chen, S., Ling, J., Bi, H., Chen, S., Wang, L., and Okamoto, K., Preparation and properties of novel sulfonated poly(p-phenylene-co-aryl ether ketone)s for polymer electrolyte fuel cell applications, 261-268, Copyright (2012), with permission from Elsevier.)... 

Chen S., Kara R., Chen K., Zhang X., Endo N., Higa M., Okamoto K., Wang L., Poly(phenylene) block copolymers bearing tri-sulfonated aromatic pendant groups for polymer electrolyte fuel cell applications. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2013, 1(28), 8178-8189. 

Carbon is unique among chemical elements since it exists in different forms and microtextures transforming it into a very attractive material that is widely used in a broad range of electrochemical applications. Carbon exists in various allotropic forms due to its valency, with the most well-known being carbon black, diamond, fullerenes, graphene and carbon nanotubes. This review is divided into four sections. In the first two sections the structure, electronic and electrochemical properties of carbon are presented along with their applications. The last two sections deal with the use of carbon in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) as catalyst support and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalyst. 

Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC) deliver high power density, which offers low weight, cost, and volume. The immobilized electrolyte membrane simplifies sealing in the production process, reduces corrosion, and provides for longer cell and stack life. PEFCs operate at low temperature, allowing for faster startups and immediate response to changes in the demand for power. The PEFC system is seen as the system of choice for vehicular power applications, but is also being developed for smaller scale stationary power. For more detailed technical information, there are excellent overviews of the PEFC (1,2). 

There has been an accelerated interest in polymer electrolyte fuel cells within the last few years, which has led to improvements in both cost and performance. Development has reached the point where motive power applications appear achievable at an acceptable cost for commercial markets. Noticeable accomplishments in the technology, which have been published, have been made at Ballard Power Systems. PEFC operation at ambient pressure has been validated for over 25,000 hours with a six-cell stack without forced air flow, humidification, or active cooling (17). Complete fuel cell systems have been demonstrated for a number of transportation applications including public transit buses and passenger automobiles. Recent development has focused on cost reduction and high volume manufacture for the catalyst, membranes, and bipolar plates. 

S. Gottesfeld, "Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells Potential Transportation and Stationary Applications," No. 10, An EPREGRI Fuel Cell Workshop on Technology Research and Development, Stonehart Associates, Madison, Connecticut, 1993. 

Savadogo, O. 2004. Emerging membranes for electrochemical systems—Part 11. High-temperature composite membranes for polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) applications. Journal of Power Sources 127 135-161. 

Numerous demonstrations in recent years have shown that the level of performance of present-day polymer electrolyte fuel cells can compete with current energy conversion technologies in power densities and energy efficiencies. However, for large-scale commercialization in automobile and portable applications, the merit function of fuel cell systems—namely, the ratio of power density to cost—must be improved by a factor of 10 or more. Clever engineering and empirical optimization of cells and stacks alone cannot achieve such ambitious performance and cost targets. 

The polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) or proton exchange membrane fuel cell—also known as the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC)—is a lower temperature fuel cell (typically less than 100°C) with a special polymer electrolyte membrane. This lower temperature fuel cell is well suited for transportation, portable, and micro fuel cell applications because of the importance of fast start-up and dynamic operation. The PEMFC has applicability in most market and application areas. 

Carbon-supported platinum (Pt) and platinum-rathenium (Pt-Ru) alloy are one of the most popular electrocatalysts in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC). Pt supported on electrically conducting carbons, preferably carbon black, is being increasingly used as an electrocatalyst in fuel cell applications (Parker et al., 2004). Carbon-supported Pt could be prepared at loadings as high as 70 wt.% without a noticeable increase of particle size. Unsupported and carbon-supported nanoparticle Pt-Ru, ,t m catalysts prepared using the surface reductive deposition... 

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) work with a polymer electrolyte in the form of a thin, permeable sheet. The PEMFCs, otherwise known as polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC), are of particular importance for the use in mobile and small/medium-sized stationary applications (Pehnt, 2001). The PEM fuel cells are considered to be the most promising fuel cell for power generation (Kazim, 2000). 

Fuel cells may become the energy-delivery devices of the 21st century. Although there are many types of fuel cells, polymer-electrolyte fuel cells are receiving the most attention for automotive and small stationary applications. In a polymer-electrolyte fuel cell, hydrogen and oxygen are combined electrochemi-cally to produce water, electricity, and some waste heat. 

One particular application for which supported Au catalysts may find a niche market is in fuel cells [4, 50] and in particular in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC), which are used in residential electric power and electric vehicles and operate at about 353-473 K. Polymer electrolyte fuel cells are usually operated by hydrogen produced from methane or methanol by steam reforming followed by water-gas shift reaction. Residual CO (about 1 vol.%) in the reformer output after the shift reaction poisons the Pt anode at a relatively low PEFC operating temperature. To solve this problem, the anode of the fuel cell should be improved to become more CO tolerant (Pt-Ru alloying) and secondly catalytic systems should be developed that can remove even trace amounts of CO from H2 in the presence of excess C02 and water. 

---