Proton exchange membrane fuel cell catalyst layers

Suzuki, T., Tsushima, S., and Hirai, S. 2011. Effects of Nafion ionomer and carbon particles on structure formation in a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell catalyst layer fabricated by the decal-transfer method. 36, 12361-12369. 

Barbosa, R., Andaverde, X, Escobar, B. Cano, U. Stochastic reconstruction and a scaling method to determine effective transport coefficients of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell catalyst layer. J. Power Sources 196 (2011a),pp. 1248-1257. 

Yu, H. M., Ziegler, C., Oszcipok, M., Zobel, M., and Hebling, C. Hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity study of catalyst layers in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Electrochimica Acta 2006 51 1199-1207. 

Antoine, O., Bultel, Y, Ozil, P, and Durand, R. Catalyst gradient for cathode active layer of proton exchange membrane fuel cell. Electrochimica Acta 2000 45 4493 500. 

Chao, W. K., Lee, C. M., Tsai, D. C., Chou, C. C., Hsueh, K. L., and Shieu, F. S. Improvement of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PFMFC) performance at low-humidity conditions by adding hygroscopic y-Al203 particles into the catalyst layer. Journal of Power Sources 2008 185 136-142. 

Sasikumar, G., Ihm, J. W, and Ryu, H. Dependence of optimum Nation content in catalyst layer on platinum loading. Journal of Power Sources 2004 132 11-17. Taylor, E. J., Anderson, E. B., and Vilambi, N. R. K. Preparation of high-plat-inum-utilization gas diffusion electrodes for proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells. Journal of the Electrochemical Society 1992 139 L45-L46. 

A. M. Kannan, V. P. Veedu, L. Munukutla, and M. N. Ghasemi-Nejhad. Nanostructured gas diffusion and catalyst layers for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Electrochemical and Solid State Letters 10 (2007) B47-B50. 

Proper water management in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is critical to PEMFC performance and durability. PEMFC performance is impaired if the membrane has insufficient water for proton conduction or if the open pore space of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and catalyst layer (CL) or the gas flow channels becomes saturated with liquid water, there is a reduction in reactant flow to the active catalyst sites. PEMFC durability is reduced if water is left in the CL during freeze/thaw cycling which can result in CL or GDL separation from the membrane,1 and excess water in contact with the membrane can result in accelerated membrane thinning.2... 

Figure 4.33. Equivalent circuit of a catalyst layer [8]. (Reproduced by permission of the authors and of ECS—The Electrochemical Society, from Lefebvre MC, Martin RB, Pickup PG. Characterization of ionic conductivity within proton exchange membrane fuel cell gas diffusion electrodes by impedance spectroscopy.)...

Figure 6.15. Influence of GDL pore-former content on cell performance of a H2/02 single cell (0) 0 mg/cm2, (o) 3 mg/cm2, ( ) 5 mg/cm2, (A) 7 mg/cm2, and (V) 10 mg/cm2 pore-former loading 5 mg/cm2 carbon loading in the GDL and 0.4 mg Pt/cm2 in the catalyst layer [15]. (Reprinted from Journal of Power Sources, 108(1-2), Kong CS, Kim DY, Lee HK, Shul YG, Lee TH. Influence of pore-size distribution of diffusion layer on mass-transport problems of proton exchange membrane fuel cells, 185-91, 2002, with permission from Elsevier and the authors.)...

Liu, D.-J. and Yang, J., Method of Fabricating Electrode Catalyst Layers with Directionally Oriented Carbon Support for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell, U.S. Patent Application 20060269827, November 30, 2006. 

Figure 3.33. Schematic picture of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell. Modelling of reactions at the gas diffusion layer/catalyst/membrane interfaces A and B is discussed in section 3.5.2. Details of design are discussed in the following subsections.

The combination of anode/electrolyte/cathode in proton exchange membrane fuel cell is usually referred to as the membrane electrode assembly (MEA).51 Usually the MEA was produced by attaching a catalyst layer (frequently Pt, Pt alloys, or other noble metals) on one side of porous gas diffusion electrodes. The catalysts... 

Zhang S, yuan XZ, Cheng Hin JN, Wang H (2009) A review of platinum-based catalysts layer degradation in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. J Power Sources 194 588-600... 

Figure 10.1 Schematic drawing of a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell. CL = catalyst layer GDL = gas diffusion layer.

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. 

Du H-Y, Wang C-H, Hsu H-C, Chang S-T, Yen S-C, Chen L-C, Viswanathan B. Chen K-H (2011) High performance of catalysts supported by directly grown PTFE-free micro-porous CNT layer in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell. J Mater Chem 21 2512-2516... 

Baturina OA, Wnek GE. Characterization of proton exchange membrane fuel cells with catalyst layers obtained by electrospraying. Electrochem Solid State Lett 2005 8(6) A267-9. 

Hiramitsu Y, Mitsuzawa N, Okada K and Hori M (2010), Effects of ionomer content and oxygen permeation of the catalyst layer on proton exchange membrane fuel cell cold Journal of Power Sources, 195,1038-1045. 

Miao Z, Yu H, SongW, Hao L, Shao Z, Shen Q, Hon J and Yi B (2010), Characteristics of proton exchange membrane fuel cells cold start with silica in cathode catalyst layers, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 35,5552-5557. 

Du CY, Yang T, Shi PF, Yin GP, Cheng XQ (2006) Performance analysis of the ordered and the conventional catalyst layers in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Electrochim Acta 51(23) 4934-4941... 

Water management is one of the critical operation issues in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Spatially varying concentrations of water in both vapor and liquid form are expected throughout the cell because of varying rates of production and transport. Water emanates from two sources the product water from the oxygen-reduction reaction in the cathode catalyst layer and the humidification water carried by the inlet streams or injected into the fuel cell. 

Electrodes with thin catalyst layers made using platinum on carbon electrocatalysts with a high Pt/C weight ratio and with more platinum localized near the front surface had the effect of diminishing the overpotentials in proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells [200]. 

Olson TS, Chapman K, Atanassov P (2008) Non-platinum cathode catalyst layer composition for single membrane electrode assembly proton exchange membrane fuel cell. J Power Density 183 557-563... 

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