No abstract

No abstract

This review presents methanol as a potential renewable alternative to fossil fuels in the fight against climate change. It explores the renewable ways of obtaining methanol and its use in efficient energy systems for a net zero-emission carbon cycle, with a special focus on fuel cells. It investigates the different parts of the carbon cycle from a methanol and fuel cell perspective. In recent years, the potential for a methanol economy has been shown and there has been significant technological advancement of its renewable production and utilization. Even though its full adoption will require further development, it can be produced from renewable electricity and biomass or CO2 capture and can be used in several industrial sectors, which make it an excellent liquid electrofuel for the transition to a sustainable economy. By converting CO2 into liquid fuels, the harmful effects of CO2 emissions from existing industries that still rely on fossil fuels are reduced. The methanol can then be used both in the energy sector and the chemical industry, and become an all-around substitute for petroleum. The scope of this review is to put together the different aspects of methanol as an energy carrier of the future, with particular focus on its renewable production and its use in high-temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) via methanol steam reforming.

Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) degradation in electrolysis mode is simulated through a Fenton model that includes all major involved electrochemical reactions. Supportive experimental investigations on the effect of hydrogen peroxide and iron impurities are carried out in an ex-situ set-up, where the results are utilized to fit model parameters. The experiments reveal a high dependence of fluoride emission on iron concentration, which catalyzes the reaction, and identifies hydrogen peroxide as a necessary precursor for destructive hydroxyl radical formation. Simulations of in-situ operation reveal * Corresponding author, (+45) 50 25 10 31

This paper investigates the influence of the cell compression of a PEM water electrolysis cell. A small single cell is therefore electrochemically analyzed by means of polarization behavior and impedance spectroscopy throughout a range of currents (0.01 A cm −2 to 2.0 A cm −2 ) at two temperatures (60• C and 80• C) and eight compressions (0.77 MPa to 3.45 MPa). Additionally, a computational model is utilized to support the analysis. The main findings are that cell compression has a positive effect on overall cell performance due to decreased contact resistances, but is subject to optimization. In this case, no signs of severe mass transport problems due to crushed transport layers are visible in either polarization curves or impedance plots, even at high currents. However, a Tafel plot analysis revealed more than one slope throughout the current range. The change in the Tafel slope is therefore discussed and connected to the electrochemical reaction or an ohmic contribution from a non-electrode component.