An Investigation of the Compressive Behavior of Polymer Electrode Membrane Fuel Cell’s Gas Diffusion Layers under Different Temperatures

Chen, Yanqin; Jiang, Chao; Cho, Chongdu

doi:10.3390/polym10090971

Cited by 15 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Considering GDL assembly configuration in fuel cells, mechanical tests, such as compressive tests in the thickness direction (Z direction), in-plane tensile (in X and Y directions), and shear tests (in ZX and ZY planes), were performed using a Material Tester BS-205. More detailed test methods can be found in [18,19,20,21]. Furthermore, five specimens were conducted for each test, and the average experimental data were employed to state the GDL’s mechanical degradation performance.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Freeze–Thaw Thermal Cycles on the Mechanical Degradation of the Gas Diffusion Layer in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

2019

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In this paper, the mechanical degradation of a commercial gas diffusion layer subjected to repeated freeze–thaw thermal cycles is studied. In a fuel cell, the mechanical assembly state directly affects the performance of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Particularly, the gas diffusion layer repeatedly withstands the complex heat and humidity environmental conditions in which the temperature and humidity are always greatly changed. Studying the three-dimensional mechanical degradation of gas diffusion layers due to orthotropic properties is very useful in extending the lifetime and durability of fuel cells. To investigate this, we first established the standard freeze–thaw thermal cycle and studied the gas diffusion layer’s mechanical degradation performance with up to 400 repeated freeze–thaw thermal cycles. Furthermore, different types of failure in the gas diffusion layer caused by the repeated thermal aging treatment were observed using a scanning electron microscope, to explain the change in the mechanical deterioration. As a result, the different thermal failure plays different roles in the explanation of the gas diffusion layer’s mechanical degradation under different thermal cycles. In particular, the thermal failure that resulted from the first 100 thermal cycles has the greatest effect on the compressive and tensile performance, compared to the shear behavior.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Freeze–Thaw Thermal Cycles on the Mechanical Degradation of the Gas Diffusion Layer in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

2019

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“…From the LSV analysis, it ca COMBP) led to higher currents w addition, both the combined anode anode materials alone (CC or SS, a observed on SS (further displayed a mainly served as an electron-curren attachment. However, the electro depended on the contact between th (low resistance) was typically attain the fibers, a common practice in oth cells [44,45]). Typically, in a MEC, t press the anode′s carbon materia conductivity, a highly rigid SS electr assumed that this contact between formation on the CC, while the SS s the electron flow toward the anode.…”

Section: Lsv Measurements Of the Bioanodesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the electron conduction through the carbon-cloth electrode strongly depended on the contact between the carbon fibers (woven or nonwoven). Thus, high conductivity (low resistance) was typically attained by applying external pressure to force good contact among the fibers, a common practice in other fuel cells (e.g., hydrogen polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells [44,45]). Typically, in a MEC, the anode is immersed in the medium without a mechanism to press the anode's carbon material.…”

Section: Dpv Measurements Of the Bioanodesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improvement of Microbial Electrolysis Cell Activity by Using Anode Based on Combined Plasma-Pretreated Carbon Cloth and Stainless Steel

et al. 2019

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The anode activity in a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) is known to be a limiting factor in hydrogen production. In this study, the MEC was constructed using different anode materials and a platinum-coated carbon-cloth cathode (CC). The anodes were comprised of CC, stainless steel (SS), and a combination of the two (COMB). The CC and SS anodes were also treated with plasma to improve their surface morphology and hydrophilic properties (CCP and SSP, respectively). A combined version of CCP attached to SS was also applied (COMBP). After construction of the MEC using the different anodes, we conducted electrochemical measurements and examination of biofilm viability. Under an applied voltage of 0.6 V (Ag/AgCl), the currents of a MEC based on CCP and COMBP were 11.66 ± 0.1331 and 16.36 ± 0.3172 A m−2, respectively, which are about three times higher compared to the untreated CC and COMB. A MEC utilizing an untreated SS anode exhibited current of only 0.3712 ± 0.0108 A m−2. The highest biofilm viability of 0.92 OD540 ± 0.07 and hydrogen production rate of 0.0736 ± 0.0022 m3 d−1 m−2 at 0.8 V were obtained in MECs based on the COMBP anode. To our knowledge, this is the first study that evaluated the effect of plasma-treated anodes and the use of a combined anode composed of SS and CC for hydrogen evolution in a MEC.

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“…Some investigations considered that GDLs were linear and isotropic materials without in-depth studies, and the constant Young's modulus [19,20] was employed in the fuel cell stress simulation. In practice, GDLs have been experimentally characterized with nonlinear compressive properties [21][22][23]. Additionally, some researchers have made considerable efforts to develop reliable numerical models [24][25][26][27] to explain the nonlinearity in the compressive performance of GDLs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation on Mechanical Properties of a Carbon Paper Gas Diffusion Layer through a 3-D Nonlinear and Orthotropic Constitutive Model

Chen

Ke²,

Ying-song³

et al. 2021

Energies

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The mechanical loads that gas diffusion layers (GDLs) withstand in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stacks are sensitive to the assembly and working conditions. The mechanical properties of GDLs mostly depend on their composition materials, microstructural characteristics, operation conditions, etc. An accurate and comprehensive understanding of the mechanical performance of GDLs is significant for predicting the stress distribution and improving the assembly technology of PEMFC stacks. This study presented a novel 3-D nonlinear and orthotropic constitutive model of a carbon paper GDL to represent the material stiffness matrix with its compressive, tensile, and shear properties. Numerical simulations were performed based on the 3-D constitutive model, and the proposed 3-D model was validated against the experimental data reported previously. It is found that the simulation results of the 3-D constitutive model show a good agreement with the experimental results. Besides, the novel 3-D nonlinear and orthotropic model was applied in the overall stress simulation of a simplified PEMFC unit cell, compared to a conventional 3-D linear and isotropic model, and the simulation results of the two models show a significant difference.

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An Investigation of the Compressive Behavior of Polymer Electrode Membrane Fuel Cell’s Gas Diffusion Layers under Different Temperatures

Cited by 15 publications

References 32 publications

Effects of Freeze–Thaw Thermal Cycles on the Mechanical Degradation of the Gas Diffusion Layer in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

Effects of Freeze–Thaw Thermal Cycles on the Mechanical Degradation of the Gas Diffusion Layer in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

Improvement of Microbial Electrolysis Cell Activity by Using Anode Based on Combined Plasma-Pretreated Carbon Cloth and Stainless Steel

Investigation on Mechanical Properties of a Carbon Paper Gas Diffusion Layer through a 3-D Nonlinear and Orthotropic Constitutive Model

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