Initial conditioning of Polymer Eelectrolyte Membrane fuel cell by temperature and potential cycling

Bezmalinović, Dario; Radošević, Jagoda; Barbir, Frano

doi:10.17344/acsi.2014.730

Cited by 20 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…In order to facilitate the calculation of the PEMFC model, the assumptions adopted by the models are [17][18][19]: 1) PEMFC operates in steady-state; 2) The phase of all gas components is ideal and incompressible [20]; 3) The reactant gas in the flow field is regarded as laminar flow; 4) The GDL, catalytic layer, and proton exchange membrane are all isotropic; 5) The operating temperature of PEMFC is 80℃; 6) The gravity is ignored. The governing equations used to solve the PEMFC flow fields include the mass conservation equation, the momentum conservation equation, charge and species transport equations [21,22].…”

Section: Assumptions and Governing Equationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation on the Optimal Angle of a Flow-Field Design Based on the Leaf-Vein Structure for PEMFC

Lian¹,

Xie²,

Zheng³

2020

JNMES

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As a critical component, the bipolar plate appreciably affects the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The flow field structure on the bipolar plate is significant in transporting the internal reaction gas and excess water. In the nature, the leaf veins provide efficient branch networks to the plant, contributing to distribute the nutrients in the whole system. By bionic means, a similar branching structure can be used to design flow channels on the bipolar plates for PEMFC, which helps distribute the reactant gas evenly and manage the water better. In this paper, a three-dimensional isothermal single phase model of the bio-inspired flow channel design based on the leaf vein pattern was presented. The effect of the angle between the main channel and sub-channels on the performance of PEMFC was studied at various cases. A PEMFC of 10.24cm2 activation area was assembled and examined experimentally. The results showed that increasing the angle appropriately was beneficial to improving the uniform oxygen distribution and excess water removal. After comprehensively analyzing the electrochemical performance, species distribution, and power loss of PEMFC, the optimal angle was presented.

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Section: Assumptions and Governing Equationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation on the Optimal Angle of a Flow-Field Design Based on the Leaf-Vein Structure for PEMFC

Lian¹,

Xie²,

Zheng³

2020

JNMES

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“…For this purpose, it is essential to have a better understanding on the activation mechanism of fuel cell conditioning with various membrane additives. There have been some studies with commercial products without additives on shortening conditioning time and maximizing fuel cell performance in the literature . The studies on the effects of membrane additives such as organic additives and inorganic/organic additives on fuel cell conditioning are however scarce.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A fuel cell temporarily exhibits below normal performance after initial manufacturing. Activation, also called break in/conditioning/incubation/activating/commissioning, increases fuel cell performance until it reaches a plateau . Typically, conditioning is a time‐consuming and costly process of PEMFC manufacturing, especially for high volume production.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Activation, also called break in/ conditioning/incubation/activating/commissioning, increases fuel cell performance until it reaches a plateau. [22][23][24][25] Typically, conditioning is a time-consuming and costly process of PEMFC manufacturing, especially for high volume production. Although the effect of additives themselves on the overall cost of membrane is minimal, extended conditioning time caused from membrane additives requires extra capital and operational costs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There have been some studies with commercial products without additives on shortening conditioning time and maximizing fuel cell performance in the literature. [22][23][24][25][26] The studies on the effects of membrane additives such as organic additives and inorganic/organic additives on fuel cell conditioning are however scarce.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Membrane Additives on PEMFC Conditioning

et al. 2019

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Durability and cost are the major hurdles preventing fuel cell technology from large‐scale commercialization. Membrane degradation due to insufficient chemical stability is one of the main factors affecting fuel cell durability. Using additives as scavenger, the membrane durability can be dramatically enhanced. However, membrane additives normally result in lengthened conditioning, subsequently adding to capital and operational expenditure. It is crucial to understand the root causes of prolonged conditioning process from membrane additives. In this study, four membranes with or without additives were conditioned in a fuel cell and analyzed using various techniques. It is found that the cell voltage exhibits a U‐shaped curve and slow ramping up during conditioning at a constant current, instead of monotonically increasing to a steady state. Experiments also revealed that mostly additives might be overdosed and the releasing of extra additives causes catalyst layer contamination and requires longer conditioning time.

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Fundamental and Practical Aspects of Break‐In/Conditioning of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Kostelec,

Gatalo,

Hodnik

2024

The Chemical Record

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Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have proven to be a promising power source for various applications ranging from portable devices to automotive and stationary power systems. The production of PEMFC involves numerous stages in the value chain, with each stage presenting unique challenges and opportunities to improve the overall performance and durability of the PEMFC stack. These include steps such as manufacturing the key components such as the platinum‐based catalyst, processing these components into the membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs), and stacking the MEAs to ultimately produce a PEMFC stack. However, it is also known that the break‐in or conditioning phase of the stack plays a crucial role in the final performance as well as durability. It involves several key phenomena such as hydration of the membrane, swelling of the ionomer, redistribution of the catalyst and the creation of suitable electrochemical interfaces – establishment of the triple phase boundary. These improve the proton conductivity, the mass transport of reactants and products, the catalytic activity of the electrode and thus the overall efficiency of the FC. The cruciality of break‐in is demonstrated by the improvement in performance, which can even be over 50 % compared to the initial state. The state‐of‐the‐art approach for the break‐in of MEAs involves an electrochemical protocol, such as voltage cycling, using a PEMFC testing station. This method is time‐consuming, equipment‐intensive, and costly. Therefore, new, elegant, and cost‐effective solutions are needed. Nevertheless, the primary aim is to achieve maximum/optimal performance so that it is fully operational and ready for the market. It is therefore essential to better understand and deconvolute these complex mechanisms taking place during break‐in/conditioning. Strategies include controlled humidity and temperature cycling, novel electrode materials and other advanced break‐in methods such as air braking, vacuum activation or steaming. In addition, it is critical to address the challenges associated with standardisation and quantification of protocols to enable interlaboratory comparisons to further advance the field.

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Initial conditioning of Polymer Eelectrolyte Membrane fuel cell by temperature and potential cycling

Cited by 20 publications

References 5 publications

Investigation on the Optimal Angle of a Flow-Field Design Based on the Leaf-Vein Structure for PEMFC

Investigation on the Optimal Angle of a Flow-Field Design Based on the Leaf-Vein Structure for PEMFC

Effects of Membrane Additives on PEMFC Conditioning

Fundamental and Practical Aspects of Break‐In/Conditioning of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

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