Understanding the effects of PEMFC contamination from balance of plant assembly aids materials: In situ studies

Opu, Md.; Bender, G.; Macomber, Clay S.; Van Zee, J. W.; Dinh, Huyen N.

doi:10.1149/2.0411509jes

Title: Understanding the effects of PEMFC contamination from balance of plant assembly aids materials: In situ studies

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Abstract

In this study, in situ performance data were measured to assess the degree of contamination from leachates of five families of balance of plant (BOP) materials (i.e., 2-part adhesive, grease, thread lock/seal, silicone adhesive/seal and urethane adhesive/seal) broadly classified as assembly aids that may be used as adhesives and lubricants in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) systems. Leachate solutions, derived from soaking the materials in deionized (DI) water at elevated temperature, were infused into the fuel cell to determine the effect of the leachates on fuel cell performance. During the contamination phase of the experiments, leachate solution was introduced through a nebulizer into the cathode feed stream of a 50 cm² PEMFC operating at 0.2 A/cm² at 80°C and 32%RH. Voltage loss and high frequency resistance (HFR) were measured as a function of time and electrochemical surface area (ECA) before and after contamination were compared. Two procedures of recovery, one self-induced recovery with DI water and one driven recovery through cyclic voltammetry (CV) were investigated. Finally, performance results measured before and after contamination and after CV recovery are compared and discussed.

Authors:

Opu, Md. ^[1]; Bender, G. ^[2]; Macomber, Clay S. ^[2]; Van Zee, J. W. ^[3]; Dinh, Huyen N. ^[2]

Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia, SC (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering; National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia, SC (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering; Univ. of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Publication Date:: Mon Jun 29 00:00:00 EDT 2015

Research Org.:: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia, SC (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies Office

OSTI Identifier:: 1220734

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5900-64088
Journal ID: ISSN 0013-4651

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308; ZGB-0-99180-1

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Journal of the Electrochemical Society

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 162; Journal Issue: 9; Related Information: Journal of the Electrochemical Society; Journal ID: ISSN 0013-4651

Publisher:: The Electrochemical Society

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY; PEMFC; fuel cells; system contaminants; balance of plant materials (BOP); assembly aids materials; ion-exchange; adhesive; grease; leachates; liquid infusion; seal

Citation Formats


                    Opu, Md., Bender, G., Macomber, Clay S., Van Zee, J. W., and Dinh, Huyen N. Understanding the effects of PEMFC contamination from balance of plant assembly aids materials: In situ studies.  United States: N. p., 2015. 
Web.  doi:10.1149/2.0411509jes.

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                    Opu, Md., Bender, G., Macomber, Clay S., Van Zee, J. W., & Dinh, Huyen N. Understanding the effects of PEMFC contamination from balance of plant assembly aids materials: In situ studies.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1149/2.0411509jes

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                    Opu, Md., Bender, G., Macomber, Clay S., Van Zee, J. W., and Dinh, Huyen N. Mon .  
"Understanding the effects of PEMFC contamination from balance of plant assembly aids materials: In situ studies".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1149/2.0411509jes.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1220734.

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@article{osti_1220734,

  title        = {Understanding the effects of PEMFC contamination from balance of plant assembly aids materials: In situ studies},

  author       = {Opu, Md. and Bender, G. and Macomber, Clay S. and Van Zee, J. W. and Dinh, Huyen N.},

  abstractNote = {In this study, in situ performance data were measured to assess the degree of contamination from leachates of five families of balance of plant (BOP) materials (i.e., 2-part adhesive, grease, thread lock/seal, silicone adhesive/seal and urethane adhesive/seal) broadly classified as assembly aids that may be used as adhesives and lubricants in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) systems. Leachate solutions, derived from soaking the materials in deionized (DI) water at elevated temperature, were infused into the fuel cell to determine the effect of the leachates on fuel cell performance. During the contamination phase of the experiments, leachate solution was introduced through a nebulizer into the cathode feed stream of a 50 cm2 PEMFC operating at 0.2 A/cm2 at 80°C and 32%RH. Voltage loss and high frequency resistance (HFR) were measured as a function of time and electrochemical surface area (ECA) before and after contamination were compared. Two procedures of recovery, one self-induced recovery with DI water and one driven recovery through cyclic voltammetry (CV) were investigated. Finally, performance results measured before and after contamination and after CV recovery are compared and discussed.},

  doi          = {10.1149/2.0411509jes},

  journal      = {Journal of the Electrochemical Society},

  number       = 9,

  volume       = 162,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Mon Jun 29 00:00:00 EDT 2015},

  month        = {Mon Jun 29 00:00:00 EDT 2015}

}

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