Effect of operating parameters and anode gas impurities upon polymer electrolyte fuel cells
PEM fuel cells are actively under development for transportation and other applications. Integration of a PEM fuel cell stack with a methanol reformer requires an understanding of single cell performance under a range of operating conditions using anode gas contaminated with impurities. The effect of temperature, pressure, and anode gas impurities on single cell PEM performance was investigated with platinum black electrodes. Single cell performance remained unchanged as temperature was varied between 80 and 100 at 3 atm pressure. High water partial pressures at 120C produced a mass transfer limiting current. While operation at 120C did not reverse CO{sub 2} poisoning, anode air addition proved effective. Air injection also decreased CO poisoning at injected concentrations up to 200 ppm CO. Higher single cell tolerance was observed for CH{sub 3}OH than CO. Up to 1 mole % CH{sub 3}OH in the gas phase reduced the current density by less than 10%.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 10162697
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-94-1876; CONF-940812-12; ON: DE94014464
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 29. intersociety energy conversion engineering conference,Monterey, CA (United States),7-12 Aug 1994; Other Information: PBD: [1994]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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