The Effect of Membrane Properties on Performance and Transports inside Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

Shimpalee, S.; Lilavivat, V.; Xu, H.; Rowlett, J. R.; Mittelsteadt, C.; Van Zee, J. W.

doi:10.1149/2.0081813jes

Title: The Effect of Membrane Properties on Performance and Transports inside Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

Journal Article · Tue Sep 11 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Journal of the Electrochemical Society

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1149/2.0081813jes· OSTI ID:1469413

; Lilavivat, V.;

; Rowlett, J. R.; Mittelsteadt, C.; Van Zee, J. W.

The primary focus of this work is evaluation, modeling, and comparison of fuel cell properties for a sulfonated aromatic hydrocarbon polymer membrane under fuel cell operations against the standard commercial Nafion membrane. Membrane characterization of transport properties were reported. The fuel cell performance, current distribution mapping, and water balance measurements of both membrane were also examined at different humidity conditions. The studies show that at high RH, the hydrocarbon membrane gives better performance with less water flooding when compared with standard Nafion. However at low RH, where the membrane needs more hydration and conducting of the proton, the standard Nafion membrane shows higher performance than hydrocarbon membrane. Local distributions of current density, water content and liquid water in hydrocarbon membranes were simulated and compared with a Nafion 212 membrane. Both experimental data and model predictions show that the hydrocarbon membrane gives more uniform current distributions than that of the Nafion membrane. The computational model can predict water transport across the membrane and can be used to observe flooding in PEMFC.

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Research Organization:: Giner, Inc., Newton, MA (United States)

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

Grant/Contract Number:: EE0000471

OSTI ID:: 1469413

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1545797

Journal Information:: Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Journal Name: Journal of the Electrochemical Society Vol. 165 Journal Issue: 11; ISSN 0013-4651

Publisher:: The Electrochemical SocietyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 12 works

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References (23)

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