Composite Poly(norbornene) Anion Conducting Membranes for Achieving Durability, Water Management and High Power (3.4 W/cm 2 ) in Hydrogen/Oxygen Alkaline Fuel Cells
Abstract
Alkaline fuel cells and electrolyzers are of interest because they have potential advantages over their acid counterparts. High-conductivity anion conducting membranes were analyzed and used in alkaline hydrogen/oxygen fuel cells. The membranes were composed of reinforced block copolymers of poly(norbornenes) with pendant quaternary ammonium head-groups. It was found that membranes with light cross-linking provided excellent mechanical stability and allowed very high ion exchange capacity polymers to be used without penalty of excessive water uptake and swelling. The optimum membrane and fuel cell operating conditions were able to achieve a peak power density of 3.4 W/cm2 using hydrogen and oxygen. The performance increase was greater than expected from minimizing ohmic losses. Mechanical deformations within the membrane due to excess water uptake can disrupt full cell operation. Cells were also run for over 500 h under load with no change in the membrane resistance and minimal loss of operating voltage.
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1562943
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1557403; OSTI ID: 2281600
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/JA-5900-74566
Journal ID: ISSN 0013-4651; /jes/166/10/F637.atom
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308; EE0008433
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Journal of the Electrochemical Society
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Journal of the Electrochemical Society Journal Volume: 166 Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 0013-4651
- Publisher:
- The Electrochemical Society
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION; fuel cells; alkaline
Citation Formats
Huang, Garrett, Mandal, Mrinmay, Peng, Xiong, Yang-Neyerlin, Ami C., Pivovar, Bryan S., Mustain, William E., and Kohl, Paul A. Composite Poly(norbornene) Anion Conducting Membranes for Achieving Durability, Water Management and High Power (3.4 W/cm 2 ) in Hydrogen/Oxygen Alkaline Fuel Cells. United States: N. p., 2019.
Web. doi:10.1149/2.1301910jes.
Huang, Garrett, Mandal, Mrinmay, Peng, Xiong, Yang-Neyerlin, Ami C., Pivovar, Bryan S., Mustain, William E., & Kohl, Paul A. Composite Poly(norbornene) Anion Conducting Membranes for Achieving Durability, Water Management and High Power (3.4 W/cm 2 ) in Hydrogen/Oxygen Alkaline Fuel Cells. United States. https://doi.org/10.1149/2.1301910jes
Huang, Garrett, Mandal, Mrinmay, Peng, Xiong, Yang-Neyerlin, Ami C., Pivovar, Bryan S., Mustain, William E., and Kohl, Paul A. Mon .
"Composite Poly(norbornene) Anion Conducting Membranes for Achieving Durability, Water Management and High Power (3.4 W/cm 2 ) in Hydrogen/Oxygen Alkaline Fuel Cells". United States. https://doi.org/10.1149/2.1301910jes.
@article{osti_1562943,
title = {Composite Poly(norbornene) Anion Conducting Membranes for Achieving Durability, Water Management and High Power (3.4 W/cm 2 ) in Hydrogen/Oxygen Alkaline Fuel Cells},
author = {Huang, Garrett and Mandal, Mrinmay and Peng, Xiong and Yang-Neyerlin, Ami C. and Pivovar, Bryan S. and Mustain, William E. and Kohl, Paul A.},
abstractNote = {Alkaline fuel cells and electrolyzers are of interest because they have potential advantages over their acid counterparts. High-conductivity anion conducting membranes were analyzed and used in alkaline hydrogen/oxygen fuel cells. The membranes were composed of reinforced block copolymers of poly(norbornenes) with pendant quaternary ammonium head-groups. It was found that membranes with light cross-linking provided excellent mechanical stability and allowed very high ion exchange capacity polymers to be used without penalty of excessive water uptake and swelling. The optimum membrane and fuel cell operating conditions were able to achieve a peak power density of 3.4 W/cm2 using hydrogen and oxygen. The performance increase was greater than expected from minimizing ohmic losses. Mechanical deformations within the membrane due to excess water uptake can disrupt full cell operation. Cells were also run for over 500 h under load with no change in the membrane resistance and minimal loss of operating voltage.},
doi = {10.1149/2.1301910jes},
journal = {Journal of the Electrochemical Society},
number = 10,
volume = 166,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jun 24 00:00:00 EDT 2019},
month = {Mon Jun 24 00:00:00 EDT 2019}
}
https://doi.org/10.1149/2.1301910jes
Web of Science
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