Reactive impinging-flow technique for polymer-electrolyte-fuel-cell electrode-defect detection

Zenyuk, Iryna V.; Englund, Nicholas; Bender, Guido; Weber, Adam Z.; Ulsh, Michael

doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2016.09.109

Title: Reactive impinging-flow technique for polymer-electrolyte-fuel-cell electrode-defect detection

Journal Article · Thu Sep 29 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Journal of Power Sources

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2016.09.109· OSTI ID:1329463

^[1]; Englund, Nicholas ^[2]; Bender, Guido ^[3];

^[2]; Ulsh, Michael ^[3]

Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Tufts Univ., Medford, MA (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Reactive impinging flow (RIF) is a novel quality-control method for defect detection (i.e., reduction in Pt catalyst loading) in gas-diffusion electrodes (GDEs) on weblines. The technique uses infrared thermography to detect temperature of a nonflammable ( < 4% H 2 ) reactive mixture of H 2 /O 2 in N 2 impinging and reacting on a Pt catalytic surface. In this paper, different GDE size defects (with catalyst-loading reductions of 25, 50, and 100%) are detected at various webline speeds (3.048 and 9.144 m min -1 ) and gas flowrates (32.5 or 50 standard L min -1 ). Furthermore, a model is developed and validated for the technique, and it is subsequently used to optimize operating conditions and explore the applicability of the technique to a range of defects. The model suggests that increased detection can be achieved by recting more of the impinging H 2 , which can be accomplished by placing blocking substrates on the top, bottom, or both of the GDE; placing a substrate on both results in a factor of four increase in the temperature differential, which is needed for smaller defect detection. Overall, the RIF technique is shown to be a promising route for in-line, high-speed, large-area detection of GDE defects on moving weblines.

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Research Organization:: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

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

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308; AC02-05CH11231; AC36-08-GO28308

OSTI ID:: 1329463

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1397381; OSTI ID: 1440944

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5900-67301

Journal Information:: Journal of Power Sources, Vol. 332; ISSN 0378-7753

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 13 works

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Gravure Coating for Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing of Proton-Exchange-Membrane Fuel Cell Catalyst Layers Mauger, Scott A.; Neyerlin, K. C.; Yang-Neyerlin, Ami C. Journal of The Electrochemical Society, Vol. 165, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1149/2.0091813jes	journal	January 2018
Utilizing a Segmented Fuel Cell to Study the Effects of Electrode Coating Irregularities on PEM Fuel Cell Initial Performance Phillips, A.; Ulsh, M.; Porter, J. Fuel Cells, Vol. 17, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1002/fuce.201600214	journal	April 2017

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