High-performance imidazole-containing polymers for applications in high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

This work focuses on the development of high temperature polymer electrolyte membranes(HT-PEMs)as key materials for HT-PEM fuel cells(HT-PEMFCs).Recognizing the challenges associated with the phosphoric acid(PA) doped polybenzimidazole(PBI) membranes,including the use of carcinogenic monomers and complex synthesis procedures,this study aims to develop more cost-effective,readily synthesized,and high-performance alternatives.A series of superacid-catalyzed polyhydroxyalkylation reactions have been carefully designed between p-terphenyl and aldehydes bearing imidazole moieties,resulting in a new class of HT-PEMs.It is found that the chemical structure of aldehyde-substituted N-heterocycles significantly impacts the polymerization reaction.Specifically,the use of 1-methyl-2-imidazole-formaldehyde and 1 H-imidazole-4-formaldehyde monomers leads to the formation of high-viscosity,rigid,and ether-free polymers,denoted as PTIm-a and PTIm-b.Membranes fabricated from these polymers,due to their pendent imidazole groups,exhibit an exceptional capacity for PA absorption.Notably,PTIm-a,carrying methylimidazole moieties,demonstrates a superior chemical stability by maintaining morphology and structural stability during 350 h of Fenton testing.After being immersed in 75 wt% PA at 40℃,the PTIm-a membrane reaches a PA content of 152%,maintains a good tensile strength of 13.6 MPa,and exhibits a moderate conductivity of 50.2 mS cm^(-1) at 180℃.Under H_(2)/O_(2) operational conditions,a single cell based on the PTIm-a membrane attains a peak power density of 732 mW cm^(-2) at 180℃ without backpressure.Furthermore,the membrane demonstrates stable cycle stability over 173 h within 18 days at a current density of 200 mA cm^(-2),indicating its potential for practical application in HT-PEMFCs.This work highlights innovative strategies for the synthesis of advanced HT-PEMs,offering significant improvements in membrane properties and fuel cell performance,thus expanding the horizons of HT-PEMFC technology.

Solution of idle LBO problem for high FAR aero combustor

The paper sheds light on the idle lean blow off(LBO)problem for high fuel air ratio(FAR)com⁃bustor,which is impossible to be addressed with traditional aero combustor design.A significant improvement in aero combustor design is required to resolve the idle LBO issue.The authors detailed a practical and efficient solu⁃tion,which not only solved the idle LBO issue but also defined the aero-thermal design for high-FAR combustor.The design will usher in a new era of aero combustor.

A Fe-N-C catalyst with highly dispersed iron in carbon for oxygen reduction reaction and its application in direct methanol fuel cells

Exploring non‐precious metal catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） is essential for fuel cells and metal–air batteries. Herein, we report a Fe‐N‐C catalyst possessing a high specific surface area （1501 m2/g） and uniformly dispersed iron within a carbon matrix prepared via a two‐step pyrolysis process. The Fe‐N‐C catalyst exhibits excellent ORR activity in 0.1 mol/L NaOH electrolyte （onset potential, Eo=1.08 V and half wave potential, E1/2=0.88 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode） and 0.1 mol/L HClO4 electrolyte （Eo=0.85 V and E1/2=0.75 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode）. The direct methanol fuel cells employing Fe‐N‐C as the cathodic catalyst displayed promising per‐formance with a maximum power density of 33 mW/cm2 in alkaline media and 47 mW/cm2 in acidic media. The detailed investigation on the composition–structure–performance relationship by X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Mo-ssbauer spectroscopy suggests that Fe‐N4, together with graphitic‐N and pyridinic‐N are the active ORR components. The promising direct methanol fuel cell performance displayed by the Fe‐N‐C catalyst is related to the intrinsic high catalytic activity, and critically for this application, to the high methanol tolerance.

Comparative studies on the hot corrosion behavior of air plasma spray and high velocity oxygen fuel coated Co-based L605 superalloys in a gas turbine environment

An improvement in the corrosion resistance of alloys at elevated temperature is a factor for their potential use in gas turbines. In this study, Co Ni Cr Al Y has been coated on the L605 alloy using air plasma spray(APS) and high-velocity oxygen fuel(HVOF) coating techniques to enhance its corrosion resistance. Hot corrosion studies were conducted on uncoated and coated samples in a molten salt environment at 850°C under cyclic conditions. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to determine the corrosion kinetics. The samples were subjected to scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction for further investigation. In coated samples, the formation of Al2O3 and Cr2O3 in the coating acts as a diffusion barrier that could resists the inward movement of the corrosive species present in the molten salt. Coated samples showed very less spallation, lower weight gain, less porosity, and internal oxidation as compared to uncoated sample.HVOF-coated sample showed greater corrosion resistance and inferred that this is the best technique under these conditions.

Sulfonated polybenzimidazole/amine functionalized titanium dioxide(s PBI/AFT) composite electrolyte membranes for high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells usage

The novel sulfonated polybenzimidazole(sPBI)/amine functionalized titanium dioxide(AFT) composite membrane is devised and studied for its capability of the application of high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells(HT-PEMFCs),unlike the prior low temperature AFT endeavors.The high temperature compatibility was actualized because of the filling of free volumes in the rigid aromatic matrix of the composite with AFT nanoparticles which inhibited segmental motions of the chains and improved its thermal stability.Besides,amine functionalization of TiO2 enhanced their dispersion character in the sPBI matrix and shortened the interparticle separation gap which finally improved the proton transfer after establishing interconnected pathways and breeding more phosphoric acid(PA) doping.In addition,the appeared assembled clusters of AFT flourished a superior mechanical stability.Thus,the optimized sPBI/AFT(10 wt%) showed 65.3 MPa tensile strength;0.084 S·cm^-1 proton conductivity(at 160℃;in anhydrous conditions),28.6% water uptake and PA doping level of 23 mol per sPBI repeat unit.The maximum power density peak for sPBI/AFT-10 met the figure of0.42 W·cm^-2 at 160℃(in dry conditions) under atmospheric pressure with 1.5 and 2.5 stoichiometric flow rates of H2/air.These results affirmed the probable fitting of sPBI/AFT composite for HT-PEMFC applications.

Elimination of Fuel Pressure Fluctuation and Multi-injection Fuel Mass Deviation of High Pressure Common-rail Fuel Injection System

The influence of fuel pressure fluctuation on multi-injection fuel mass deviation has been studied a lot,but the fuel pressure fluctuation at injector inlet is still not eliminated efficiently.In this paper,a new type of hydraulic filter consisting of a damping hole and a chamber is developed for elimination of fuel pressure fluctuation and multi-injection fuel mass deviation.Linear model of the improved high pressure common-rail system（HPCRS）including injector,the pipe connecting common-rail with injector and the hydraulic filter is built.Fuel pressure fluctuation at injector inlet,on which frequency domain analysis is conducted through fast Fourier transformation,is acquired at different target pressure and different damping hole diameter experimentally.The linear model is validated and can predict the natural frequencies of the system.Influence of damping hole diameter on fuel pressure fluctuation is analyzed qualitatively based on the linear model,and it can be inferred that an optimal diameter of the damping hole for elimination of fuel pressure fluctuation exists.Fuel pressure fluctuation and fuel mass deviation under different damping hole diameters are measured experimentally,and it is testified that the amplitude of both fuel pressure fluctuation and fuel mass deviation decreases first and then increases with the increasing of damping hole diameter.The amplitude of main injection fuel mass deviation can be reduced by 73%at most under pilot-main injection mode,and the amplitude of post injection fuel mass deviation can be reduced by 92%at most under main-post injection mode.Fuel mass of a single injection increases with the increasing of the damping hole diameter.The hydraulic filter proposed by this research can be potentially used to eliminate fuel pressure fluctuation at injector inlet and improve the stability of HPCRS fuel injection.

Numerical Investigation of Fuel Dilution Effects on the Performance of the Conventional and the Highly Preheated and Diluted Air Combustion Furnaces

This numerical study investigates the effects of using a diluted fuel （50% natural gas and 50% N2） in an industrial furnace under several cases of conventional combustion （air with 21% O2 at 300 and 1273 K） and the highly preheated and diluted air （1273 K with 10% O2 and 90% N2） combustion （HPDAC） conditions using an in-house computer program. It was found that by applying a combined diluted fuel and oxidant instead of their uncombined and/or undiluted states, the best condition is obtained for the establishment of HPDAC＇s main unique features. These features are low mean and maximum gas temperature and high radiation/total heat transfer to gas and tubes; as well as more uniformity of theirs distributions which results in decrease in NOx pollutant formation and increase in furnace efficiency or energy saving. Moreover, a variety of chemical flame shape, the process fluid and tubes walls temperatures profiles, the required regenerator efficiency and finally the concentration and velocity patterns have been also qualitatively/quantitatively studied.

Improving mechanical properties of AZ91D magnesium/A356 aluminum bimetal prepared by compound casting via a high velocity oxygen fuel sprayed Ni coating

In this paper,a Ni coating was deposited on the surface of the A356 aluminum alloy by high velocity oxygen fuel spraying to improve the performance of the AZ91D magnesium/A356 aluminum bimetal prepared by a compound casting.The effects of the Ni coating as well as its thickness on microstructure and mechanical properties of the AZ91D/A356 bimetal were systematically researched for the first time.Results demonstrated that the Ni coating and its thickness had a significant effect on the interfacial phase compositions and mechanical properties of the AZ91D/A356 bimetal.The 10μm’s Ni coating cannot prevent the generation of the Al-Mg intermetallic compounds(IMCs)at the interface zone of the AZ91D/A356 bimetal,while the Ni coating with the thickness of 45μm and 190μm can avoid the formation of the Al-Mg IMCs.When the Ni coating was 45μm,the Ni coating disappeared and transformed into Mg-Mg_(2)Ni eutectic structures+Ni_(2)Mg_(3)Al particles at the interface zone.With a thickness of 190μm’s Ni coating,part of the Ni coating remained and the interface layer was composed of the Mg-Mg_(2)Ni eutectic structures+Ni_(2)Mg_(3)Al particles,Mg_(2)Ni layer,Ni solid solution(SS)layer,Al_(3)Ni_(2) layer,Al_(3)Ni layer and sporadic Al_(3)Ni+Al-Al_(3)Ni eutectic structures from AZ91D side to A356 side in sequence.The interface layer consisting of the Mg-Ni and Al-Ni IMCs obtained with the Ni coating had an obvious lower hardness than the Al-Mg IMCs.The shear strength of the AZ91D/A356 bimetal with a Ni coating of 45μm thickness enhanced 41.4%in comparison with that of the bimetal without Ni coating,and the fracture of the bimetal with 45μm’s Ni coating occurred between the Mg matrix and the interface layer with a mixture of brittle fracture and ductile fracture.

Environmental Impact of High Altitudes on the Operation of PEM Fuel Cell Based UAS

Fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy in the reactants into the electrical energy after steps of sequential electrochemical processes with no significant impact on the environment. For high altitude long endurance (HALE) of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) where fuel cell operates as a prime source of power, the operation and performance of a PEM fuel cell at different level of altitudes is vitally important. In this paper, the impact of direct using extracted air from high altitudes atmosphere in order to feed the stack is investigated, and the governing equations of the supplied air and oxygen to the PEM fuel cell stack are developed. The impact of high altitudes upon the operation and the consumption of air are determined in order to maintain certain level of delivered power to the load. Also the implications associated with operating the PEM fuel cell stack at high altitudes and different technical solutions are proposed. Various modes of Integral, Proportional-Integral, and Proportional-Integral-Derivative controller are introduced and examined for different time setting responses in order to determine the most adequate trade-off choice between fast response and reactants consumption which provides the necessary optimization of the air consumption for the developed model of PEM fuel cell used for UAS operation.

Carbon Foam Anode Modified by Urea and Its Higher Electrochemical Performance in Marine Benthic Microbial Fuel Cell

Electrode materials have an important effect on the property of microbial fuel cell(MFC). Carbon foam is utilized as an anode and further modified by urea to improve its performance in marine benthic microbial fuel cell(BMFC) with higher voltage and output power. The electrochemical properties of plain carbon foam(PC) and urea-modified carbon foam(UC) are measured respectively. Results show that the UC obtains better wettability after its modification and higher anti-polarization ability than the PC. A novel phenomenon has been found that the electrical potential of the modified UC anode is nearly 100 m V lower than that of the PC, reaching-570 ±10 m V(vs. SCE), and that it also has a much higher electron transfer kinetic activity, reaching 9399.4 m W m-2, which is 566.2-fold higher than that from plain graphite anode(PG). The fuel cell containing the UC anode has the maximum power density(256.0 m W m-2) among the three different BMFCs. Urea would enhance the bacteria biofilm formation with a more diverse microbial community and maintain more electrons, leading to a lower anodic redox potential and higher power output. The paper primarily analyzes why the electrical potential of the modified anode becomes much lower than that of others after urea modification. These results can be utilized to construct a novel BMFC with higher output power and to design the conditioner of voltage booster with a higher conversion ratio. Finally, the carbon foam with a bigger pore size would be a potential anodic material in conventional MFC.

High temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

One of the majorissuesli mitingtheintroduction of polymer electrolyte membranefuel cells(PEMFCs) is thelowtemperature ofoperation which makes platinum-based anode catalysts susceptible to poisoning by the trace amount of CO,inevitably present in reformedfuel.In order to alleviate the problemof COpoisoning andi mprove the power density of the cell,operating at temperature above 100 ℃ispreferred.Nafion-type perfluorosulfonated polymers have been typically used for PEMFC.However,the conductivity of Nafion-typepolymers is not high enoughto be usedfor fuel cell operations at higher temperature(>90 ℃) and atmospheric pressure because they dehy-drate under these condition.An additional problem which faces the introduction of PEMFCtechnology is that of supplying or storing hydrogen for cell operation,especially for vehicular applications.Consequently the use of alternative fuels such as methanol and ethanol is of interest,especially if thiscan be used directlyinthe fuel cell,without reformationto hydrogen.Ali mitation of the direct use of alcohol is thelower activity of oxida-tionin comparison to hydrogen,which means that power densities are considerably lower.Hence to i mprove activity and power outputhigher temperatures of operation are preferable.To achieve this goal,requires a newpolymer electrolyte membrane which exhibits stabilityand high conductivityin the absence of liquid water.Experi mental data on a polybenzi midazole based PEMFC were presented.Asi mple steady-stateisothermal model of the fuel cell is alsoused to aidin fuel cell performance opti misation.The governing equations involve the coupling of kinetic,ohmic and mass transport.Thispaper also considers the advances madeinthe performance of direct methanol and solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells and considers theirli mi-tations in relation to the source and type of fuels to be used.

Maximum Power Point Tracking With Fractional Order High Pass Filter for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is widely recognized as a potentially renewable and green energy source based on hydrogen. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is one of the most important working conditions to be considered. In order to improve the performance such as convergence and robustness under disturbance and uncertainty, a fractional order high pass filter (FOHPF) is applied for the MPPT controller design based on the traditional extremum seeking control (ESC). The controller is designed with integerorder integrator (IO-I) and low pass filter (IO-LPF) together with fractional order high pass filter (FOHPF), by substituting the normal HPF in the original ESC system. With this FOHPF ESC, better convergence and smoother performance are achieved while maintaining the robust specifications. First, tracking stability is discussed under the commensurate-order condition. Then, simulation results are included to validate the proposed new FOHPF ESC scheme under disturbance. Finally, comparison results between FOHPF ESC and the traditional ESC method are also provided. © 2014 Chinese Association of Automation.

Water-induced electrode poisoning and the mitigation strategy for high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Engineering failure of membrane electrode assembly caused by increasingly fuel poisoning in the high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells fed with humidified reformate gases is firstly demonstrated herein this work. Based on the results of the in-situ environmental scanning electron microscope, electrochemical analyses, and limiting current method, a water-induced phosphoric acid invasion model is constructed in the porous electrode to elucidate the failure causations of the hindered hydrogen mass transport and the enhanced carbon monoxide poisoning. To optimize the phosphoric acid distribution under the inevitably humidified circumstance, a facile and effective strategy of constructing acid-proofed electrode is proposed and demonstrates outstanding stability with highly humidified reformate gases as anode fuel. This work discusses a potential defect that was rarely studied previously under practical working circumstance for high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, providing an alternative opinion of electrode design based on the fundamental aspects towards the engineering problems.

Fuel Saving and Emissions Cut Through Shore-Side Power Concept for High-speed Crafts at the Red Sea in Egypt

The progress of economic globalization,the rapid growth of international trade,and the maritime transportation has played an increasingly significant role in the international supply chain.As a result,worldwide seaports have suffered from a central problem,which appears in the form of massive amounts of fuel consumed and exhaust gas fumes emitted from the ships while berthed.Many ports have taken the necessary precautions to overcome this problem,while others still suffer due to the presence of technical and financial constraints.In this paper,the barriers,interconnection standards,rules,regulations,power sources,and economic and environmental analysis related to ships,shore-side power were studied in efforts to find a solution to overcome his problem.As a case study,this paper investigates the practicability,costs and benefits of switching from onboard ship auxiliary engines to shore-side power connection for high-speed crafts called Alkahera while berthed at the port of Safaga,Egypt.The results provide the national electricity grid concept as the best economical selection with 49.03 percent of annual cost saving.Moreover,environmentally,it could achieve an annual reduction in exhaust gas emissions of CO2,CO,NOx,P.M,and SO2by 276,2.32,18.87,0.825 and 3.84 tons,respectively.

Performance Investigation of Membrane Electrode Assemblies for High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

Different types of ABPBI (poly(2,5-benzimidazole)) membranes and polymer binders were evaluated to investigate the performance of MEAs for high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC). The properties of the prepared MEAs were evaluated and analyzed by polarization curve, electrochemistry impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and durability test. The results showed that MEA with modified ABPBI membrane (AM) has satisfactory performance and durability for fuel cell application. Compare to conventional PBI or Nafion binders, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) are more attractive as binders in the catalyst layer (CL) of gas diffusion electrode (GDE) for HT-PEMFC.

Statistical model for combustion of high-metal magnesium-based hydro-reactive fuel

We investigate experimentally and analytically the combustion behavior of a high-metal magnesium-based hydro- reactive fuel under high temperature gaseous atmosphere. The fuel studied in this paper contains 73% magnesium powders. An experimental system is designed and experiments are carried out in both argon and water vapor atmo- spheres. It is found that the burning surface temperature of the fuel is higher in water vapor than that in argon and both of them are higher than the melting point of magnesium, which indicates the molten state of magnesium particles in the burning surface of the fuel. Based on physical considerations and experimental results, a mathematical one-dimensional model is formulated to describe the combustion behavior of the high-metal magnesium-based hydro-reactive fuel. The model enables the evaluation of the burning surface temperature, the burning rate and the flame standoff distance each as a function of chamber pressure and water vapor concentration. The results predicted by the model show that the burning rate and the surface temperature increase when the chamber pressure and the water vapor concentration increase, which are in agreement with the observed experimental trends.

基于替代电镀硬铬的WC增强金属复合涂层疲劳性能的研究现状

传统电镀硬铬涂层存在网纹裂纹缺陷、抗疲劳性能不足以及环境污染严重等问题,针对新一代航空工业急需新技术替代传统电镀硬铬这一迫切需求,研发新型的耐磨耐蚀涂层体系及其先进环保的再制造技术迫在眉睫。根据先进涂层技术的发展情况,研发出了基于高温熔化-凝固技术的物理气相沉积、超音速火焰喷涂以及激光熔覆技术,这在绿色制备航空工业用耐磨耐蚀涂层上表现出了一定的应用前景,并表现出了比传统电镀硬铬更长的疲劳寿命,但其仍存在内应力过高而开裂、粉末氧化或相变导致疲劳性能下降等一系列关键问题。近年来,冷喷涂涂层技术作为先进环保的新技术,凭借其低温固态沉积特性在制备金属基复合涂层上展现出了显著的冶金优势,其中冷喷涂涂层的残余压应力有助于提高零件的疲劳性能。此外,从起落架防护涂层沉积到其修复再制造环节,冷喷涂技术均可参与其中。因此,作为固态沉积工艺的冷喷涂,其在替代传统电镀铬的新型涂层制备工艺方面具有显著的应用潜力,未来的研究将集中于优化冷喷涂涂层材料和工艺上,以进一步提高其力学性能和疲劳性能。

超声速火焰喷涂WC-10Co4Cr涂层对TC11钛合金耐磨性和耐蚀性的影响

采用超声速火焰喷涂(HVOF)工艺,在随钻仪器零件常用材料TC11钛合金表面制备金属陶瓷涂层WC-10Co4Cr,利用冲击试验机测量喷涂前后钛合金的冲击韧性,使用磨粒磨损试验机测定涂层的耐磨性,采用电化学测试分析涂层的耐蚀性。结果表明:HVOF工艺对TC11钛合金的组织和性能影响较小,与未喷涂的钛合金相比,界面处基体的显微组织和显微硬度没有明显变化,冲击韧性稍有提高;HVOF工艺稳定可靠,涂层呈片层结构,致密度高,涂层的孔隙率为2.55%,硬度达到1400 HV,涂层主要由WC和W2C相组成,其与基体结合良好,为机械结合;金属陶瓷涂层能够显著改善钛合金的耐磨性和耐蚀性,喷涂涂层钛合金的磨损量是未喷涂钛合金的1.56%,喷涂涂层钛合金的磨损机制是磨粒磨损,未喷涂涂层钛合金磨损机制是磨粒磨损+黏着磨损。

基于流固耦合共轨高压油管振动特性研究

为了研究流固耦合作用下共轨系统高压油管的振动特性,建立了高压油管的有限元模型。首先根据输液管道动力学方程,利用ANSYS软件分析管道附加流体质量下的湿模态特性;然后以均方根(root-mean-square)量化时程内的振动能量,研究流固耦合作用下管道不同弯头的振动响应,不同燃油脉动率、压力及激励频率对管道流致振动的影响,最后对比了共振频率下管道增设管夹前后的振动特性。结果表明:流固耦合下管道固有频率下降,在高阶模态下降率较明显,附加质量系数超0.13;不同弯头振动差异较大;振动能量与燃油脉动率呈正相关,与压力大小并无直接关系;接近自振频率下管道发生共振,振幅会急剧增大至超标;并且增设管夹后共振现象消失,振动能量下降率超90%。

秸秆高附加值工业应用现状

根据国家统计数据,我国每年秸秆总量约为10亿t,而传统的秸秆处理方法则存在许多局限性,如容易产生二氧化碳、甲烷等温室气体。因此,秸秆资源化利用成为解决这一难题的热门途径。在此背景下,深入研究秸秆的资源化利用,并总结了当前适用于我国的、能够提高秸秆附加值的新途径及工业应用。实践证明,秸秆在生物基材料、液体燃料、木质纤维材料等方面具有广泛应用前景。因此,应该大力发展秸秆综合利用技术并努力推进生物基材料、液体燃料、氢气等高值化产业的广泛应用,使其潜力得到充分挖掘,为我国能源领域的高效、可持续发展注入新的动力,从而提升我国的经济效益。