Analysis of the Influence of Geometrical Parameters on the Performance of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

A suitable channel structure can lead to efficient gas distribution and significantly improve the power density of fuel cells.In this study,the influence of two channel design parameters is investigated,namely,the ratio of the channel width to the bipolar plate ridge width(i.e.,the channel ridge ratio)and the channel depth.The impact of these parameters is evaluated with respect to the flow pattern,the gas composition distribution,the temperature field and the fuel cell output capability.The results show that a decrease in the channel ridge ratio and an increase in the channel depth can effectively make the distributions of velocity,temperature and concentration more uniform in each channel and improve the output capability of the fuel cell.An increase in the channel ridge ratio and depth obviously reduces the flow resistance and improves the flow characteristics.

Ti/(Ti,Cr)N/CrN multilayer coated 316L stainless steel by arc ion plating as bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Arc ion plating (AIP) is applied to form Ti/(Ti,Cr)N/CrN multilayer coating on the surface of 316L stainless steel (SS316L) as bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The characterizations of the coating are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Interfacial contact resistance (ICR) between the coated sample and carbon paper is 4.9 m Omega cm(2) under 150 N/cm(2), which is much lower than that of the SS316L substrate. Potentiodynamic and potentiostatic tests are performed in the simulated PEMFC working conditions to investigate the corrosion behaviors of the coated sample. Superior anticorrosion performance is observed for the coated sample, whose corrosion current density is 0.12 mu A/cm(2). Surface morphology results after corrosion tests indicate that the substrate is well protected by the multilayer coating. Performances of the single cell with the multilayer coated SS316L bipolar plate are improved significantly compared with that of the cell with the uncoated SS316L bipolar plate, presenting a great potential for PEMFC application. (C) 2016 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.

Process and challenges of stainless steel based bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell(PEMFC)powered automobiles have been recognized to be the ultimate solution to replace traditional fuel automobiles because of their advantages of PEMFCs such as no pollution,low temperature start-up,high energy density,and low noise.As one of the core components,the bipolar plates(BPs)play an important role in the PEMFC stack.Traditional graphite BPs and composite BPs have been criticized for their shortcomings such as low strength,high brittleness,and high processing cost.In contrast,stainless steel BPs(SSBPs)have recently attracted much attention of domestic and foreign researchers because of their excellent comprehensive performance,low cost,and diverse options for automobile applications.However,the SSBPs are prone to corrosion and passivation in the PEMFC working environment,which lead to reduced output power or premature failure.This review is aimed to summarize the corrosion and passivation mechanisms,characterizations and evaluation,and the surface modification technologies in the current SSBPs research.The non-coating and coating technical routes of SSBPs are demonstrated,such as substrate component regulation,thermal nitriding,electroplating,ion plating,chemical vapor deposition,and physical vapor deposition,etc.Alternative coating materials for SSBPs are metal coatings,metal nitride coatings,conductive polymer coatings,and polymer/carbon coatings,etc.Both the surface modification technologies can solve the corrosion resistance problem of stainless steel without affecting the contact resistance,however still facing restraints such as long-time stability,feasibility of low-cost,and mass production process.This paper is believed to enrich the knowledge of high-performance and long-life BPs applied for PEMFC automobiles.

CFD Analysis of Spiral Flow Fields in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs)are largely used in various applications because of their pollution-free products and high energy conversion efficiency.In order to improve the related design,in the present work a new spiral flow field with a bypass is proposed.The reaction gas enters the flow field in the central path and diffuses in two directions through the flow channel and the bypass.The bypasses are arranged incrementally.The number of bypasses and the cross-section size of the bypasses are varied parametrically while a single-cell model of the PEMFC is used.The influence of the concentration of liquid water and oxygen in the cell on the performance of different flow fields is determined by means of Computational fluid dynamics(COMSOL Multiphysics software).Results show that when the bypass number is 48 and its cross-sectional area is 0.5 mm^(2),the cell exhibits the best performances.

Waste Water Treatment in Direct Borohydride Fuel Cell with Bipolar Membrane

It was established that application of bipolar membrane in a direct borohydride fuel cell (DBFC) with H2O2 co-generation enabled to keep constant pH in catholyte within 2.5 - 3.2 limits, which allowed us to carry out treatment of water polluted by organic compounds in fuel cell catholyte. Treatment of water was carried out by electro-Fenton and photo-electro-Fenton methods. With the view of efficiency, photo-electro-Fenton method of treatment was the most efficient, which enabled to decrease COD of catholytes containing (in each case) phenol, valsaren, 400 g/L dymethoate (BI-58) and valsaciper from 500 ppm to 30, 11, 9 and 3 ppm, respectively after 180 min treatment. By increasing the catholyte temperature from 20℃?to 40℃?in the same period, phenol COD fell to 5 ppm.

Effect of Terminal Design and Bipolar Plate Material on PEM Fuel Cell Performance

Bipolar plates perform as current conductors between cells, provide conduits for reactant gases, facilitate water and thermal management through the cells, and constitute the backbone of a fuel cell stack. Currently, commercial bipolar plates are made of graphite composite because of its relatively low interfacial contact resistance (ICR) and high corrosion resistance. However, graphite composite’s manufacturability, permeability, and durability of shock and vibration are unfavorable in comparison to metals. Therefore, metals have been considered as a replacement material for graphite composite bipolar plates. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of terminal connection design and bipolar plate material on PEM fuel cell overall performance. The study has indicated that single cell performance can be improved by combining terminals into metallic bipolar plates. This terminal design reduces the internal cell resistance and eliminates the need for additional terminal plates. The improved single cell performance by 18% and the increased savings in hydrogen consumption by 15% at the current density of 0.30 A/cm2 was attributed to the robust metal to metal contact between the terminal and the metallic bipolar plates. However, connecting metal terminal directly into graphite bipolar plates did not exhibit similar improvement in the performance of graphite fuel cells because of their brittleness that could have caused damage in the plates and poor contacts.

Anti-flooding of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell with in-plate adverse-flow flow-field

The stoichiometric ratios and related regimes, which can promote anti-flooding of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with in-plate adverse-flow flow-field (IPAF), were investigated. Two flow combinations, which are the simple and complex adverse-flow between plates (ABP) that can be realized by IPAF, were employed. Constant stoichiometric ratios examination indicates that the complex ABP could improve anti-flooding of PEMFC better in the medium (greater than 200 mA/cm2 and less than 1 000 mA/cm2 ) and high (greater than 1 000 mA/cm2 ) current densities than the simple ABP. More stoichiometric ratios were introduced to find the cathode critical stoichiometry. Under the condition of cathode critical stoichiometry, the maximal local relative humidity of both electrodes of complex ABP is equal to 100% and below while the anti-flooding of the cathode of simple ABP is not satisfactory in the medium and high current densities. Further study shows that the mechanism of fuel cell, which is the interdependence between the electrodes effect, can make significant contribution to anti-flooding.

Recent developments in electrocatalysts and future prospects for oxygen reduction reaction in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

The main difficulty in the extensive commercial use of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells （PEMFCs） is the use of noble metals such as Pt-based electrocatalyst at the cathode, which is essential to ease the oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） in fuel cells （FCs）. To eliminate the high loading of Pt-based electrocatalysts to minimize the cost, extensive study has been carried out over the previous decades on the non-noble metal catalysts. Development in enhancing the ORR performance of FCs is mainly due to the doped carbon materials, Fe and Co-based electrocatalysts, these materials could be considered as probable substitutes for Pt-based catalysts. But the stability of these non-noble metal electrocatalysts is low and the durability of these metals remains unclear. The three basic reasons of instability are： （i） oxidative occurrence by H2O2, （ii） leakage of the metal site and （iii） protonation by probable anion adsorption of the active site. Whereas leakage of the metal site has been almost solved, more work is required to understand and avoid losses from oxidative attack and protonation. The ORR performance such as stability tests are usually run at low current densities and the lifetime is much shorter than desired need. Therefore, improvement in the ORR activity and stability afe the key issues of the non-noble metal electrocatalyst. Based on the consequences obtained in this area, numerous future research directions are projected and discussed in this paper. Hence, this review is focused on improvement of stability and durability of the non-noble metal electrocatalyst.

Design and Performance Analysis of Micro Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

This study describes a novel micro proton exchange membrane fuel cell(PEMFC)(active area,2.5 cm2).The flow field plate is manufactured by applying micro-electromechanical systems(MEMS) technology to silicon substrates to etch flow channels without a gold-coating.Therefore,this investigation used MEMS technology for fabrication of a flow field plate and presents a novel fabrication procedure.Various operating parameters,such as fuel temperature and fuel stoichiometric flow rate,are tested to optimize micro PEMFC performance.A single micro PEMFC using MEMS technology reveals the ideal performance of the proposed fuel cell.The optimal power density approaches 232.75 mW·cm-1 when the fuel cell is operated at ambient condition with humidified,heated fuel.

Effect of annealing on two different niobium-clad stainless steel PEMFC bipolar plate materials

Niobium (Nb)-clad stainless steels(SS) produced via roll bonding are being considered for use in the bipolar plates of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell(PEMFC) stacks. Because the roll bonding process induces substantial work hardening in the constituent materials, thermal annealing is used to restore ductility to the clad sheet so that it can be subsequently blanked, stamped and dimpled in forming the final plate component. Two roll bonded materials, niobium clad 340L stainless steel (Nb/340L SS) and niobium clad 434 stainless steel (Nb/434 SS) were annealed under optimized conditions prescribed by the cladding manufacturer. Comparative mechanical testing conducted on each material before and after annealing shows significant improvement in ductility in both cases. However, corresponding microstructural analyses indicate an obvious difference between the two heat treated materials. During annealing, an interlayer with thick less than 1 μm forms between the constituent layers in the Nb/340L SS, whereas no interlayer is found in the annealed Nb/434 SS material. Prior work suggests that internal defects potentially can be generated in such an interlayer during metal forming operations. Thus, Nb/434 SS may be the preferred candidate material for this application.

Conductive and corrosion behaviors of silver-doped carbon-coated stainless steel as PEMFC bipolar plates

Ni–Cr enrichment on stainless steel SS316 L resulting from chemical activation enabled the deposition of carbon by spraying a stable suspension of carbon nanoparticles; trace Ag was deposited in situ to prepare a thin continuous Ag-doped carbon film on a porous carbon-coated SS316 L substrate. The corrosion resistance of this film in 0.5 mol·L^（-1） H_2SO_4 solution containing 5 ppm F- at 80°C was investigated using polarization tests. The results showed that the surface treatment of the SS316 L strongly affected the adhesion of the carbon coating to the stainless steel. Compared to the bare SS316 L, the Ag-doped carbon-coated SS316 L bipolar plate was remarkably more stable in both the anode and cathode environments of proton exchange membrane fuel cell（PEMFC） and the interface contact resistance between the specimen and Toray 060 carbon paper was reduced from 333.0 m？·cm^2 to 21.6 m？·cm^2 at a compaction pressure of 1.2 MPa.

Influence of graphite particle size and its shape on performance of carbon composite bipolar plate

Bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) where polymer is used as binder and graphite is used as electric filler were prepared by means of compression molding technology. Study on the effects of graphite particle size and shape on the bipolar plate performance, such as electrical conductivity, strength, etc. showed that with decrease of graphite particle size, bulk electrical conductivity and thermometric conductivity decreased, but that flexural strength was enhanced. After spherical graphite occurrence in flake-like form, the flexural strength of the bipolar plate was enhanced, electrical conductivity increased but thermal conductivity decreased in direction paralleling pressure direction, and both electrical conductivity and thermometric conductivity reduced in direction perpendicular to pressure direction.

Exploration of the oxygen transport behavior in non-precious metal catalyst-based cathode catalyst layer for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

High cost has undoubtedly become the biggest obstacle to the commercialization of proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs),in which Pt-based catalysts employed in the cathodic catalyst layer(CCL)account for the major portion of the cost.Although nonprecious metal catalysts(NPMCs)show appreciable activity and stability in the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR),the performance of fuel cells based on NPMCs remains unsatisfactory compared to those using Pt-based CCL.Therefore,most studies on NPMC-based fuel cells focus on developing highly active catalysts rather than facilitating oxygen transport.In this work,the oxygen transport behavior in CCLs based on highly active Fe-N-C catalysts is comprehensively explored through the elaborate design of two types of membrane electrode structures,one containing low-Pt-based CCL and NPMCbased dummy catalyst layer(DCL)and the other containing only the NPMC-based CCL.Using Zn-N-C based DCLs of different thickness,the bulk oxygen transport resistance at the unit thickness in NPMC-based CCL was quantified via the limiting current method combined with linear fitting analysis.Then,the local and bulk resistances in NPMC-based CCLs were quantified via the limiting current method and scanning electron microscopy,respectively.Results show that the ratios of local and bulk oxygen transport resistances in NPMCbased CCL are 80%and 20%,respectively,and that an enhancement of local oxygen transport is critical to greatly improve the performance of NPMC-based PEMFCs.Furthermore,the activity of active sites per unit in NPMCbased CCLs was determined to be lower than that in the Pt-based CCL,thus explaining worse cell performance of NPMC-based membrane electrode assemblys(MEAs).It is believed that the development of NPMC-based PEMFCs should proceed not only through the design of catalysts with higher activity but also through the improvement of oxygen transport in the CCL.

燃料电池电极板材料工艺发展趋势

电极板是燃料电池的关键核心部件,起到分隔气体、提供反应界面、传导电流的作用。根据燃料电池应用工况的不同,电极板的材料选择与制造工艺路线也有所不同。材料工艺是决定燃料电池设计、质量、成本的核心要素。着重论述了金属、石墨、树脂作为电极材料的工艺路线。针对金属电极板材料,论述了车载、航空航天2种工况下不锈钢、钛材的成形设计准则、工艺路线、产品性能,并分析比较了不同成形方法中设备、模具工装和工艺路线的适用性。针对石墨电极材料,对比了硬石墨一次模压成形和柔性板石墨模压成形2种工艺,并根据各自的基材状态选择了合适的工艺路线,同时根据工艺路线的特点分析了产品的优缺点。在复合材料中主要选择了金属、石墨、树脂3种材料,根据制备原理,复合材料双极板有结构复合电极、材料复合电极和工艺复合电极3个研究方向。在结构复合电极方面,主要论述了石墨与金属复合的设计思路和结构特点;在材料复合电极方面,主要论述了热固性树脂和热塑性树脂与石墨复合的工艺路线和产品特点;在工艺复合电极方面,主要论述了微型燃料电池极板的制造理念和方法,并借鉴了微机械加工工艺路线,设计制造了复合工艺极板。最后展望了燃料电池电极板的箔材研发方向、级进模工艺复合生产发展方向和石墨极板设计策略及制备工艺发展方向,以及PPS聚苯硫醚、聚苯胺基PANI的导电阳极材料在微电极板中的应用。

金属有机骨架(MOFs)基复合质子交换膜的研究进展

近年来,金属有机骨架(MOFs)材料由于具有超大的比表面积和丰富的孔道结构,作为一种新型的质子导体在质子交换膜中的应用受到越来越多的关注。随着研究的不断深入,为进一步提升MOFs复合质子交换膜的各项性能,MOFs材料在质子交换膜中的物理形态逐渐由颗粒状向连续相发展,MOFs材料的组分也呈现出由单一组分到双组分的发展态势。本文以质子交换膜中MOFs材料的物理形态为主线,将其划分为MOFs晶体/聚合物质子交换膜、第三相增强MOFs/聚合物复合质子交换膜和MOFs纳米纤维/聚合物复合质子交换膜,全面综述了MOFs材料在质子交换膜中的研究进展,并对MOFs复合质子交换膜的发展方向进行了展望。

Graphene-based bipolar plates for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Bipolar plates(BPs)are a major component of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs).BPs play a multifunctional character within a PEMFC stack.It is one of the most costly and critical part of the fuel cell,and hence the development of efficient and cost-effective BPs is of much interest for the fabrication of next-generation PEMFCs in future.Owing to high electrical conductivity and chemical inertness,graphene is an ideal candidate to be utilized in BPs.This paper reviews recent advances in the area of graphene-based BPs for PEMFC applications.Various aspects including the momentous functions of BPs in the PEMFC,favorable features of graphene.based BPs,performance evaluation of various reported BPs with their advantages and disadvantages,challenges at commercial level products and future prospects of frontier research in this direction are extensively documented.

质子交换膜燃料电池泡沫金属流场传质性能

建立泡沫金属流场的三维完整形态,通过三维数值模拟进行研究,结果表明,泡沫金属流场可以有效地降低浓度极化损失,从而提高燃料电池在大电流密度下的性能,且与增加的输出功率密度相比,相应的泵送功率损失可以忽略不计。同时,在泡沫金属流场作用下,质子交换膜燃料电池内部的氧气浓度分布比传统的直流道的燃料电池更加均匀。通过台架试验,观测了泡沫流场中的液态水的流动状态,并通过三维数值模拟,得到了与试验相似的流动现象,且与传统直流道流场对比,泡沫金属流场对燃料电池水淹现象的改善有很大的帮助。

具有泡沫金属流场的燃料电池研究进展

泡沫金属是一种具有高孔隙率、高电导率、良好传热性和重量较轻等优点的新型多功能材料,在质子交换膜燃料电池(PEMFC)中嵌入泡沫金属作为流场的应用受到越来越多的关注。重点综述PEMFC流场的研究进展,探讨泡沫金属结构参数、流场设计和环境因素等对功率密度、气体分布、压降和水热管理等性能的影响。进一步讨论泡沫金属流场在PEMFC应用中所面临的腐蚀和水淹问题,以及具备耐腐蚀涂层泡沫金属的研究进展,为PEMFC泡沫金属流场的发展和优化提供有益的启示,以期推进泡沫金属在PEMFC中的应用。

质子交换膜燃料电池服役环境对TA1腐蚀行为的影响

选用纯钛(钛金属牌号TA1)为实验基材,通过动电位、恒电位、电化学阻抗谱(EIS)和模拟工况测试等方法研究了运行环境(温度、pH值、气体氛围)和运行工况(电位和模拟工况时长)对其腐蚀行为的影响,并利用光学显微镜(OM)、能量色散X射线能谱(EDX)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、界面接触电阻(ICR)、接触角和表面粗糙度等测试方法,对不同时长模拟工况测试后TA1基材的表面形貌和性能进行了分析.结果表明,运行环境和运行工况对TA1耐蚀性均有影响,在10 h模拟工况测试后,TA1基材表面氧化层的堆积提高了其耐蚀性,腐蚀电流密度从2.62μA/cm^(2)降至0.94μA/cm^(2);其导电性和疏水性显著降低,与商用碳纸之间的ICR值从31.75 mΩ·cm^(2)增加至333.17 mΩ·cm^(2),接触角从86.28°减小至68.04°.