Discover insights from thousands of peer-reviewed papers on microbial electrochemical systems
Nasser A. M. Barakat, Rasha H. Ali, Hak Yong Kim et al.
Nanomaterials · 2022
Carbon nanofiber-decorated graphite rods are introduced as effective and low-cost anodes for industrial wastewater-driven microbial fuel cells. Carbon nanofiber deposition on the surface of the graphite rods could be performed by the electrospinning of polyacrylonitrile/N,N-Dimethylformamide solution using the rod as nanofiber collector, which was calcined under inert atmosphere. The experimental results indicated that at 10 min electrospinning time, the proposed graphite anode demonstrates very good performance compared to the commercial anodes. Typically, the generated power density from sugarcane industry wastewater-driven air cathode microbial fuel cells were 13 ± 0.3, 23 ± 0.7, 43 ± 1.3, and 185 ± 7.4 mW/m2 using carbon paper, carbon felt, carbon cloth, and graphite rod coated by 10-min electrospinning time carbon nanofibers anodes, respectively. The distinct performance of the proposed anode came from creating 3D carbon nanofiber layer filled with the biocatalyst. Moreover, to annihilate the internal cell resistance, a membrane-less cell was assembled by utilizing a poly(vinylidene fluoride) electrospun nanofiber layer-coated cathode. This novel strategy inspired a highly hydrophobic layer on the cathode surface, preventing water leakage to avoid utilizing the membrane. However, in both anode and cathode modifications, the electrospinning time should be optimized. The best results were obtained at 5 and 10 min for the cathode and anode, respectively.
Sahrani Saharuddin, Amalyah Febryanti, Fitria Azis
Jurnal Sumberdaya Alam dan Lingkungan · 2024
Plant-Microbial Fuel Cell (P-MFC) is a green technology because it uses a biocathode in the cathode compartment and also uses microorganisms to break down the chemical energy of organic matter into electrical energy. In this research, molasses and Saccharomyces cereviceae were used as substrates and Ceratophyllum demersum as a biocathode in the cathode compartment. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential variation in plant weight of C. demersum as a biocathode in the P-MFC system. The results of this study indicated that the maximum current at the biocathode was at a weight of 70 g, namely 0.180 mA with a power density value of 13.664 mW.m-2 and the maximum potential difference at the biocathode was at a weight of 40 g, which as 0.310 mV with a power density value of 30.787 mW.m-2. Therefore, coontail water plant has the potential as biocathode.
Yi Zuo, Defeng Xing, John M. Regan et al.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology · 2008
ABSTRACT Exoelectrogenic bacteria have potential for many different biotechnology applications due to their ability to transfer electrons outside the cell to insoluble electron acceptors, such as metal oxides or the anodes of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Very few exoelectrogens have been directly isolated from MFCs, and all of these organisms have been obtained by techniques that potentially restrict the diversity of exoelectrogenic bacteria. A special U-tube-shaped MFC was therefore developed to enrich exoelectrogenic bacteria with isolation based on dilution-to-extinction methods. Using this device, we obtained a pure culture identified as Ochrobactrum anthropi YZ-1 based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing and physiological and biochemical characterization. Strain YZ-1 was unable to respire using hydrous Fe(III) oxide but produced 89 mW/m 2 using acetate as the electron donor in the U-tube MFC. Strain YZ-1 produced current using a wide range of substrates, including acetate, lactate, propionate, butyrate, glucose, sucrose, cellobiose, glycerol, and ethanol. Like another exoelectrogenic bacterium ( Pseudomonas aeruginosa ), O. anthropi is an opportunistic pathogen, suggesting that electrogenesis should be explored as a characteristic that confers advantages to these types of pathogenic bacteria. Further applications of this new U-tube MFC system should provide a method for obtaining additional exoelectrogenic microorganisms that do not necessarily require metal oxides for cell respiration.
Obaid ur Rehman, Amber Fishan Zafar
Journal of Electrochemical Science and Engineering · 2017
<p class="PaperAbstract">The performance of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell majorly relies on properties of gas diffusion layer (GDL) which supports heat and mass transfer across the membrane electrode assembly. A novel approach is adopted in this work to analyze the activity of GDL during fuel cell operation on a large-scale model. The model with mesh size of 1.3 million computational cells for 50 cm<sup>2</sup> active area was simulated by parallel computing technique via computer cluster. Grid independence study showed less than 5% deviation in criterion parameter as mesh size was increased to 1.8 million cells. Good approximation was achieved as model was validated with the experimental data for Pt loading of 1 mg/cm<sup>2</sup>. The results showed that GDL with higher thermal conductivity prevented PEM from drying and led to improved protonic conduction. GDL with higher porosity enhanced the reaction but resulted in low output voltage which demonstrated the effect of contact resistance. In addition, the compressive force reduced the porosity under the rib regions which resulted in lower gas diffusion and heat and water accumulation.</p>
Shuiyun Shen, Chao Wang, Qinglei Zhang et al.
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2016
To further improve the cell performance of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), thus meeting the high requirement for its automotive and stationary application, great efforts have been made on the optimization of the flow field pattern[1,2]. In this work, two novel flow field patterns are proposed and the influences on the cell performance are investigated. Both two novel flow field designs lead to superior cell performance than the conventional flow field patterns do, and this can be attributed to their superiority in removing water at high current densities while increasing the flow velocity near the outlet. The velocity magnitude in flow fields is examined and compared through the computational fluid dynamics modeling. Acknowledgements This work was supported in part by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 21373135 and 21533005) and Science Foundation of Ministry of Education of China ( Grant No. 413064). References [1] Soler, J., E. Hontanon, and L. Daza, Electrode permeability and flow-field configuration: influence on the performance of a PEMFC. Journal of Power Sources, 2003. 118(1): p. 172-178. [2] Lee, B., K. Park, and H.-M. Kim, Numerical Optimization of Flow Field Pattern by Mass Transfer and Electrochemical Reaction Characteristics in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells. Int. J. Electrochem. Sci, 2013. 8: p. 219-234.
Pedro Oliveira, Francisco Brójo, Rafael Domingues
Volume 6: Energy · 2024
Abstract Water-in-diesel emulsions (WiDE) are an alternative fuel to be used in diesel engines capable of offering the benefits of higher engine efficiency and lesser pollutant emissions. This work aims to show how differences in WiDE fuel temperatures may impact its combustion properties and how they translate into different performances and emissions. An emulsion composed of diesel, 8% (m/m) of distilled water, and 3% (m/m) surfactant was performed in laboratory by mechanical homogenization and tested in a single-cylinder Hatz 1B40 Direct Injection (DI) diesel engine coupled to an eddy current dynamometer, an emission gas analyzer, and an opacimeter. The tests were performed for the fuel temperatures of 40°C and 50°C, and at 75% of the maximum considered engine load at four different speeds. The results show that higher emulsion temperatures lead to lower NO emissions, higher CO emissions, and decreased thermal efficiency.
S. Jouttijärvi, Xueli Yao, M. I. Asghar et al.
Research Square · 2019
Abstract A mixed ionic and semiconducting composite in a single-layer configuration has been shown to work as a fuel cell at a lower temperature (500-600 oC) than a traditional solid-oxide fuel cell. The performance of such single-layer fuel cell (SLFC) is often limited by high resistive losses. Here, an eutectic mixture of alkali-carbonates was added to SLFC to improve the ionic conductivity. The dual-phase composite ionic conductor consisted of a ternary carbonate (sodium lithium potassium carbonate, NLKC) mixed with gadolinium-doped cerium oxide (GDC). Lithium nickel zinc oxide (LNZ) was used as the semiconducting material. The LNZ-GDC-NLKC SLFC reached a high power density, 582 mW/cm2 (conductivity 0.22 S/cm) at 600 °C, which is more than 30 times better than without the carbonate. The best results were obtained with the ternary carbonate which decreased the ohmic losses of the cell by more than 95%, whereas a binary carbonate (sodium lithium carbonate, NLC) showed a lower conductivity and performance (243 mW/cm2, 0.17 S/cm at 600°C). It is concluded that adding carbonates to the LNZ-GDC will improve the ionic conductivity and positively contribute to the cell performance. These results will help to design better-performing SLFCs in the future and highlight the potential of SLFCs as a candidate for future electricity generation.
Hong Gun Kim, Lee Ku Kwac, Sung Soo Kang et al.
Materials Science Forum · 2007
An experimental study is carried out to investigate the performance and the practical application of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell(PEMFC) with the double-tied catalyst layers in a Membrane Electrolyte Assembly (MEA). Characteristics of PEMFC depend highly on the conditions such as gas pressure, temperature, thickness, supplied oxidant type (Oxygen/Air) as well as humidification. They are controlled under the same condition for the comparison of the simulation. Testing condition is fixed at 60sccm and 70°C in anode and cathode, respectively. The humidification about 15% the performance is improved no humidification rather. The current density is increased around 20% significantly when pure oxygen gas is provided as an oxidant. It is found that measured values of unit cell voltage and current are influenced strongly by the type and amount of oxidant, which give more enhanced values in case of oxygen compared to the ambient air as oxidant.
Xiaoyi Jiang, Xintong Gao, Ke Yang et al.
Environmental Engineering Research · 2024
Iron minerals can significantly impact the performance of soil microbial fuel cells (Soil-MFCs) through extracellular electron transfer (EET). Introducing defects into iron minerals has been shown to reinforce the microbial dissolution process. In this study, oxygen-rich vacancy defects were successfully incorporated into hematite (DHem), resulting in enhanced Soil-MFCs performance. Voltage measurement and Polarization curves demonstrated that the addition of DHem yielded the highest electricity output of 408.96 mV and the highest power density of 324.97 mW/m2. Liquid chromatography revealed that the system with DHem exhibited the most effective phenanthrene degradation at 61.42%, with a 40.70% increase in degradation near cathode areas. The introduction of defects led to increased dissolution of Fe(II) in hematite. The dissolved Fe(II) showed a significant positive correlation with both electricity generation and phenanthrene degradation, confirming that the introduction of defects strengthened the long-distance electron transfer capability by enhancing the dissolution of hematite. In addition, after adding iron minerals, the abundance of Petrimonas, Pseudomonas, Trichococcus, and Azoarcus was increased, which were all important function microorganisms in the system. We concluded that the introduction of defects in hematite can enhance the overall performance of Soil-MFCs by enhance electron transfer and microbial community structure.
Arpita Nandy, Mohita Sharma, Senthil Venkatesan et al.
Energies · 2019
This study aims to provide insight into the cost-effective catalyst on power generation in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) for treatment of municipal sludge. Power production from MFCs with carbon, Fe2O3, and Pt electrodes were compared. The MFC with no coating on carbon generated the least power density (6.72 mW·m−2) while the MFC with Fe2O3-coating on carbon anodes and carbon cathodes generated a 78% higher power output (30.18 mW·m−2). The third MFC with Fe2O3-coated carbon anodes and Pt on carbon as the cathode catalyst generated the highest power density (73.16 mW·m−2) at room temperature. Although the power generated with a conventional Pt catalyst was more than two-fold higher than Fe2O3, this study suggests that Fe2O3 can be investigated further as an efficient, low-cost, and alternative catalyst of Pt, which can be optimized for improving performance of MFCs. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) results demonstrated reduced resistance of MFCs and better charge transfer between biofilm and electrodes containing coated anodes compared to non-coated anodes. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze biofilm morphology and microbial community analysis was performed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, which revealed the presence of known anaerobic fermenters and methanogens that may play a key role in energy generation in the MFCs.
Ravi Shankar, Prasenjit Mondal, Shri Chand
Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy · 2014
This work deals with the simultaneous generation of electricity and removal of organic load from synthetic wastewater containing eqimolar concentration of glucose and glutamic acid. The effect of initial COD (mg/L), anodic pH and metals (Zn 2+ , Cr 6+ , and Fe 3+ ) concentration on the generation of current density and voltage has been studied. Although, the amount of COD removed increases with increase in the initial COD value from 500 to 2500 mg/L, the maximum generation of current density (19 mA/m 2 ) and voltage (14.8 mV), after 7 days of operation, is achieved at the initial COD value of 1500 mg/L at anodic pH value of 7. Difference in the anodic and cathodic pH has also been observed maximum (∼1) at the initial COD value of 1500 mg/L. Addition of metals initially increases the voltage and power density generation, attains a maximum value at a certain metal concentration and decreases thereafter with increase in metal concentration. Optimum concentration of metals, that is, 8 mg/L Zn 2+ , 7 mg/L Cr 6+ , and 10 mg/L Fe 3+ in the solution produces maximum voltage of 142, 490, and 321 mV, after 7 days of operation, respectively. Corresponding maximum power densities are 6.9, 508, and 192 mW/m 2 , respectively. The present process seems to have maximum current density and voltage generation capacity in comparison to some recently reported literatures on membrane less MFCand is able to reduce COD value below permissible limit with the initial COD value ≤1250 mg/L. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 34: 255–264, 2015
Alfiah Alif, Muhamad Jalil Baari, Amalyah Febryanti
International Journal of Science, Technology & Management · 2023
Sediment Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is a technology that can convert chemical energy into electrical energy through the process of nutrient degradation by microbes. Sediment taken from the bottom of shrimp ponds was added as a source of microbes, while fish and shrimp wastewater were used as a source of nutrients for microbes. This study aims to measure the performance of the SMFC system on fish effluent and shrimp effluent to produce bio-electricity while reducing the waste load. The research method was experimental laboratories. The treatment given was the different types of electrodes, namely zinc-copper and aluminum-copper. In addition, 0.2 M KMnO4 electrolyte solution was used. This study consisted of four stages: the manufacture of nutrients from fish and shrimp wastewater, the manufacture of a dual chamber MFC bioreactor, the measurement of electrical values, and the analysis of waste quality. Experiments were carried out for 30 days by measuring electricity every 24 hours. The average value of electricity generated in the nutrients of fish wastewater with Zn/Cu electrodes was 0.705 V and Al/Cu was 0.472 V. Meanwhile, the average value of electricity in shrimp wastewater nutrients with Zn/Cu electrodes was 0.630 V and Al/Cu was 0.625 V. The number of colonies after adding sediment in the shrimp wastewater sample were 8.9 x 106 CFU/mL, the fish wastewater sample was 9.5 x 106 CFU/mL. It indicates the presence of microorganisms that play a role in the SMFC system
Sundas Bahar Yaqoob, Showkat Ahmad Bhawani, Rokhsana Mohammed Ismail Abdulrahman
Journal of Chemistry · 2021
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a sustainable approach for the remediation of metals and the simultaneous production of energy. This paper highlighted the usage of mango extract to produce electricity as an organic source for bacteria and reduce metal ions from wastewater. The observed results were 51 mV in 15 days with 500 Ω of external resistance. The whole operation was carried out at room temperature. The observed current and power density were 28.947 mA/m2 and 0.972 mW/m2, respectively. The internal resistance was 150 Ω, which is lower than external resistance. The remediation performance varied with the metal ions as follows: Pb (II) shows 75%, Cd (II) shows 74.11%, and Cr (III) shows 80.50%. Finally, the detailed working mechanism of the present study, MFC challenges, and future research directions are covered in this paper.
Shizhe Peng, Jia Li, Yihan Hu et al.
Small · 2024
Abstract A decent stretchability is of paramount significance to operate microbial fuel cell (MFC) under mechanically dynamic conditions. However, it remains a grand challenge to fabricate fully stretchable MFC without compromising its power output. Here, using Shewanella oneidensis MR‐1 ( S. oneidensis ) as the model electrogenic bacteria, the study demonstrates a fully stretchable MFC device that can operate with a stretchability of 75%. The design takes advantage of a stretchable and ion‐conductive polyurethane membrane, which encapsulates the biohybrids composed of S. oneidensis and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) current collector for synchronous stretching. It is discovered that the “stretchable” living biohybrids can sustain an adaptive bio‐current output under stretching/releasing stimulation. The design also employs a stretchable air cathode. The stabilized peak power density of the stretchable MFC follows an increasing trend with the applied strain, and reaches 5.0 ± 0.7, 5.9 ± 0.9, 6.2 ± 1.1, 6.6 ± 1.4 µW cm −2 at strains of 0%, 25%, 50%, and 75%, respectively (n = 3). At 75% strain, the stretchable MFC yields a maximum current output of 104 ± 27 µA cm −2 and an open‐circuit voltage of 283 ± 30 mV (n = 3). The results provide insights to design stretchable MFCs to power the next‐generation on‐skin devices, soft robotics, and sustainable electronics.
Norhazirah Azhar, Thye-Foo Choo, Nur Ubaidah Saidin et al.
Engineering Headway · 2025
In the fabrication of fuel cell electrodes, applying catalyst ink onto a substrate is crucial. The performance of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is subsequently impacted by how the catalyst is applied onto substrate as well as in terms of its resulting morphology. In this study, a direct catalyst ink spraying approach was done in order to investigate transfer efficiency and surface morphology for different concentrations of ink. The concentration of catalyst ink used in the spraying process are 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 mg/ml with fixed loading of 1.0 mg/cm 2 . The transfer efficiency of the catalyst inks was calculated neglecting human error during spraying. The coating thickness and distribution of the resulting catalysts were analysed via Field Emission – Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM).
Jason Rugolo, Brian Huskinson, Michael J. Aziz
ECS Transactions · 2011
We develop a model for a regenerative hydrogen-chlorine fuel cell including four voltage loss mechanisms: hydrogen electrode activation, chlorine electrode activation, chlorine electrode mass transport, and ohmic loss through the membrane. The dependencies of each of these losses as a function of two "operating parameters", acid concentration and temperature; and five ``engineering parameters", exchange current densities at both electrodes, membrane thickness, acid diffusion layer thickness, and cell pressure, are explored. By examining this large parameter space, we predict the design target and ultimate limitations to the performance characteristics of this cell. We identify chlorine electrode activation as the dominant contribution to the loss for low current density, high-efficiency operation and membrane resistance as the dominant contribution to the loss at maximum galvanic power density. We conclude that a "dream" cell should be attainable with further research that operates at greater than 90% voltage efficiency at current densities >1A/cm2.
Theofilos Kamperidis, Pavlos K. Pandis, Christos Argirusis et al.
Sustainability · 2022
The aim of this study is to examine the effect of food waste condensate concentration (400–4000 mg COD/L) on the performance of two microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Food waste condensate is produced after condensing the vapors that result from drying and shredding of household food waste (HFW). Two identical single-chamber MFCs were constructed with different cathodic assemblies based on GoreTex cloth (Cell 1) and mullite (Cell 2) materials. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements were carried out to measure the maximum power output and the internal resistances of the cells. High COD removal efficiencies (>86%) were observed in all cases. Both cells performed better at low initial condensate concentrations (400–600 mg COD/L). Cell 1 achieved maximum electricity yield (1.51 mJ/g COD/L) at 500 mg COD/L and maximum coulombic efficiency (6.9%) at 400 mg COD/L. Cell 2 achieved maximum coulombic efficiency (51%) as well as maximum electricity yield (25.9 mJ/g COD/L) at 400 mg COD/L. Maximum power was observed at 600 mg COD/L for Cell 1 (14.2 mW/m2) and Cell 2 (14.4 mW/m2). Impedance measurements revealed that the charge transfer resistance and the solution resistance increased significantly with increasing condensate concentration in both cells.
Whitney G. Colella, Viraj Srivastava
ASME 2012 10th International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology · 2012
The widespread use of combined heat and power (CHP) distributed generation (DG) for buildings could significantly increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas and air pollution emissions. By displacing both electricity from conventional centralized power plants and heat from decentralized boilers, CHP DG could reduce primary feedstock fuel consumption in the U.S. by approximately 20%, or 6,000 terawatt hours. However, optimally integrating CHP DG within buildings is challenging. This work aims to elucidate optimal system sizing and design of micro-CHP fuel cell systems (FCSs) integrated with commercial buildings. This modeling effort compares and contrasts the performance of high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell systems (HTPEM FCSs) and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems for commercial buildings. A parallel research effort is independently analyzing measured data from HTPEM FCSs installed in commercial buildings. Measured data from that effort is integrated into this modeling work. In certain regions, there has been a research and development and commercialization trend moving from using low temperature PEM FCSs (e.g. with a stack temperature of around 80°C) to using HTPEM FCSs (e.g. with a stack temperature of around 160°C) and to using SOFC systems (e.g. with a stack temperature of around 700°C) for CHP building applications, given the higher temperature of the available waste heat from these systems. In this work FCS performance data is coupled with building energy system models from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) using EnergyPlus™ whole-building energy simulation software. Using these baseline reference commercial building model data, parameters are examined including heat demand for space heating and for domestic hot water heating over time, temperatures and water flow rates associated with this heat demand, and building electrical demand over time, to evaluate FCS integration within the building. Examining the data obtained through the simulation exercise in this work, it is found that in a large office building, with heat demand temperatures in the range of 82°C for space heating and 60°C for hot water heating, an HTPEM FCS with an exhaust temperature of 47°C can potentially access, at a maximum, 19% of the total building heating demand. By contrast, in a small office building, with heat demand temperatures in the range of 23°C (supply air temperature) for space heating and 60°C for hot water heating, it is found that this HTPEM FCS can potentially access, at a maximum, 90% of the total building heating demand. Examining the temporal characteristics of the building heat demand to determine FCS sizing, it is found that a maximum of 50% of the time, the heat demand can be served with an HTPEM FCS with a thermal capacity of 8 kilowatts (kW) (0.05 kW for small office) and an electrical capacity of approximately 4.5 kilowatts-electric (kWe) (0.45 kWe for small office). A maximum of 80% of the time, the heat demand can be served with an HTPEM FCS with a thermal capacity of 85 kW (0.16 kW for small office) and an electrical capacity of approximately 73 kWe (0.14 kWe for small office). The simulation results further indicate that an SOFC has advantages over an HTPEM FCS that originate from its higher exhaust temperature (between 25°C and 315°C), which allows it to meet a greater percentage of the building heating demand (up to 100%). This enables an SOFC to serve a larger percentage of the building stock and a wider variety of building heating systems. Furthermore, if the CHP FCSs are grid independent (i.e., it is not possible to supply electrical power back to the grid), then the heat-to-power ratio of an FCS can be an important parameter. In such a scenario, the heat-to-power ratio of an SOFC (approximately 0.33) is closer to the heat-to-power ratio of a building (approximately 0.081, averaged over an entire year). In a stand-alone configuration, when the CHP DG has a heat-to-power ratio that more closely matches that of the buildings, the utilization of the DG system is likely to be higher and its economics and environmental impacts more favorable.
Venkata Yarlagadda, Trung Van Nguyen
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2014
The hydrogen electrode in a H 2 -Br 2 fuel cell (Figure 1) has high active surface area because of the nano catalyst particle on carbon support material that is used. Current electrodes used for the bromine reactions are made of high porosity carbon fiber based gas diffusion media that have very low surface area. Currently, to obtain high surface area, multiple layers of this material are used. While this leads to an increase in the surface area, it also leads to high ionic and molecular transport resistance. To overcome this problem, our research group has developed a high surface area carbon diffusion material. This material is made by growing multiwall carbon nanotubes directly on the carbon fiber substrate (Figure 2). In this presentation, we will discuss the advantages of this material and compare the discharge/charge performance of an acid-based H 2 -Br 2 fuel cell with this material versus that with conventional electrode materials. Acknowledgements This work was funded by NSF through grant number EFRI-1038234 and DOE/ARPA-E under award number DE-AR0000262.
S. Cano-Andrade, A. Herna´ndez-Guerrero, M. Von-Spakovsky et al.
Volume 6: Energy Systems: Analysis, Thermodynamics and Sustainability · 2006
Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are promising candidates for power generation in transportation, portable, and stationary applications due to their high full and partload efficiencies, low operating temperatures, high power densities, fast startups, and potential system robustness. A vital component for this new technology is the bipolar plate since it supplies the fuel and oxidant, removes the products of reaction, collects the current produced, and provides mechanical support for the cells in the stack. However, the bipolar plate adds weight, volume, and cost to the fuel cell. A way to offset this, at least partially and perhaps significantly, would be by improving the bipolar plate flow field layout so that the power density of the cell or stack (parallel cell arrangement) is improved. To that end, this paper proposes an innovative radial flow field design for which a three-dimensional model of the heat, mass, and charge transport and electrochemistry in a single fuel cell has been developed and solved via a finite volume approach. This model is based on the following supposition: steady state, isothermal, single phase, isotropic materials and mass transfer in three directions. Predictions of current density as well as the pressure losses, velocities, and flow field contours are made and presented.
Derek W. Fultz, Po-Ya Abel Chuang
Volume 9: Heat Transfer, Fluid Flows, and Thermal Systems, Parts A, B and C · 2008
Two fuel cell architectures, differing only by the surfaces onto which the electrodes were applied, have been analyzed to determine the root causes of dissimilarities in performance. The basic proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is comprised of the proton transporting membrane, platinum-containing anode and cathode electrodes, porous carbon fiber gas diffusion media (GDM), and flow fields which deliver the reactant hydrogen and air flows. As no optimal cell design currently exists, there is a degree of latitude regarding component assembly and structure. Catalyst coated diffusion media (CCDM) refers to a cell architecture option where the electrode layers are coated on the GDM layers and then hot-pressed to the membrane. Catalyst coated membrane (CCM) refers to an architecture where the electrodes are transferred directly onto the membrane. A cell with CCDM architecture has tightly bonded interfaces throughout the assembly which can result in lower thermal and electrical contact resistances. Considering the fuel cell as a 1-D thermal system, the through-plane thermal resistance was observed to decrease by 5–10% when comparing CCDM to CCM architectures. This suggests the thermal contact resistance at the electrode interfaces was significantly reduced in the hot-press process. In addition, the electrical contact resistances between the electrode and GDM were observed to be significantly reduced with a CCDM architecture. This study shows that these effects, which have a potential to increase performance, can be attributed to the hot-press lamination process and use of CCDM architecture.
Usman Javaid, Jamshed Iqbal, Adeel Mehmood et al.
PLOS ONE · 2022
A Polymer Electrolytic Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) is an efficient power device for automobiles, but its efficiency and life span depend upon its air delivery system. To ensure improved performance of PEMFC, the air delivery system must ensure proper regulation of Oxygen Excess Ratio (OER). This paper proposes two nonlinear control strategies, namely Integral Sliding Mode Control (ISMC) and Fast Terminal ISMC (FTISMC). Both the controllers are designed to control the OER at a constant level under load disturbances while avoiding oxygen starvation. The derived controllers are implemented in MATLAB/ Simulink. The corresponding simulation results depict that FTISMC has faster tracking performance and lesser fluctuations due to load disturbances in output net power, stack voltage/power, error tracking, OER, and compressor motor voltage. Lesser fluctuations in these parameters ensure increased efficiency and thus extended life of a PEMFC. The results are also compared with super twisting algorithm STA to show the effectiveness of the proposed techniques. ISMC and FTISMC yield 7% and 20% improved performance as compared to STA. The proposed research finds potential applications in hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles.
Hikaru Takamata, Soichiro Shimotori, Shoichi Hidai et al.
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2024
Toshiba’s Stationary Fuel Cell System Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation is developing hydrogen solution, which is a key technology to achieve carbon neutral. Now we are manufacturing the pure hydrogen fuel cell systems for stationary application. This fuel cell systems have some models up to 100kW, and in order to provide the larger electricity than 100kW, the 100kW system can be operated connecting several units up to 1MW. Toshiba's fuel cell systems have been achieved stable, long-term operation, high durability, and high energy efficiency. These features are realized by internal water management cell stack conflagration using porous carbon bi-polar plates. The porous bi-polar plates can humidify reactant gases supplied as vapor from the surface of the porous bi-polar plates and removes produced water through the porous bi-polar plates by the pressure difference between the reactant gases and the coolant water. This technology realizes ideal conditions in terms of water activity entire active area, suppressing overpotentials due to flooding and temperature and water activity distribution. This technology enables stable continuous operation up to 1 week and design life of 80,000 hours confirmed by demonstration tests, which is one of the highest in the world. Recent trends in fuel cell development include the growing expectation and demand for higher capacity and long durability fuel cell systems for stationary applications such as carbon neutral complexes and data centers, etc. In addition, demand for high power density fuel cell systems for large commercial mobility vehicles, such as buses and trucks, is also increasing. In order to meet this demand, Toshiba is developing elemental technologies for higher performance fuel cells. Development of advanced high performance fuel cells In order to improve cell performance, it is necessary to reduce ohmic, activation, and diffusion polarizations. Among these three overpotentials, a reduction of diffusion polarization is particularly important to achieve operation up to the high current density. To reduce diffusion polarization, the flow field of bi-polar plates must be designed to improve the limiting current density by efficient gas supply to the catalyst layer and to reduce mass transport resistance in the gas diffusion layer and catalyst layer. Toshiba has focused on reducing this diffusion polarization and is working on the flow field design using numerical simulation. As an example, Toshiba has developed the advanced numerical simulation by introducing mass transfer models of water evaporation and water absorption on the surface of a porous bi-polar plates into a commercially available electrochemical reaction and thermal fluidics 3D simulator. This porous bi-polar plates model was then used to perform parametric study of the flow field design, and determine parameters in terms of gas diffusivity, electrical resistance, and temperature and humidity distribution. And then, the advanced cell that incorporating designed bi-polar plates, thinner components, and a new catalyst was fabricated and evaluated. Figure 1 shows comparison of cell performance between conventional and advanced cells. The limiting current density of advanced cell is 3.6 times larger than that of conventional cell due to simulation-based flow field design and optimization of operating pressure. The application of these development items and optimization of operating conditions reduced each polarization and achieved a current density twice that of conventional cell. In the future, we aim to achieve even higher performance by improving catalytic activity and reducing cell resistance through thinner components. Figure 1
Reena Meshram, Shailesh Kumar Jadhav
NewBioWorld · 2019
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are the electrochemical systems that harness electron from the reduction of organic compounds using microbes as a catalyst. 3 combinations from 4 electrodes that are, Zn (14.9cm×4.9cm), Carbon (14cm×1.5cm), Cu (14.9cm×4.9cm) and Al (14cm×4.5cm) were assessed . Zn-C, as an anode-cathode combination produced maximum voltage of 1.1±0.03V and current 1.5±0.12mA. In present study,gram negative non-fermentative staphylococcus bacterium was isolated from a mediator-less microbial fuel cell, fed with rice bran oil refinery wastewater operated in fed-batch manner. The isolate produced potential of 1.01±0.01V and current of 1.24±0.03mA using synthetic wastewater. The newly isolated bacterium has potential of generating electricity in MFC system and may hold many possibilities with different wastewater as well as in practical applications.
Akimitsu Ishihara, Shigenori Mitsushima, Nobuyuki Kamiya et al.
1st International Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology Conference · 2002
An exergy (available energy) analysis has been conducted on a typical polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) system using methanol. The material balance and enthalpy balance were calculated for the PEFC system using methanol steam reforming, and the exergy flow was obtained. Based on these results, the exergy loss in each unit was obtained, and the difference between the enthalpy and exergy was discussed. The exergy loss in this system was calculated to be 178kJ/mole MeOH for the steam reforming process of methanol. Although the enthalpy efficiency approached unity as the recovery rate of the waste heat from the cell approached unity, the exergy efficiency remained around 0.45 since the cell’s operating temperature of 80°C is low. It was also found that the cell voltage should exceed 0.82V in order to obtain the exergy efficiency of 0.5 or higher. A direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) was analyzed using the exergy and compared with the methanol reforming PEFC. In order to obtain the exergy efficiency higher than that of PEFC with steam reforming, the cell voltage of the DMFC should be 0.48V or greater at the current density of 600mA/cm2.
Ömer ER, Ali CAVAK, Adnan ALDEMİR et al.
MANAS Journal of Engineering · 2020
In this study, carbon nanotube (CNT) supported Pd catalysts at varying Pd molar ratios are prepared via NaBH4 reduction method. Catalysts prepared for hydrazine electrooxidation are characterized via N2 adsorption-desorption measurements (BET), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Electrochemical measurements are performed using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques by CHI660E potentiostat in a three-electrode system. According to the characterization results, Pd/CNT catalysts are successfully synthesized. For 5% Pd/CNT catalyst, the average particle size and the surface area determined as 5.17 nm and 773.10 m2 g-1 via TEM and BET, respectively. Between the Pd containing (0.1-20 wt %) CNT supported catalysts prepared, 5% Pd / CNT catalyst shows the best current density as 6.81 mA cm-2 (1122.63 mA mg-1 Pd). Furthermore, 5% Pd/CNT catalyst shows littlest charge transfer resistance (Rct) compared to Pd/CNT catalysts.
S KC, U Dhakal, P Karki et al.
Journal of Physics: Conference Series · 2023
Abstract The influence of operating variables like temperature, pressure, humidity etc. needs to be reduced to optimize the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). A model that can accurately simulate the real operating conditions of a fuel cell can be used to optimize its performance. This paper develops and simulates a mathematical model for PEMFC in steady-state operating conditions. A steady state model is built in MATLAB-Simulink environment. The effects of different operating variables on the performance of the PEMFC have been studied. The parameters include operating temperature and reactant flow pressure. The results in the form of polarization curve, efficiency, power and current density have been analysed to compare the fuel cell behaviours. The results show good conformity with other existing models.
S. Sai Mohan, G. Sanjana, D. Avinash et al.
Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology · 2020
Weeding is an important and labour intensive agricultural operation and about 1/3rd of the cost of cultivation is accounted towards weed control operation alone. Any delay and negligence in weeding operation effects the crop yields up to 30-40%. Today the agricultural sector requires non-chemical weed control that safeguards consumers demand for high quality food products and pay special attention to food safety. The objectives of the study was to evaluate the performance of power weeder by evaluating the energy consumption and cost economics of power weeder in sugarcane crop. The evaluation was conducted at soil different moisture contents at 30,45 and 60 days after sowing (DAS) at different speeds of weeder. The bulk density decreased from 0.84 to 0.65 g cm-3 with increased soil moisture content from 7±1 to 12±1 per cent. The field capacity of power weeder varied from 0.0347 to 0.137 ha h-1 when operated with 3 forward speeds at 30, 45 and 60 DAS. The weeding efficiency of power weeder is in the range of 98.74 to 91.22% at 0.584 km h-1, 96.80 to 84.93% at 1.35 km h-1 and 94.67 to 73.72% at 4.153 km h-1. The minimum and maximum plant damage is observed at a forward speeds of 0.584 km h-1 and 4.153 km h-1. When operated at lower speeds the plant damage will be minimum whereas operating at high speeds will result in maximum plant damage. Field machine index of the weeder is observed as 0.83, 0.82 and 0.864 for 30, 45 and 60 DAS. The cost of weeding per hectare is calculated as Rs.3,878 ha-1 and Rs.8000 ha-1 for mechanical and traditional weeding, respectively. It can be started and operated by farmer or any unskilled labour with ease. Also working with power weeder in between the rows is easy with a very less maintenance cost.
Helen K White, Clare E Reimers, Erik E Cordes et al.
The ISME Journal · 2009
Abstract This study examines changes in diversity and abundance of bacteria recovered from the anodes of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) in relation to anode potential, power production and geochemistry. MFCs were batch-fed with plankton, and two systems were maintained at different potentials whereas one was at open circuit for 56.8 days. Bacterial phylogenetic diversity during peak power was assessed from 16S rDNA clone libraries. Throughout the experiment, microbial community structure was examined using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism. Changes in cell density of key phylotypes, including representatives of δ-, ɛ-, γ-proteobacteria and Flavobacterium-Cytophaga-Bacteroides, were enumerated by quantitative PCR. Marked differences in phylogenetic diversity were observed during peak power versus the final time point, and changes in microbial community structure were strongly correlated to dissolved organic carbon and ammonium concentrations within the anode chambers. Community structure was notably different between the MFCs at different anode potentials during the onset of peak power. At the final time point, however, the anode-hosted communities in all MFCs were similar. These data demonstrate that differences in growth, succession and population dynamics of key phylotypes were due to anode potential, which may relate to their ability to exploit the anode as an electron acceptor. The geochemical milieu, however, governs overall community diversity and structure. These differences reflect the physiological capacity of specific phylotypes to catabolize plankton-derived organic matter and exploit the anode of an MFC for their metabolism directly or indirectly through syntrophy.
Dmitrii Andreevich Chirkov, Aleksandr Dmitrievich Korotayev, Evgenii Aleksandrovich Chabanov
International Journal of Power Electronics and Drive Systems (IJPEDS) · 2022
Currently, linear motors find increasingly wide application in various industrial sectors. These motors feature a range of advantages including the absence of compound mechanical power transmissions between a motor and an actuator, simple design, and performance reliability. These advantages determine application of linear motors in electric drive systems of a range of industrial mechanisms including liquid metal and melt transfer units, various transport systems, and metal working and grinding machines. As an illustration, the article addresses submersible cylindrical linear alternating current electronic engines used for rodless oil extraction. Practice shows that the overall efficiency of such units is extremely low. This article is dedicated to the determination of performance and power/angle characteristics of such linear motors, their main energy indicators 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜑 and efficiency at various supply voltage frequencies. It is shown that 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜑 at all supply voltage frequencies remains very high, while the efficiency is extremely low. The main way to increase the engine efficiency is to increase the frequency of its supply voltage as much as possible. It is proposed to extend the results obtained to other possible industrial applications of linear electric drives.
H. Y. Kanaan, S. Georges, I. Mougharbel et al.
RE&PQJ · 2024
In this paper, a high-current two-stage DC-DC converter fed by a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) is studied. The converter consists of two three-phase full-bridge inverters connected through three AC coupled inductors. The mathematical models of both converter and PEMFC are first presented, and a control scheme that ensures a high power factor at the AC stage and a regulated voltage at the DC load is then implemented. The performance of the proposed control system is verified through digital simulations.
Vladimir Gurau, Thomas A. Zawodzinski, J. Adin Mann
Journal of Fuel Cell Science and Technology · 2008
To date, multiphase computational fluid dynamics models for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells failed to provide even a qualitative depiction of the fuel cell water management. This was primarily due to the inability to capture two-phase phenomena in the cathode catalyst layer and the water saturation equilibrium at the interface between the fuel cell components. A model without the cathode catalyst layer cannot capture dominant mechanisms of water transfer and cannot explain correctly the fuel cell performance. We propose a multifluid, multiphase model consisting of separate transport equations for each phase. The model accounts for gas- and liquid-phase momentam and species transport in the cathode channel, gas diffusion layer (GDL), and catalyst layer and for the current density, ionomer-phase potential, and water content in the catalyst coated membrane. The model considers water produced at cathode by (I) electrochemical reaction, (II) change of phase, and (III) parallel, competing mechanisms of water transfer between the ionomer distributed in the catalyst layer and the catalyst layer pores. Liquid water is transported in the GDL and the catalyst layer due to liquid pressure gradient and in the channel due to gravity and two-phase drag. We have developed a transport equation for the water content. The source/sink terms of the transport equation represent the parallel, competing mechanisms of water transfer between the ionomer phase and the catalyst layer pores. They are (I) sorption/desorption at nonequilibrium and (II) electro-osmotic drag by the secondary current. Another distinguishing feature of this model is the capability to capture water saturation equilibrium at channel-GDL and GDL–catalyst layer interfaces. The computational results are used to study the dynamics of water transport within and between the fuel cell components and the impact of the GDL and catalyst layer properties on the amount of water retained in the fuel cell components during operation. A new dominant mechanism of water transfer between the ionomer distributed in the catalyst layer and the catalyst layer pores is identified. The amount of water retained in GDL is determined by GDL permeability and its pore size at the interface with the channel. The amount of water retained in the cathode catalyst layer is determined by the saturation equilibrium at the interface with the GDL. Models based on the two-phase mixture model are not applicable to PEM fuel cell electrodes.
Xiaobai Li, Yang Song, Zhuang Liu et al.
High Performance Polymers · 2013
A series of triple-layer membranes were prepared based on a sulfonated polyimide (SPI) and a traditional sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) polymer matrix. Compared with the single-component membranes (pure SPI and SPEEK), the multicomponent membranes exhibited better comprehensive performance. Interestingly, the triple-layer membranes possessed improved mechanical properties, lower water uptake, and swelling ratio than those of the corresponding blend membranes. When the contents of SPI were 30 and 40%, the triple-layer membranes even had lower methanol permeability (3.42 and 2.61 × 10 −7 cm 2 s −1 , respectively) than that of the pure SPI membrane (3.51 × 10 −7 cm 2 s −1 ). The proton conductivity of the triple-layer membranes was in the range of 0.117–0.149 S cm −1 at 100°C. All the results suggest that the triple-layer membranes have sufficiently excellent performance to be applied in fuel cells.
Ji Yeon Kim, Mehdi Mortazavi, Sung Yong Jung
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2024
Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) offer numerous advantages, such as low operating temperatures, ease of start-up and shutdown, and high power density. Recent researches have focused on enhancing their performance for various industrial applications, particularly in transportation fields including vehicles and drones. The gas diffusion layer (GDL) in PEMFC plays a key role in the transport of fuel, oxygen, and water. The physical and chemical degradation of GDL adversely affects the water management resulting in performance deterioration. A major cause of GDL degradation in PEMFCs is the generation of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) during the electrochemical reaction. H₂O₂ lead PTFE loss and carbon corrosion, and this degradation is irreversible. Although several studies demonstrate techniques for recovering performance for the reversible degradation, limited research exists on restoring performance in irreversibly degraded PEMFCs. This study proposes a novel approach for the performance recovery in irreversibly degraded PEMFCs by superimposing acoustic pressure waves on the oxygen gas flow which enhances the water management ability [1]. To investigate the effect of proposed recovery technique, performances were compared with or without the superimposed acoustic pressure waves using a unit cell having 25 cm² active area. The 19 % decrease in performance with aged GDL was observed due to the reduction in the water management capability caused by the decrease of hydrophobicity. The superimposed acoustic pressure waves led to a performance recovery of up to 9. This recovery is attributed to the enhanced removal of accumulated water on the GDL surface through external excitation, which facilitated oxygen supply and improved water discharge. The proposed the water management method can offer a promising solution for recovering performance in irreversibly degraded PEMFCs and has the potential to improve both performance and durability. Acknowledgement This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) grant funded by the Korea government(MSIT) (No. RS-2023-00208497, RS-2023-00219369). Reference [1] Kim, J. Y., Mortazavi, M., & Jung, S. Y. (2024). Improving polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell performance and preventing flooding by exciting gas flow. Journal of Power Sources , 617 , 235181.
Kritika Sharma, Shrihari Sankarasubramanian, Zhongyang Wang et al.
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2023
The development of high-power fuel cells could advance the electrification of the transportation sector, including marine and air transport. Liquid-fueled fuel cells are particularly attractive for such applications as they obviate the issue of fuel transportation and storage. Herein, we report a direct methanol hydrogen peroxide fuel cell (DMHPFC) for high-power propulsion applications that delivers 0.8 W cm 2 peak power density by using a pH gradient-enabled microscale bipolar interface (PMBI) to effectively meet the incongruent pH requirements for methanol oxidation/peroxide reduction reactions. DMHPFCs are an important alternative to hydrogen-fed polymer electrode membrane fuel cell (PEMFCs) and anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) due to methanol’s high energy density compared to that of hydrogen and superior kinetics of hydrogen peroxide reduction reaction as compared to Oxygen. A unit volume of Hydrogen gas stored at a pressure of approximately 69 MPa corresponds to volume-specific energy density of roughly 2.1 kWh/l while 39% volume of aqueous methanol and 41% volume of aqueous hydrogen peroxide corresponds to volume-specific energy density of 9.2 kWh/l. So, DMHPFC’s energy density is approximately four times higher than hydrogen fuel cell’s energy density and is comparable to gasoline which contains roughly 9.2 kWh/l of available bond energy. The theoretical potential for Methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in basic medium is lower than that in an acidic medium (-0.78 V vs. -0.02 V) and the theoretical potential for the Hydrogen peroxide reduction reaction (HPRR) is higher than that for oxygen reduction (1.77 V vs. 1.23 V in acidic medium). This results in the highest theoretically possible cell voltage for cells with alkaline anodes and acidic cathodes. We achieved sustained operation of the DMHPFC with an alkaline anode and an acidic cathode by incorporating our pH-gradient-enabled microscale bipolar interface (PMBI). However, the system exhibits a relatively low Faradaic efficiency of 50% due to the parasitic evolution of O 2 by the decomposition of H 2 O 2 . The O 2 evolution results in a mixed potential at the cathode due to the occurrence of both the HPRR (E 0 = 1.77 V versus standard hydrogen electrode [SHE]) and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR); (E 0 = 1.23 V versus SHE), lowering the overall cell potential. The O 2 surface coverage reduces the available sites for the HPRR, effectively deactivating the catalyst. Electrocatalysts exhibiting a combination of high HPRR activity and selectivity (by inhibiting H 2 O 2 decomposition, and hence inhibiting ORR) would result in higher faradic efficiency and have been the subject of sustained interest. Here, we examine an alternate reactant-transport engineering approach to improve the overall cell potential and cell performance of the DMHPFC. Our reactant-transport engineering approach has examined the impact of reactant flowrate, flow velocity, residence time, and flow regime (via the Reynolds number ([Re]) on DMHPFC performance. Balancing the competing demands of high residence time to improve Hydrogen peroxide reduction reaction (HPRR) rates with high flowrates to detach adsorbed O 2 , we identify a critical Re and Damkholer number (Da) to efficiently exclude O 2 gas bubbles while maintaining large current densities during the operation of a DMHPFC. Reactant-transport engineering of the cathode flow field architecture and fuel flowrates mitigates parasitic hydrogen peroxide decomposition and oxygen reduction reactions and lessens cathode passivation by oxygen bubbles. DMHPCs fulfilling these criteria provide a power density of >500 mW cm -2 at 1.0 V compared to state-of-the-art polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) that typically operate at 0.75 V. The high peak power density of 800 mW cm -2 at 1.1 V may offer a pathway to reduce fuel cell stack size for propulsion applications. Our work paves the way for such other liquid fuel cells with hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant and enabled with PMBI resulting in significantly improvement in the performance. Figure 1
Vivek Yadav, Deepanshu, Harshit Mittal et al.
Research Square · 2025
Abstract Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells offer great potential in terms of green energy solutions but degrade over a period of time based on diverse operation and material aspects. Based on the data obtained from PEM Fuel Cell Dataset with polarization as well as impedance at diverse operations, this study makes use of machine learning algorithms for predicting degradation of fuel cell. Following preprocessing by imputation of missing values via mean imputation, exploratory data analysis was performed via heatmaps and key visualizations. Fifteen machine learning models involving linear and nonlinear regressors, decision trees, ensemble models, and neural networks were trained to predict important performance metrics like cell voltage, power density, and impedance characteristics. Model performance was conducted with Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Squared Error (MSE), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), and R² Score, where the Extra Trees Regressor performed best with an MAE of 0.00099 and an R² score of 0.996. These results show the potential of machine learning to forecast fuel cell degradation, enabling proactive maintenance and increased system reliability. Future work will explore real-time deployment of predictive models for enhanced operational effectiveness in real-world systems.
Chongxue Zhao, Haihang Zhang, Zheng Huang et al.
Research Square · 2023
Abstract In this paper, a gradient pore size structure gas diffusion layer (GDL) was prepared. The pore structure of microporous layers (MPL) were controlled by pore-making agent ammonium bicarbonate (NH 4 HCO 3 ). The effects of the two-stage MPL and the different pore size structures in the two-stage MPL on the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) were investigated. The results of the conductivity and water contact angle tests showed that the GDL had outstanding conductivity and good hydrophobicity. The results of the pore size distribution test indicated that the introduction of a pore-making agent altered the pore size distribution of the GDL as well as increased the capillary pressure difference within the GDL. Specifically, there was an increase in pore size within the 7-20 μm and 20-50 μm ranges, which improved the stability of water and gas transmission within the fuel cell. The maximum power density of the GDL03 was increased by 37.1% at 40% humidity, 38.9% at 60% humidity, and 40.3% at 100% humidity when compared to the commercial GDL29BC in a hydrogen-air environment. The design of gradient MPL ensured that pore size between carbon paper and MPL changed from an initially abrupt state to a smooth transition state, which greatly improved water and gas management capabilities of proton exchange membrane fuel cell.
Ratikanta Nayak, Bentham Science Publisher Harilal, Prakash Chandra Ghosh
Current and Future Developments in Nanomaterials and Carbon Nanotubes · 2022
Polymer nanocomposite is a new kind of material that offers to substitute traditionally filled polymers. The nanomaterial polymer matrix inter-phase area increases drastically due to the inherent high surface-to-volume ratio resulting in remarkably enhanced properties compared to the pristine polymers or their conventional counterpart filled nanocomposites. Nanocomposites have several novel properties such as nonlinear optical properties, electronic conductivity and luminescence. Therefore, their use has been projected in many areas like chemical sensors, polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFCs), electroluminescent devices, batteries, electrocatalysis, smart windows and memory devices. PEMFCs embody a potential candidate for electrochemical energy generation in the twenty-first century due to their better efficiency and environmentally friendly nature. Proton exchange/Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) plays a vital role in the PEMFCs. Currently, PEM like Nafion and Flemions are widely used in PEMFC, which have certain drawbacks such as fuel cross-over through the membrane, low operating temperature, and high cost. The researchers from several laboratories across the globe have put their extreme effort into preparing a novel polymer electrolyte membrane with high proton conductivity, better long-term stability, improved thermal stability, high peak power density (PPD), and less fuel crossover with minimum cost. The advent of nanotechnology has brought a new scope to this research area. The hybrid (organic polymer with inorganic nanoparticle) nanocomposite membrane has developed into an exciting alternative to the conventional polymer membrane applications. It provides an exclusive blend of inorganic and organic properties and helps to overcome the drawbacks of align="center"pristine polymer membranes. In this book chapter, we have focused on different nanomaterials and their effect is analyzed in polymer electrolyte nanocomposite membranes for PEMFC applications.
Yung-Neng Cheng, Shih-Wei Cheng, Ruey-Yi Lee
Journal of Fuel Cell Science and Technology · 2014
A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), which is a kind of fuel cell (FC) converting chemical energy into electricity directly without mechanical parts, has potential for the clean and efficient power generation from a wide variety of fuels ranging from hydrocarbons to renewables and coal-derived fuels. The Institute of Nuclear Energy Research has been committed to developing the SOFC technology since 2003 and the cell test is one of the working items in the project. Cells are the most important components in an SOFC stack, which are responsible for the electrical output functioning, as the heart in the human body, to the stack. Before stacking, it is essential to examine and evaluate the electrical performance of the cells that could be used in our stacks. There are two commercial cells tested in this paper. For both cell A, an anode supported cell, and cell B, an electrolyte supported cell, the cells with a lower open circuit voltage at a higher operating temperature are contributed by the Nernst equation. The I-V curve for a lower operating temperature with a steeper slope at the low current zone is credited to the increase of activation polarization from the triple phase boundary. Comparison between cell A and cell B, the electrical performance of cell A is better than that of cell B due to cell A possessing a lower total resistance at the same operating temperature.
Zina Belkhiri, Mostefa Zeroual, Hocine Ben Moussa et al.
Journal of Renewable Energies · 2023
A fuel cell is a promising energy conversion system that will eventually become the first-choice for producing power because of its clean or zero-emission nature. A steady-state, two-dimensional mathematical model with a complete set of governing equations valid in different components of a PEM fuel cell was developed to illustrate the temperature and water content effects on proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell performance. This model considers the transport of species and water along the porous media: gas diffusion layers (GDL) anode and cathode, and the membrane of PEMFC fuel cell. To improve the kinetics of electrochemical reactions at the electrodes and thus reduce the activation overvoltage: increase the gas diffusion electrodes reduce the drop ohmic, especially in the proton conductive membrane through an increase in ionic conductivity. The electrochemical performance of a fuel cell will be strongly depend temperature and water content.