Stainless steel wire mesh flow-fields for polymer electrolyte fuel cells

The high cost of fuel cells has delayed their potential widespread use. Stack manufacturers have historically used high-Pt loading membrane/electrode assemblies (MEAs) and intricately machined graphite bipolar plates. We have focused our efforts on decreasing the cost of these components in order to demonstrate an inexpensive, yet high performance PEM fuel cell. This paper describes the design and demonstration of a 100 cm{sup 2} (active area) cell that utilizes ultra-low Pt loading MEAs and inexpensive stainless steel wire screen flow fields

Stationary power applications for polymer electrolyte fuel cells

The benefits provided by Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells (PEFC) for power generation (e.g. low operating temperatures, and non-corrosive and stable electrolyte), as well as advances in recent years in lowering their cost and improving anode poisoning tolerance, are stimulating interest in the system for stationary power applications. A significant market potentially exists for PEFCs in certain stationary applications where PEFC technology is a more attractive alternative to other fuel cell technologies. A difficulty with the PEFC is its operation on reformed fuels containing CO, which poisons the anode catalyst. This difficulty can be alleviated in several ways. One possible approach is described whereby the product reformate is purified using a relatively low cost, high-throughput hydrogen permselective separator. Preliminary experiments demonstrate the utility of the concept

Air-breathing fuel cell stacks for portable power applications

Increasing attention is being directed towards polymer electrolyte fuel cells as battery replacements because of their potentially superior energy densities and the possibility of `mechanical` refueling. On the low end of the power requirement scale (ca. 10 W), fuel cells can compete with primary and secondary batteries only if the fuel cell systems are simple, inexpensive, and reliable. Considerations of cost and simplicity (and minimal parasitic power) discourage the use of conventional performance enhancing subsystems (e.g., humidification, cooling, or forced-reactant flow). We are developing a stack design that is inherently self-regulating to allow effective operation without the benefit of such auxiliary components. The air cathode does not use forced flow to replenish the depleted oxygen. Instead, the oxygen in the air must diffuse into the stack from the periphery of the unit cells. For this reason the stack is described as `air-breathing.` This configuration limits the ability of water to escape which prevents the polymer electrolyte membranes from drying out, even at relatively high continuous operation temperatures (+60 degrees C). This results in stacks with reliable and stable performance. This air-breathing configuration assumes a unique stack geometry that utilizes circular flow-field plates with an annular hydrogen feed manifold and the single tie-bolt extending up through the central axis of the stack. With this geometry, the hydrogen supply to the unit cells is radially outward, and the air supply is from the periphery inward. This configuration has several advantages. The entire periphery is free to air access and allows greater heat conduction to enhance cooling. Furthermore, all of the components in the stack (e.g., the flow-fields, seals and membrane/electrode assemblies), are radially symmetrical, so part fabrication is simple and the entire system is potentially low-cost. Lastly, this configuration is compact and lightweight

Polymer electrolyte direct methanol fuel cells: an option for transportation applications

PEFCs most frequently considered for electric vehicles have been based on either hydrogen carried aboard, or steam-reforming of methanol on board to produce H2 + CO2. Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), which use a liquid methanol fuel feed, completely avoid the complexity and weight penalties of the reformer, but have not been considered a serious option until recently, because of much lower power densities. Recent advances in DMFCs have been dramatic, however, with the DMFC reaching power densities which are significant fractions of those provided by reformate/air fuel cells. Use of established Pt-Ru anode electrocatalysts and Pt cathode electrocatalysts in polymer electrolyte DMFCs has resulted in enhanced DMFC performance, particularly when operated above 100 C and when catalyst layer composition and structure are optimized. The higher DMFC power densities recently achieved provide a new basis for considering DMFCs for transportation applications

Lattice Matched Carbide–Phosphide Composites with Superior Electrocatalytic Activity and Stability

Composites of electrocatalytically active transition-metal compounds present an intriguing opportunity toward enhanced activity and stability. To identify potentially scalable pairs of a catalytically active family of compounds, we demonstrate that phosphides of iron, nickel, and cobalt can be deposited on molybdenum carbide to generate nanocrystalline heterostructures. Composites synthesized via solvothermal decomposition of metal acetylacetonate salts in the presence of highly dispersed carbide nanoparticles show hydrogen evolution activities comparable to those of state-of-the-art non-noble metal catalysts. Investigation of the spent catalyst using high resolution microscopy and elemental analysis reveals that formation of carbide−phosphide composite prevents catalyst dissolution in acid electrolyte. Lattice mismatch between the two constituent electrocatalysts can be used to rationally improve electrochemical stability. Among the composites of iron, nickel, and cobalt phosphide, iron phosphide displays the lowest degree of lattice mismatch with molybdenum carbide and shows optimal electrochemical stability. Turnover rates of the composites are higher than that of the carbide substrate and compare favorably to other electrocatalysts based on earth-abundant elements. Our findings will inspire further investigation into composite nanocrystalline electrocatalysts that use molybdenum carbide as a stable catalyst support

Influence of the Water Content on the Diffusion Coefficients of Li⁺ and Water across Naphthalenic Based Copolyimide Cation-Exchange Membranes

The transport of lithium ions in cation-exchange membranes based on sulfonated copolyimide membranes is reported. Diffusion coefficients of lithium are estimated as a function of the water content in membranes by using pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR and electrical conductivity techniques. It is found that the lithium transport slightly decreases with the diminution of water for membranes with water content lying in the range 14 < λ < 26.5, where λ is the number of molecules of water per fixed sulfonate group. For λ < 14, the value of the diffusion coefficient of lithium experiences a sharp decay with the reduction of water in the membranes. The dependence of the diffusion of lithium on the humidity of the membranes calculated from conductivity data using Nernst–Planck type equations follows a trend similar to that observed by NMR. The possible explanation of the fact that the Haven ratio is higher than the unit is discussed. The diffusion of water estimated by 1H PFG-NMR in membranes neutralized with lithium decreases as λ decreases, but the drop is sharper in the region where the decrease of the diffusion of protons of water also undergoes considerable reduction. The diffusion of lithium ions computed by full molecular dynamics is similar to that estimated by NMR. However, for membranes with medium and low concentration of water, steady state conditions are not reached in the computations and the diffusion coefficients obtained by MD simulation techniques are overestimated. The curves depicting the variation of the diffusion coefficient of water estimated by NMR and full dynamics follow parallel trends, though the values of the diffusion coefficient in the latter case are somewhat higher. The WAXS diffractograms of fully hydrated membranes exhibit the ionomer peak at q = 2.8 nm⁻1, the peak being shifted to higher q as the water content of the membranes decreases. The diffractograms present additional peaks at higher q, common to wet and dry membranes, but the peaks are better resolved in the wet membranes. The ionomer peak is not detected in the diffractograms of dry membranes.The authors acknowledge financial support provided by the DGICYT (Dirección General de Investigación Cientifíca y Tecnológica) through Grant MAT2011-29174-C02-02

Ionic conductivity of an extruded Nafion 1100 EW series of membranes

The proton conductivity of a series of extruded Nafion membranes @of equivalent weight ~EW! of 1100 and nominal dry thickness of 51, 89, 127, and 178 mm# has been studied. Measurements were made in 1 M H2SO4 at 298 K using a four-electrode, dc technique. The membrane area resistance increases with thickness, as expected, from 0.07 to 0.16 V cm2 for Nafion 112 and Nafion 117, respectively. However, in contrast to the published literature, after correcting for the membrane thickness, the conductivity of the membranes decreases with decreasing membrane thickness. For example, values of 0.083 and 0.16 S cm21 were obtained for Nafion 112 and 117 membranes, respectively. In situ current-interrupt measurements in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell confirmed the relatively poor conductivity of the membrane electrode assemblies ~MEAs! based on the thinner membranes. While a high contact resistance to the electrodes may have contributed to the in situ MEA resistance, water balance measurements over the MEA showed that the high resistance was not due to a low water content or to an uneven water distribution in the MEAs. The implications of the findings for the understanding of the membrane properties are discussed

Electrochemical treatment of mixed (hazardous and radioactive) wastes

Electrochemical treatment technologies for mixed hazardous waste are currently under development at Los Alamos National Laboratory. For a mixed waste containing toxic components such as heavy metals and cyanides in addition to a radioactive component, the toxic components can be removed or destroyed by electrochemical technologies allowing for recovery of the radioactive component prior to disposal of the solution. Mixed wastes with an organic component can be treated by oxidizing the organic compound to carbon dioxide and then recovering the radioactive component. The oxidation can be done directly at the anode or indirectly using an electron transfer mediator. This work describes the destruction of isopropanol, acetone and acetic acid at greater than 90% current efficiency using cobalt +3 or silver +2 as the electron transfer mediator. Also described is the destruction of cellulose based cheesecloth rags with electrochemically generated cobalt +3, at an overall efficiency of approximately 20%

Corrosion Testing of Stainless Steel Fuel Cell Hardware

Metal hardware is gaining increasing interest in polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) development as a possible alternative to machined graphite hardware because of its potential for low-cost manufacturing combined with its intrinsic high conductivity, minimal permeability and advantageous mechanical properties. A major barrier to more widespread use of metal hardware has been the susceptibility of various metals to corrosion. Few pure metals can withstand the relatively aggressive environment of a fuel cell and thus the choices for hardware are quite limited. Precious metals such as platinum or gold are prohibitively expensive and so tend to be utilized as coatings on inexpensive substrates such as aluminum or stainless steel. The main challenge with coatings has been to achieve pin-hole free surfaces that will remain so after years of use. Titanium has been used to some extent and though it is very corrosion-resistant, it is also relatively expensive and often still requires some manner of surface coating to prevent the formation of a poorly conducting oxide layer. In contrast, metal alloys may hold promise as potentially low-cost, corrosion-resistant materials for bipolar plates. The dozens of commercially available stainless steel and nickel based alloys have been specifically formulated to offer a particular advantage depending upon their application. In the case of austenitic stainless steels, for example, 316 SS contains molybdenum and a higher chromium content than its more common counterpart, 304 SS, that makes it more noble and increases its corrosion resistance. Likewise, 316L SS contains less carbon than 316 SS to make it easier to weld. A number of promising corrosion-resistant, highly noble alloys such as Hastelloy{trademark} or Duplex{trademark} (a stainless steel developed for seawater service) are available commercially, but are expensive and difficult to obtain in various forms (i.e. wire screen, foil, etc.) or in small amounts for R and D purposes