Wannek, C.

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High-Temperature PEM Fuel Cells: Electrolytes, Cells and Stacks

High-Temperature PEM Fuel Cells: Electrolysis, Cells, and Stacks

High-Temperature PEM Fuel Cells: Electrolytes, Cells, andStacksC. WannekThis document appeared inDetlef Stolten, Thomas Grube (Eds.):18th World Hydrogen Energy Conference 2010 - WHEC 2010Parallel Sessions Book 1: Fuel Cell Basics / Fuel InfrastructuresProceedings of the WHEC, May 16.-21. 2010, EssenSchriften des Forschungszentrums Jülich / Energy & Environment, Vol. 78-1Institute of Energy Research - Fuel Cells (IEF-3)Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Zentralbibliothek, Verlag, 2010ISBN: 978-3-89336-651-4High-Temperature PEM Fuel Cells:  Electrolytes, Cells, and Stacks Christoph Wannek Abstract Although today, most of the technical requirements which are considered to be relevant before classical (Nafion®-based) low temperature polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells can compete successfully with existing technologies on the market place are already met, at least on the laboratory scale, there are important research efforts to design cells with an operating temperature well above today’s 80 °C. Basically, such high-temperature PEM fuel cells could benefit from accelerated electrode kinetics, a simplified system design and a higher tolerance towards impurities in the hydrogen fuel. This paper reviews the stateof-the-art in basic science and industrial development of membranes, electrodes and stacks and points out the main challenges for future development. It first describes various approaches to increase the operating temperature of classical membrane materials up to 120_C, before it focuses on the development of phosphoric acid-doped polybenzimidazoles-type membrane cells that operate at 160–180_C. As the technology readiness levels of alternative electrolytes such as phosphonic acids, ionic liquids, acidic salts and mixed oxides are still very low, they will be described only very briefly.   Copyright Stolten, D. (Ed.): Hydrogen and Fuel Cells - Fundamentals, Technologies and Applications. Chapter 2. 2010. Copyright Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. Reproduced with permission. Proceedings WHEC2010 97