Optimizing High-Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells Through Advanced Characterization and Modeling
Key Ideas
- High-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) offer advantages over low-temperature PEMFCs by eliminating water management issues and reducing hydrogen purity requirements.
- Challenges such as phosphoric acid leaching in HT-PEMFCs affect the three-phase boundary, impacting mass transfer and cell degradation.
- Research focuses on membrane development, with polybenzimidazole (PBI) modifications showing promise but durability concerns persist.
- Utilizing X-ray micro-computed tomography (µ-CT) for multi-physics simulations can provide insights into MEA structures and electrochemical processes for optimization.
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are influenced by the migration and distribution of different phases, impacting performance and durability. While low-temperature PEMFCs face challenges with water management, high-temperature PEMFCs (HT-PEMFCs) operating above 100°C eliminate these issues. However, HT-PEMFCs using phosphoric acid (PA) membranes encounter problems like leaching, affecting the three-phase boundary and cell degradation. Researchers are exploring membrane developments, particularly focusing on polybenzimidazole (PBI) modifications to enhance performance. Despite achieving peak power densities, concerns about durability remain. Advanced tools like X-ray micro-computed tomography (µ-CT) coupled with image-based modeling offer a promising approach to visualize and optimize electrochemical processes within the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of fuel cells. By combining advanced characterization techniques with modeling, researchers aim to gain a deeper understanding of MEA structures and improve the performance and durability of HT-PEMFCs.