Kumar, A.; Schechter, A.; Avrahami, I. Dynamics Management of Intermediate Water Storage in an Air-Breathing Single-Cell Membrane Electrode Assembly. Membranes2024, 14, 4.
Kumar, A.; Schechter, A.; Avrahami, I. Dynamics Management of Intermediate Water Storage in an Air-Breathing Single-Cell Membrane Electrode Assembly. Membranes 2024, 14, 4.
Kumar, A.; Schechter, A.; Avrahami, I. Dynamics Management of Intermediate Water Storage in an Air-Breathing Single-Cell Membrane Electrode Assembly. Membranes2024, 14, 4.
Kumar, A.; Schechter, A.; Avrahami, I. Dynamics Management of Intermediate Water Storage in an Air-Breathing Single-Cell Membrane Electrode Assembly. Membranes 2024, 14, 4.
Abstract
In air-breathing proton exchange membrane fuel cells (Air PEM FCs), high rate of water evaporation from the cathode might influence the resistance of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), which is highly dependent on the water content of the Nafion membrane. We propose a dead-end hydrogen anode as a means of intermediate storage of water/humidity for self-humidification of the membrane. Such inflatable bag integrated with the PEM FC has a potential in blimp applications for anode self-humidification. A dynamic numerical water balance model, validated by experimental measurements, is derived to predict the effect of MEA configuration, membrane’s hydration state, and water transfer rate at the anode on MEA resistance and performance. The experimental setup included humidity measurements, polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests to quantify the effect of membrane hydration on its resistance in a lightweight MEA integrated with an inflatable dead-end hydrogen storage bag. Varying current density (20 mA, 40 mA and 60 mA) and cathode humidity (20, 50 and 80%) were examined and compared with the numerical results. The validated model predicts that the hydration state of the membrane and water transfer rate at the anode can be increased by using a thin membrane and thicker gas diffusion layer.
Keywords
hydrogen fuel cell; proton exchange membrane; humidity; water content; inflatable hydrogen storage system; anode self-humidification; water storage
Subject
Engineering, Energy and Fuel Technology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
