Extraction of the energy

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

PEMFC
Electrolyte

(½O2 + 2e- → O2-)

Electrode

Electrode
H2 → 2H+ + 2e- H+ →
Jens Oluf Jensen ½O2 + 2H+ + 2e-
→ H2O
Energy and Materials Science Group, Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, Negative electrode Positive electrode
Kemitorvet 207, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark Anode Cathode
Summer School on Materials for the Hydrogen Society, Reykjavik, June 19.-23. in 2008 (oxidation) (reduction)

Building up a MEA Polymer fuel cell (PEMFC)

Anode Cathode: Pt on carbon

(H2, negative)
½O2 + 2H+ + 2e- → H2O

Proton conducting
membrane Electrolyte: H+ conducting polymer
Perfluorosulphonic acid (e.g Nafion)
Cathode
(O2, positive) Anode: Pt on carbon
H2 → 2H+ 2e-
MEA = Membrane Electrode Assembly

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Single cell Electrode structure
Micro-
Channel plate
Channel plate Electrode substrate porous Catalyst
Rip layer layer Electrolyte

Diffusion layer Electrons,

Catalyst layer Heat
Electrolyte

Ions

Gas

Gas diffusion layer (GDL)

An MEA Single cell

e
lat
lp
ne +)
an e(
Ch thod lyte
Ca ctr
o
(-) lat
e
Ele ode el p
An ann
C

2
 Stacking Transport paths
Electrons and heat Reactants and products

Bipolar
plate

Diffusion layer
Catalyst layer
Electrolyte

-
+

Channel plates (bipolar plates) Polymer fuel cell (PEMFC)

Nexa from Ballard
1200 W

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Polymer fuel cell (PEMFC) GM/Opel Fuel Cell Marathon

2004, 10 000 km
HydroGen3 (Opel Zafira)

260 kW PEMFC with 205 kW motor, Ballard

http://www.gmeurope.com/marathon/

Polymer fuel cell (PEMFC) Polymer fuel cell (PEMFC)

Reykjavik German submarine U - 212

Siemens PEM fuel cell
GfE metal hydride storage tank

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 Polymer fuel cell (PEMFC) Polymer fuel cell (PEMFC)
Advantages:
• Compact construction
2kW 6kW • Large current density
CHP CHP • Solid electrolyte
• Low working temperature
• Fast start-up

Disadvantages:
• Water management
• Noble metal catalyst
From • CO sensitive (must be < 20 ppm)
IRD Fuel Cells
• Cooling issues

Perfluorosulfonic acid polymers (Nafion®) Proton conduction

Vehicle mechanism
Nearly all PEMFC’s Proton carried by water as H3O+, H5O2+ etc
based on
PFSA polymers
(perfluorosulphonic acid)
Teflon
Grotthus mechanism
Proton jumping from H3O+ to H2O
(Then another H+ can take the next jump)

PFSA
Developed (Nafion)
by DuPont

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 Water drag Cooling in cars

Anode Membrane Cathode

e- e-
H2O
H2O

H2 H7O3+ O2

From DaimlerChrysler
Conductivity depends strongly on water content
Water management - a technical challenge Water 60-70ºC 90-100ºC
Too little water => drying out, loss of conductivity ΔT(40 ºC) 20-30ºC 50-60ºC
Too much water => condensation, flooding of electrodes Cooling a FC car requires a larger cooling system (radiator)

Reformer / Reformer Brændselscelle / Fuel cell

How can a higher working temperature help ?
El
Nat. Gas,
Methanol
Varme/heat
Advantages:
• Higher CO tolerance H2
H2
• No water management CO2
CO2 Befugtning af
• No liquid water CO
CO-oprensning luften
• Higher value of excess heat til 0,001 %
• Easier cooling Humidification
CO clean-up of the air
to 0,001 %
Luft ind Luft ud
Air in Air out

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 Reformer / Reformer Brændselscelle / Fuel cell
Other attempts
El
Nat. Gas,
Methanol
Varme/heat
Replacement of sulphonic acid
H2 - Phosphonic acid
H2 - Other side chains
CO2
CO2 Befugtning af - Other acceptor/donors
CO luften
CO-oprensning
til 0,001 %
Humidification Replacement of water
CO clean-up of the air -H2SO4
to 0,001 % -H3PO4
-CF3SO3H
Luft ind Luft ud
Air in Air out

Almindelige PEM-celler er baseret

på membraner som Nafion
Ny Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC)
Maksimal temperatur: membran
ca. 80°C af PBI og (A special PEMFC)
phosphorsyre
Conventional PEMFC are based
Maksimal temperatur: Anode: CH3OH + H2O → 6H+ +6e- + CO2
on Membranes like Nafion
ca. 200°C
Maximum temperature Cathode: 1.5O2 + 6H+ + 6e- → 3H2O
ca. 80°C New membrane of PBI and phosphoric
acid
Maximum temperature: ca. 200°C
Nafion
H H Electrolyte: Ion conducting polymer (e.g. Nafion)
N N Catalysts: Noble metals (Pt and Pt alloys)
PBI N
n
N

Poly (2,2´-m-(phenylene)-5,5´-bibenzimidazole)

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 Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) DMFC

Size: < 1W - 1 kW

Applications:
• Portable electronics (laptops, phones, MP3...)
• Small/medium UPS systems
• Remote power

DMFC DMFC

Toshiba
DMFC for
1) a laptop
2) an MP3 player

DMFC
IRD Fuel cells

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 DMFC DMFC

Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) Example System (bus)

Fuel FC el. Power

Advantages: 545 kW 260 kW 213 kW 193 kW 180 kW
• Liquid fuel
• Easy and fast fuelling
Work
• Easy and compact fuel storage 166 kW
30%
Disadvantages:
DC/DC 13 kW

Motor etc. 14 kW
Cooler 20 kW
47 kW
Compr

• Low efficiency
Losses:
285 kW
FC heat

• Fuel crossover
• Expensive catalyst (10xPt amount)
• MeOH poisonous

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 Some of the problems Polymer fuel cell (PEMFC)

• Cost
• Hydrogen storage in vehicles
• Efficient hydrogen production
• Durability of cells
• Noble metals supply
• Infrastructure
• Numerous technical details

From IRD Fuel cells

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