Abstract
The shorting resistance (SR) of the PEMFC(Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell) polymer membrane is an important indicator of the durability of the membrane. When SR decreases, shorting current (SC) increases, reducing durability and performance. When SR becomes less than about 0.1 kΩ·㎠, shorting occurs, the temperature rises rapidly, and MEA(Membrane Electrode Assembly) is burned to end stack operation. In order to prevent shorting, we need to control the SR, so the conditions affecting the SR were studied. There were differences in the SR measurement methods, and the SR measurement method, which improved the DOE(Department of Energy) and NEDO(New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) method, was presented. It was confirmed that the SR decreases as the relative humidity, temperature and cell compression pressure increase. In the final stage of the accelerated durability evaluation process of the polymer membrane, SR rapidly decreased to less than 0.1 kΩ·㎠, and the hydrogen permeability became higher than 15 mA/㎠. After dismantling the MEA, SEM(Scanning Electron Microscope) analysis showed that a lot of platinum was distributed inside the membrane.
PEMFC(Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell) 고분자 막의 shorting 저항(Shorting Resistance, SR)은 고분자 막의 내구성에 관한 중요한 지표다. SR이 감소하면 shorting 전류(Shorting Current, SC)가 증가하여 내구성과 성능이 감소하고, SR이 약 0.1 kΩ·㎠ 이하가 되면 shorting이 발생하여 온도가 급상승하고 MEA(Membrane Electrode Assembly)를 연소시켜 스택 구동이 종료된다. Shorting 현상을 방지하기 위해서는 SR을 제어해야 하므로 SR에 영향을 주는 조건들에 대해서 연구하였다. SR 측정방법들에서도 차이가 있어서 DOE(Department of Energy)와 NEDO(New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) 방법을 개선한 SR 측정법을 제시하였다. 상대습도와 온도, 셀 체결 압이 상승하면 SR이 감소함을 확인하였다. 고분자 막의 가속내구 평가과정에서 마지막 단계에서 SR이 0.1 kΩ·㎠ 이하로 급감해 수소투과전류밀도가 15 mA/㎠ 이상이 되었고, 이 MEA를 해체 후 SEM(Scanning Electron Microscope) 분석한 결과 고분자 막 내부에 백금이 많이 분포함을 보였다.