• Membrane Journal
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.389-398
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• 2017

The most important characteristic of the polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) for fuel cells, the proton conducting ability is mainly influenced by the distribution and morphology of the water channels inside the PEMs. Non-perfluorinated hydrocarbon PEMs are known to have weaker water channels than perfluorinated PEM, Nafion, and thus relatively low proton conducting ability. In this study, we used a mesoscale simulation technique to observe the water channel formation and phase separation behavior of hydrocarbon PEM, sulfonated polyimides, under the humidification condition. It was observed that the water molecules were distributed evenly through the entire hydrophilic region, and clear water clusters were formed only in the sulfonated polyimide having high sulfonation degree. In addition, it was observed that sulfonated polyimides have a difficulty in forming water channel under the low hydrated condition. These results clearly support the theories of the formation of water channels in non-perfluorinated hydrocarbon PEMs, and also well explain the tendency of proton conducting abilities of sulfonated polyimides. Thus, it is confirmed that mesoscale simulation techniques can be very effective in analyzing phase separation behavior and water channel formation in PEMs for fuel cells and elucidating the ion conducting abilities.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.84-91
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• 2002

This paper analyzes the subsurface stress at the spherical contact using Hamilton equation, and with that data, calculates the fatigue limit under the variations of friction coefficient using fatigue theory. After rough surface being made, this paper figures out the random load generated by contacting to the rough surface, analyzes the stress of its subsurface, and calculates the fatigue limit of the rough surface using fatigue theory. The three parts of the fatigue theory are applied, which are critical plane theory, stress invariant theory and mesoscopic theory.