• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.478-482
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• 2017

Humidity control of proton exchange membrane fuel cell(PEMFC) is very important control condition during driving. In terms of water management, low humidification conditions are advantageous, and high humidification is advantageous in terms of drainage utilization and energy efficiency. In this study, the characteristics of outlet water in low humidification and high humidification process were studied in terms of utilization of discharged water. Since the impurities in the effluent are generated during the degradation of the membrane and the electrode assembly(MEA), degradation of the MEA under low humidification and high humidification conditions was also studied. The rate of radical generation was high at low humidification condition of the anode RH 0%, which showed that it was the main cause of the degradation of the polymer membrane. Analysis of effluent showed low concentration of fluoride ion concentration of about 20 ppb at high humidification (both electrodes RH 100%) and 0.6 V, which was enough to be used as the feed water for electrolysis. Very low concentration of platinum below 0.2 ppb was detected in the condensate discharged from the high humidification condition.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.531-538
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• 2019

As the performance of PEMFC has been improved, the water and heat generated by reaction have increased so, the water and heat management of PEMFC is becoming more important. In this study, hydrogen recirculation was applied as the water management technique and the effect of recirculation flow rate, purge interval and duration on the performance of PEMFC was investigated. Anode pressure, fuel humidity and utilization, water discharge amount was measured to check the effect of purge conditions on performance. As the recirculation flow rate has increased, the performance of PEMFC became lower due to decrease of anode outlet pressure. According to the purge conditions, instantaneous voltage drop has occurred because of accumulated water. In frequent purge conditions, the performance of PEMFC gradually decreased due to fuel humidity control failure. Stable performance and high fuel utilization was achieved on this work by analyzing the effect of purge conditions.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.155-162
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• 2016

A proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) produces only water at cathode by an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. The generated water is transported across the membrane from the cathode to the anode. The transported water collected in water-trap and drained to the cathode within the humidifier outlet. If the condensate water is not being drained at the appropriate time, condensate water in the anode can cause the performance degradation or fuel efficiency degradation of fuel cell by the anode flooding or unnecessary hydrogen discharge. In this study, we proposed an optimization method of condensate water drain logic for the water drain performance and the water drain algorithm as considered the condensate water generating speed prep emergency case. In conclusion, we developed the water management strategy of fuel processing system (FPS) as securing fuel efficiency and operating stability.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.27-34
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• 2023

Using ammonia as fuel for solid oxide fuel (SOFC) cells has become an attractive topic nowadays due to its high efficiency, environmental friendliness, and ease of storage and transportation. Several configurations of ammonia-fed SOFC systems have been proposed and investigated, demonstrating high electrical efficiency. However, to further enhance efficiency, it is crucial to understand the inefficient components of the system. The exergy concept is well-suited for this purpose, making exergetic analysis essential for ammonia-fed SOFC systems. This study conducts an exergetic analysis for three selected systems: a simple fuel cell system (FC), an anode off-gas recirculation system (RC-FC), and a recirculation system with water removal (RC-WR-FC). The results reveal that the exergetic efficiencies of the FC, RC-FC, and RC-WR-FC are 48.7%, 51.6%, and 58.4%, respectively. In all three systems, the SOFC stack is the main source of exergy destruction. However, other components with relatively low exergetic efficiency, such as the burner, air heat exchanger, and cooler/condenser, offer greater opportunities for improvement.