• Clean Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.61-68
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• 2008

There have been great attentions on polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) due to their advantageous characteristics such as zero emission of hazardous pollutant and high energy density. In this work, we evaluated degradation phenomena and stability of single cell performance via one dimensional single cell modeling. Here, CO poisoning on anode on anode was considered for cell performance degradation. Modeling results showed that the performance and stability were highly degraded with CO concentration in fuel gas. In addition, cell performance was reduced by slow oxygen reduction on cathode in long term operation. In order to overcome, it is required to increase ratio o#hydrogen in the fuel gas of anode and high Pt loading contained in the cathodic catalyst layer.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 2020

The intermittent characteristics of renewable energy complicates the process of balancing supply with demand. Electrolysis technology can provide flexibility to grid management by converting electricity to hydrogen. Alkaline electrolysis has been recognized as established technology and utilized in industry for over 100 years. However, high overpotential of oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline water electrolysis reduces the overall efficiency and therefore requires the development of anode catalyst. In this study, Raney Ni-Zn-Fe electrode was prepared by electroplating and the electrode characteristics was studied by varying electroplating parameters like electrodeposition time, current density and substrate. The prepared Raney Ni-Zn-Fe electrode was electrochemically evaluated using linear sweep voltammetry. Physical and chemical analysis were conducted by scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectrometer, and X-ray diffraction. The plating time did not changed the morphology and composition of the electrode surface and showed a little effect on overpotential reduction. As the plating current density increased, Fe content on the surface increased and cauliflower-like structure appeared on the electrode surface. In particular, the overpotential of the electrode, which was prepared at the plating current density of 320 mA/㎠, has showed the lowest value of 268 mV at 50 mA/㎠. There was no distinguishable overpotential difference between the type of substrate for the electrodes prepared at 80 mA/㎠.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.95-105
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• 2015

In the present work, Carbon supported Pt₁₀₀, Pt₈₀Sn₂₀, Pt₈₀Ni₂₀ and Pt₈₀Sn₁₀Ni₁₀ electrocatalysts with different atomic ratios were prepared by ethylene glycol-reduction method to study the electro-oxidation of ethanol in membraneless fuel cell. The electrocatalysts were characterized in terms of structure, morphology and composition by using XRD, TEM and EDX techniques. Transmission electron microscopy measurements revealed a decrease in the mean particle size of the catalysts for the ternary compositions. The electrocatalytic activities of Pt₁₀₀/C, Pt₈₀Sn₂₀/C, Pt₈₀Ni₂₀/C and Pt₈₀Sn₁₀Ni₁₀/C catalysts for ethanol oxidation in an acid medium were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA). The electrochemical results showed that addition of Ni to Pt/C and Pt-Sn/C catalysts significantly shifted the onset of ethanol and CO oxidations toward lower potentials. The single membraneless ethanol fuel cell performances of the Pt₈₀Sn₁₀Ni₁₀/C, Pt₈₀Sn₂₀/C and Pt₈₀Ni₂₀/C anode catalysts were evaluated at room temperature. Among the catalysts investigated, the power density obtained for Pt₈₀Sn₁₀Ni₁₀/C (37.77 mW/cm² ) catalyst was higher than that of Pt₈₀Sn₂₀/C (22.89 mW/cm² ) and Pt₈₀Ni₂₀/C (16.77 mW/ cm² ), using 1.0 M ethanol + 0.5 M H₂SO₄ as anode feed and 0.1 M sodium percarbonate + 0.5 M H₂SO₄ as cathode feed.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.141-145
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• 2007

Due to their excellent catalytic activity with respect to methanol oxidation on platinum at low temperature, platinum nanosized catalysts have been a topic of great interest for use in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Since pure platinum is readily poisoned by CO, a by-product of methanol electrooxidation, and is extremely expensive, a number of efforts to design and characterize Pt-based alloy nanosized catalysts or Pt nanophase-support composites have been attempted in order to reduce or relieve the CO poisoning effect. In this review paper, we summarize these efforts based upon our recent research results. The Pt-based nanocatalysts were designed by chemical synthesis and thin-film technology, and were characterized by a variety of analyses. According to bifunctional mechanism, it was concluded that good alloy formation with $2^{nd}$ metal (e.g., Ru) as well as the metallic state and optimum portion of Ru element in the anode catalyst contribute to an enhanced catalytic activity for methanol electrooxidation. In addition, we found that the modified electronic properties of platinum in Pt alloy electrodes as well as the surface and bulk structure of Pt alloys with a proper composition could be attributed to a higher catalytic activity for methanol electooxdation. Proton conducting contribution of nanosized electrocatalysts should also be considered to be excellent in methanol electrooxidation (Spillover effect). Finally, we confirmed the ensemble effect, which combined all above effects, in Pt-based nanocatalsyts especially, such as PtRuRhNi and $PtRuWO_{3}$, contribute to an enhanced catalytic activity.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.6-11
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• 2005

Direct borohydrides fuel cell (DBFC) was emerged to complement the problem of DMFC's low performance and methanol crossover to the cathode and to apply the fuel cell to portable and mobile devices. In this study, the characteristics of novel catalysts was tested to establish the electrode preparation process of DBFC. Pt black and carbon supported-Pt by paste method were used as the cathode catalysts. Pt black, carbon supported-Au and $AB_5$ alloy were used as the anode catalysts. The characteristics of the electrodes were analyzed by XRD, SEM, EDS. The performance test of single cell using the electrodes were carried out in order to evaluate the electrode performance. In the result, the maximum power output was obtained as 366 mW/mg when using Pt/C as anode and cathode catalysts.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.915-921
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• 2008

In most PEM fuel cell research, effects of cell geometry, physical properties of component such as membrane, carbon cloth, catalyst, etc. and water transport phenomena are key issues. The scope of these research was limited to single cell and stack except BOP(Balance of plant) of fuel cell. The research fouced on the fuel cell system usually neglect to consider detailed transport phenomena in the cell. The research of the fuel cell system was interested in a system performance and system dynamics. In this paper, the effect of the anode recirculation is calculated using the 2D steady-state model. For this work, 2D steady-state modeling and experiments are performed. For convenience of modifying of model equation, not commercial pakage but the in-house algorithm was used in simulation. For an vehicle industry, the analysis of the anode recirculation system helps the optimization of operating condition of the fuel cell.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.345-350
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• 2007

During PEMFC operation, OCV(open circuit voltage) and low humidity conditions accelerate the degradation of perfluorosulfonic acid membrane. There have been no studies that clearly explain why these conditions accelerate the membrane degradation. In this study, the hydrogen permeability through the membrane, I-V polarization of MEA, fluoride emission rate(FER) and $H_2O_2$ concentration in condensed water were measured during cell operation under OCV and low relative humidity(RH). The experimental results were evaluated with oxygen radical mechanism the most commonly known for membrane degradation. It seems that low RH of anode is a good condition for $H{\cdot}$ radical formation on the Pt catalyst and the OCV condition accelerate the $H{\cdot}$ to form $HO_2{\cdot}$ radical attacking the polymer membrane.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.118-123
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• 2006

Degradation of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) that is facilitated by on/off cycles is one of the most important issues for commercialization of fuel cell vehicles. When a PEMFC stack is shut down, residual hydrogen and induce high voltage equivalent to open circuit voltage to the cathode side that might cause sintering of Pt catalyst and facilitate formation of hydrogen peroxide at the anode side that might decompose $Nafionc\'{A}$ membrane. In this study, degradation of PEMFC exposed to repetitive on/off cycles was investigated by measuring i-V characteristics, ac impedance, cyclic voltammograms, gas leak, cross-sectional SEM images, and TEM images. To prevent degradation of PEMFC caused by the residual gases, hydrogen was removed from anode gas channel by gas-purging and by using a dummy resistance, that were found to be a very effective method.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.308-320
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• 2022

The high internal resistance (R_int) that develops across the sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFC) limits their power production (~4/10 mW m^-2) that can be recovered from an initial oil-contaminated sediment (OCS). In the anolyte, R_int is related to poor biodegradation activity, quality and quantity of contaminant content in the sediment and anode material. While on the catholyte, R_int depends on the properties of the catholyte, the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and the cathode material. In this work, the main factors limiting the power output of the SMFC have been minimized. The power output of the SMFC was increased (47 times from its initial value, ~4 mW m^-2) minimizing the SMFC R_int (28 times from its initial value, 5000 ohms), following the main modifications. Anolyte: the initial OCS was amended with several amounts of gasoline and kerosene. The best anaerobic microbial activity of indigenous populations was better adapted (without more culture media) to 3 g of kerosene. Catholyte: ORR was catalyzed in birnessite/carbon fabric (CF)-cathode at pH 2, 0.8M Na₂SO₄. At the class level, the main microbial groups (Gammaproteobacteria, Coriobacteriia, Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria) with electroactive members were found at C-anode and were associated with the high-power densities obtained. Gasoline is more difficult to biodegrade than kerosene. However, in both cases, SMFC biodegradation activity and power output are increased when ORR is performed on birnessite/CF in 0.8 M Na₂SO₄ at pH 2. The work discussed here can focus on bioremediation (in heavy OCS) or energy production in future work.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.659-666
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• 2019

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) generate electricity by electrochemical reactions of hydrogen and oxygen. PEMFCs are expected to alternate electric power generator using fossil fuels with various advantages of high power density, low operating temperature, and environmental-friendly products. PEMFCs have widely been used in a number of applications such as fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) and stationary fuel cell systems. However, there are remaining technical issues, particularly the long-term durability of each part of fuel cells. Degradation of a carbon supported-platinum catalyst in the anode and cathode follows various mechanistic origins in different fuel cell operating conditions, and thus accelerated stress test (AST) is suggested to evaluate the durability of electrocatalyst. In this article, comparable protocols of the AST durability test are intensively explained.