• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.146-152
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• 2016

A combined system with PEMFC and reformer is introduced and optimized for the real use of this kind of system in the future. The hydrogen source to operate the PEMFC system is methanol, which needs two parts of methanol reforming reaction and preferential oxidation (PROX) for the hydrogen fuel process in the combined operation PEMFC system. With the optimized methanol steam reforming condition, we tested PROX reactions in various operation temperature from 170 to 270 ℃ to investigate CO concentration data in the reformed gases. Using these different CO concentration, PEMFC performances are achieved at the combined system. Pt/C and Ru promoted Pt/C were catalysts were used for the anode to compare the stability in CO contained gases. The alloy catalyst of PtRu/C shows higher performance and better resistance to CO than the Pt/C at even high CO amount of 200 ppm, indicating a promotion not only to the activity but also to the CO tolerance. Furthermore, in a system point of view, there is a fluctuation in the PEMFC operation due to the unstable fuel supply. Therefore, we also modified the methanol reforming by a scaled up reactor and pressurization to produce steady operation of PEMFC. The optimized system with the methanol reformer and PEMFC shows a stable performance for a long time, which is providing a valuable data for the PEMFC commercialization.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.432-437
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• 2013

The CO preferential oxidation reaction (PROX) has been done using Cu catalytic active species supported on some of mesoporous silica materials which can facilitate the diffusion of the reactants in order to prevent the poisoning of anode active materials by CO molecules during driving polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEMFC) in this study. As a result when SBA-15 with large pore used as a support showed excellent CO oxidation activity, especially the activity increased in proportion to the amount of supported Cu. Ti components which was inserted to increase the degree of dispersion of Cu, contributed to improving the performance for CO oxidation at low-temperature. The degree of dispersion of Cu ingredients was the best in the catalyst inserted 20 mol-% Ti into the framework of SBA-15, and CO oxidation activity was also improved.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.301-305
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• 2007

The performance of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell could be decreased due to coolant leaked from connection part. Micro pump was used to put small amount of coolant and investigate the effect on fuel cell. The stoichiometric ratio of hydrogen/air was 1.5/2.0, both side of gas was fully humidified, and current density of $400mA/cm^2$ was used as standard condition in this experiment. Constant current method was used to check performance recovery from coolant effect in 3 cell stack. The performance was recovered when coolant was injected in cathode side. On the other hand, the performance was not recovered when coolant was injected in anode side. Ethylene glycol could be converted to CO in oxidation process and cause poisoning effect on platinum catalyst or be adhered on GDL and cause gas diffusion block effect resulting performance decrease. Water with nitrogen gas was supplied in anode side to check performance recovery. Polarization curve, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to check performance, and gas chromatography was used to check coolant concentration. Constant current method was not enough in full recovery of performance. However, water injection method was proved good method in full recovery of performance.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.57-63
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• 2011

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) performance degrades when hydrogen sulfide ($H_2S$) is present in the fuel hydrogen gas; this is referred to as $H_2S$ poisoning. This paper reveals $H_2S$ poisoning on PEMFC by measuring electrical performance of single cell FC under various operating conditions. The severity of $H_2S$ poisoning depended on $H_2S$ concentration under best operating conditions($65^{\circ}C$ of cell temperature and 100% of anode humidification). $H_2S$ adsorption occured on the surface of catalyst layer on MEA, but not on the gas diffusion layer(GDL) by analyzing SEM/EDX data. In addition, MEA poisoning by $H_2S$ was cumulative but reversible. After poisoning for less than 150 min, performance of PEMFC was recovered up to 80% by just inert nitrogen gas purging.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.497-501
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• 2011

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) performance degrade when sulfur dioxide is present in the fuel hydrogen gas, this is referred as $SO_2$ poisoning. This paper reveals $SO_2$ poisoning on PEMFC cathode part by measuring electrical performance of single cell under 1 ppm and 5 ppm on $SO_2$ gas operating. The security of $SO_2$ poisoning depended on $SO_2$ concentration under the best operating conditions($65^{\circ}C$ of cell temperature and 100% of relative humidity between anode and cathode). $SO_2$ adsorption occured on the surface of catalyst layer on membrane electrode assembly (MEA), In addition, MEA poisoning by $SO_2$ was cumulative but reversible. After poisoning within 5 ppm $SO_2$ for 1hr, the electrical performance of PEMFC was found to recover up to about 93% by cyclic voltametry scan.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.129-135
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• 1996

Voltage-current profiles are measured when hydrogen-oxygen gas is in contact with solid polymer membrane ($Nafion^{(R)}$) as the electrolyte. The feed gas is prepared by mixing hydrogen and oxygen gas in various ratios. The carbon gas diffusion electrodes contacting the electrolyte are treated by platinum catalyst. The platinum surface is impregnated with a 5% $Nafion^{(R)}$ solution to ensure its good surface contact with the electrolyte. The constant voltage between anode and cathode was applied by a DC power supply. The results on the profiles show that the energy efficiency critically depends on the hydrogen concentration in $H_2/O_2$ mixture gas.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.157-163
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• 2007

During PEMFC operation, low current and low humidity conditions accelerate the degradation of perfluorosulfonic acid membrane. But, 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) in effluent water were measured during cell operation under low current densities 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 low current condition accelerates the $H{\cdot}$ to form $HO_2{\cdot}$ radical attacking the polymer membrane.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1997.07d
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• pp.1252-1254
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• 1997

Direct methanol fuel cell based on a proton-exchange membrane electrolyte was investigated. 60% Pt-Ru/C and 60%Pt/C catalysts were employed for methanol oxidation and oxygen reduction, respectively. Morphologies of the catalysts were investigated by x-ray power diffraction, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and transmission microscopy. Electrochemical characteristics of the catalysts were tested by using cyclic voltametry technique. I-V characteristics of the fuel cell were tested by changing methanol concentration, temperature, and Nafion type as a proton-exchange membrane electrolyte. AC impedance technique was used to investigate the electrochemical performance of the fuel cell. The performance of single cell was enhance with increasing cell temperature. High operation temperature attributed to the combined effects of the reduction of ohmic resistance and polarization. High cell voltage was obtained from the concentration of 205M methanol. With Nafion 112, a current density of $230mA/cm^2$ at 0.55V was obtained from the concentration of 2.5M methanol.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.503-509
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• 2016

Fuel cell is a device for producing electricity by using the hydrogen produced by the fuel processor. At this time, CO is also created by the fuel processor. The resulting CO enters the stack where is produce electricity and leads to the adsorption of anode catalyst, finally the CO poisoning occurs. Stack which occurred CO poisoning has a reduction in performance and shelf life are gradually fall because they do not respond to hydrogen. In this paper, experiments that using a PROX reactor to prevent CO poisoning were carried out for removing the CO concentration to less than 10ppm range available in the fuel cell. Furthermore experiments by the PROX reaction was designed and manufactured with a water-cooling heat exchange reactor to maintain a suitable temperature control due to the strong exothermic reaction.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2000.02a
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• pp.210-210
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• 2000

Vertically well aligned multi-wall carbon nanotubes (CNT) were grown on nickel coated glass substrates by plasma enhanced hot filament chemical vapor deposition at low temperatures below 600$^{\circ}C$. Acetylene and ammonia gas were used as the carbon source and a catalyst. Effects of growth parameters such as pre-treatment of substrate, plasma intensity, filament current, imput gas flow rate, gas composition, substrate temperature and different substrates on the growth characteristics of CNT were systematically investigated. Figure 1 shows SEM image of CNT grown on Ni coated glass substrate. Diameter of nanotube was 30 to 100nm depending on the growth condition. The diameter of CNT decreased and density of CNT increased as NH3 etching time etching time increased. Plasma intensity was found to be the most critical parameter to determine the growth of CNT. CNT was not grown at the plasma intensity lower than 500V. Growth of CNT without filament current was observed. Raman spectroscopy showed the C-C tangential stretching mode at 1592 cm1 as well as D line at 1366 cm-1. From the microanalysis using HRTEM, nickel cap was observed on the top of the grown CNT and very thin carbon amorphous layer of 5nm was found on the nickel cap. Current-voltage characteristics using STM showed about 34nA of current at the applied voltage of 1 volt. Electron emission from the vertically well aligned CNT was obtained using phosphor anode with onset electric field of 1.5C/um.