• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.120-130
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• 2023

PEMFC has high potential for future development due to its high energy density, eco-friendliness, and high energy efficiency. When it becomes small, light and flexible, it can be competitive as an energy source for portable devices or flexible electronic devices. However, the use of hard and heavy materials for structural rigidity and uniform contact pressure transmission has become an obstacle to reducing the weight and flexibility of PEMFCs. This review intends to provide an example of the application of a new structure and material for lightweight and flexibility. As a lightweight PEMFC, a tubular design is presented and structural advantages through numerical modeling are explained. Manufacturing methods to realize the structural advantages and possibilities of tubular PEMFCs are discussed. In addition, the materials and manufacturing processes used to fabricate lightweight and flexible PEMFCs are described and factors affecting performance are analyzed. Strategies and structural improvements of light and flexible movements are discussed according to the component parts.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.85.1-85.1
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• 2011

In this study, Grafoil$^{TM}$ which has comparable electric resistance and chemical stability but is flexible, fragile, and cheap material was adopted as bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cell(PEMFC) having only one straight line flow channel. Because of its flexibility, pressurizations of cell with various pressures showed different operating characteristics compared to ordinary graphite-used PEMFC. While performances of both cells decreased as these were pressurized, investigation of ohmic and faradaic resistance by electrochemical impedance measurement indicated different tendency of change. Ohmic resistance of graphite-used cell increased with increasing pressure, which is reversed in Grafoil$^{TM}$-used cell. It is speculated that effective chemical reaction area is decreased with increasing pressure in case of graphite-used one, but because of flexible property of Grafoil$^{TM}$, gas diffusion layer in Grafoil$^{TM}$-used cell was well-activated. Different rate of change of faradaic resistances in both cells support this supposition. However, although optimum point of pressurization is found, it is required to investigate other operating conditions because of low performance compared to graphite-used cell.

• Composites Research
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.222-228
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• 2019

The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system has many potential uses as an environmentally friendly power source. Carbon fiber composite bipolar plates are highly corrosion resistant and have high specific strength and stiffness in acidic environments, however, the relatively low electrical conductivity is a major issue which reduces the efficiency of PEMFC. In this study, electrically conductive particles (graphite powder and carbon black) are applied to carbon-epoxy composite prepregs to reduce the electrical resistance of the bipolar plates. The electrical resistance and mechanical properties are measured using conventional test methods, and a unit cell performance evaluation of developed carbon composite bipolar plates is performed to compare with the conventional bipolar plate.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.760-765
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• 2013

An Interline Power Flow Controller (IPFC) is a converter based controller which compensates and balance the power flow among multi-lines within the same corridor of the multi-line subsystem. The Interline Power Flow Controller consists of a voltage source converter based Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) controller for series compensation. The reactive voltage injected by individual Voltage Source Converter (VSC) can be controlled to regulate active power flow in the respective line in which one VSC regulates the DC voltage, the other one controls the reactive power flows in the lines by injecting series active voltage. In this paper, a circuit model for IPFC is developed and simulation of interline power flow controller is done using the proposed circuit model. Simulation is done using MATLAB Simulink and PSPICE. The results obtained by MATLAB are compared with the results obtained by PSPICE and compared with theoretical values.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.87.1-87.1
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• 2011

For commercial applications, MEA development must be optimized in order to achieve high performance and low cost. There are many factors that affect the performance of MEA. Especially, the optimization of the method for preparing catalyst layer has great effect on the performance of MEA. Various methods have been used to prepare the catalyst layer of MEA. Among them, spraying method has a merit in that catalysis lay can be prepared with very flexible changes in catalyst layer as well as in the solvent composition of catalyst ink. In addition, in order to reduce the time required for manufacturing catalyst layer, an effort has been made to change the nozzle size and injection pressure of spray system. Further, the operation condition of spray system was changed in various ways in an effort to prepare optimum catalyst layer of MEA. Having optimized the operation condition of spraying system, comprehensive and diverse experiments were carried out concerning various factors that affect the performance of MEA. The present research report describes the results of more sub-categorized and more detailed experiments about the important factors (Nafion$^{(R)}$ ionomer, Relative humidity) which have been shown in previous experiments to exert greater effect on the performance of MEA.

• Composites Research
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.406-411
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• 2021

PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cells generate only water as a by-product, and thus are in the spotlight as an eco-friendly energy source. Among the various components composing the stack of the fuel cell, research on the bipolar plate that determines the efficiency of the fuel cell is being actively conducted. The composite bipolar plate has high strength, rigidity and corrosion resistance, but has the disadvantage of having a relatively low electrical conductivity. In this study, to overcome these shortcomings, a gas diffusion layer (GDL)-composite bipolar plate assembly was developed and its performance was experimentally verified. The graphite foil coating method developed in the previous study was applied to reduce the contact resistance between the bipolar plate and the GDL. In addition, in order to improve electron path in the stack and minimize the contact resistance between the GDL and the bipolar plate, a GDL-bipolar plate assembly was fabricated using a thin metal foil. As a result of the experiment, it was confirmed that the developed GDL-bipolar plate assembly had 98% lower electrical resistance compared to the conventional composite bipolar plate.