• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.12
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• pp.1185-1192
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• 2012

The typical operating temperature of an automotive fuel cell is lower than that of an internal combustion engine, which necessitates a refined strategy for thermal management. In particular, the performance of the cooling module has to be higher for a fuel cell system because the temperature difference between the fuel cell and the surrounding is lower than in the case of the internal combustion engine. Even though the cooling system of an automotive fuel cell determines the operating temperature and temperature distribution of the fuel cell, it has attracted little research attention. This study presents the mathematical model of a cooling system for an automotive fuel cell system using Matlab/$Simulink^{(R)}$. In particular, a radiator model is developed for design optimization from the development stage to the operating stage for an automotive fuel cell. The cooling system model comprises a fan, pump, and radiator. The pump and fan model have an empirical relation, and the dynamics of the pump and fan are only explained by motor dynamics. The basic design study was conducted, and the geometric setup of the radiator was investigated. When the control logic was applied, the pump senses the coolant inlet temperature and the fan senses the coolant out temperature. Additionally, the cooling module is integrated with the fuel cell system model so that the performance of the cooling module can be investigated under realistic operating conditions.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.78-83
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• 2014

In this research, we evaluated the performance and characteristics of carbon supported PtM (M = Ni and Y) alloy catalysts (PtM/Cs) synthesized by a modified polyol method. With the PtM/Cs employed as a catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of cathodes in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), their catalytic and ORR activities and electrical performance were investigated and compared with those of commercial Pt/C. Their particle sizes, particle distributions and electrochemically active surface areas (EAS) were measured by TEM and cyclic voltammetry (CV), while their ORR activity and electrical performance were explored using linear sweeping voltammetries with rotating disk electrodes and rotating ring-disk electrodes as well as PEMFC single cell tests. TEM and CV measurements show that PtM/Cs have the compatible particle size and EAS with Pt/C. When it comes to ORR activity, PtM/C showed the equivalent or better half-wave potential, kinetic current density, transferred electron number per oxygen molecule and $H_2O_2$ production(%) to or than commerical Pt/C. Based on results gained by the three electrode tests, when the PEMFC single cell tests were carried out, the current density measured at 0.6 V and maximum power density of PEMFC single cell adopting PtM/C catalysts were better than those adopting Pt/C catalyst. It is therefore concluded that PtM/C catalysts synthesized by modified polyol can result in the equivalent or better ORR catalytic capability and PEMFC performance to or than commercial Pt/C catalyst.

• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.123-129
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• 2017

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (FEMFC) is a strong candidate for future automobile and power generation because of its high power density, low emission and low operation temperature. The major concerns of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) inside a FEMFC is water management. The GDL is typically comprised of carbon for electrical conductivity and PTFE for Hydrophobicity. In this simulation, GDL flooding was investigated using a simplified approach method of an established equation models(Fick' Law, Darcy, Law, Stefan-Maxwell diffusion). The performance of GDL was shown using result of the inner heat, water density and oxygen density of the cell using model equations. The catalyst layer mode in FEMFC showed results of effectiveness factor, Butler-volmer and hydrogen flux density. These results are interesting because the influence of several factors has been shown and the information will be helpful for fuel cell design.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.625-632
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• 2012

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the cathode channel flooding effects at different stoichiometries in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells by using visualization techniques. The phenomena of liquid water formation and removal caused by current variations were also examined experimentally. Tests were conducted at cathode stoichiometries of 1.5 and 2.0, and the anode stoichiometry was fixed at 1.5. It is found that at an air-side stoichiometry of 2.0, liquid water begins to form and the flooding occurs faster than at an air-side stoichiometry of 1.5. Also, when the air-side stoichiometry of 1.5 is maintained, the dry-out phenomena is observed in the dry-out area 7.8 A following the field of flooding. Thus, a stoichiometry of 1.5 produced better performance in terms of membrane electrode assembly (MEA) durability and hydrogen ion conductivity than did a stoichiometry of 2.0, in which dry-out occurs beyond 8A.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.503-507
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• 2021

Sodium borohydride, NaBH₄, has many advantages as hydrogen source for portable proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). When PEMFC is used outdoors as a transport type, it is economical to hydrolyze NaBH₄ using fresh water instead of distilled water. Therefore, in this study, hydrogen was generated using fresh water instead of distilled water during the NaBH₄ hydrolysis process. The properties of NaBH₄ hydrolysis were studied using an activated carbon-supported Co-P-B/C catalyst. Fresh water did not generate tetrahydrate during the NaBH₄ hydrolysis process, and distilled water produced tetrahydrate by-products, which consumed a lot of water during the hydrolysis process, indicating that at the end of the reaction at a high concentration of 25% or more of NaBH₄, dry by-products and unreacted NaBH₄ remained. As a result, when fresh water was used, the hydrogen yield and hydrogen generation rate were higher than that of distilled water at a high concentration of 25% or more of NaBH₄, indicating that it is suitable for use in transport-type fuel cells such as unmanned aerial vehicles.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.239-242
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• 2005

고분자 전해질형 연료전지에서는 수소이온의 이온전도성 저하를 방지하기 위하여 외부에서 가습하여 주는 방식이 일반적이지만, 가습에 소요되는 부품을 일부라도 제거할 경우 연료전지의 효율은 높이고 제작단가도 경감할 수 있다. 이를 위하여 저가습 및 무가습 실험을 수행하였으며, 정확한 data의 수집과 시험장비의 자동제어를 위하여 National Instrument사의 compact field point (cFP)를 사용하였다. 무가습 실험 중 stack의 안정성 측면을 고려하기 위하여 수소연료가 부족하거나 갑작스런 voltage drop이 발생할 경우 LabVIEW logic에 의한 stack 보호용 자동차단 시스템을 구현하였다. Humidifier와 heater의 온도를 조절하여 공급유체의 상대습도 및 온도를 각각 조절하였으며, 이에 필요한 이론적 온도는 Antoine equation을 사용하여 산정하였다. Anode와 cathode 양측 $100\%$ 가습 경우를 기준으로 가습량을 조절하면서 실험을 수행하였으며 성능 차이를 그래프로 도시하여 양측의 변화에 대한 영향을 볼 수 있도록 하였다. Stack의 온도가 $70^{\circ}C$이고 양측 무가습일 경우에 성능 측정이 불가능하여 stack의 온도를 저온에서부터 변화시키면서 무가습 성능을 실시간으로 측정하여 보았다 일반적으로 hydronium ion은 anode측에서 cathode측으로 계속 이동하여야 전기를 생성할 수 있으므로 cathode측 무가습이 anode측 무가습보다 성능이 더 잘 나오는 것으로 예측하였으나 이와 반대되는 경향의 실험 결과를 얻었다. Anode측 무가습과 cathode측 무가습의 standard deviation은 anode 무가습일 경우가 크게 발생하였고 양측 무가습일 경우는 stack의 온도가 높을수록 크게 관찰되었다. 이와 같은 현상은 공기중의 상대습도와 back diffusion등에 영향을 받을 수 있으므로 각종 변수들의 영향을 분리하여 관찰할 수 있는 실험을 수행중에 있다.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.58-61
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• 2023

The activation process is essential for PEMFC to improve initial performance. The most commonly used activation method is a voltage change (load change) method, which may accompany degradation of the electrode catalyst if excessively performed. In many activation processes, the voltage change range is activated in a wide range from 0.4 V to OCV, and research is needed to reduce the voltage change range in order to prevent electrode catalyst degradation and shorten the activation time. Therefore, in this study, when the activation voltage range was 0.4~0.6 V, 0.4~0.8 V, and 0.4~OCV, we tried to research and develop an effective activation method by analyzing the performance and characteristics of the electrode and polymer membrane. The performance improvement was the lowest in the activation with a wide voltage range from 0.4 V to the highest OCV, and the performance decreased by 10% when activated for 56 cycles. The 0.4~0.6 V activation cycle showed the highest performance improvement up to 20% and the smallest decrease in performance due to overactivation, indicating that it is optimal method.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.758-762
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• 2019

Sodium borohydride,$NaBH_4$, has many advantages as hydrogen source for portable proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). When PEMFC is used for marine use, $NaBH_4$ hydrolysis using seawater is economical. Therefore, in this study, hydrogen was generated by using seawater instead of distilled water in the process of hydrolysis of $NaBH_4$. Properties of $NaBH_4$ hydrolysis reaction using activated carbon supported Co-B/C catalyst were studied. The yield of hydrogen decreased as $NaBH_4$ concentration and NaOH concentration were increased during $NaBH_4$ hydrolysis using sea water. At higher concentrations of $NaBH_4$ and NaOH, byproducts adhered to the surface of the catalyst after hydrolysis reaction using sea water, reduced hydrogen yield compared to distilled water. The activation energy of $NaBH_4$ hydrolysis is 59.3, 74.4 kJ/mol for distilled water and sea water, respectively. In order to increase the hydrogen generation rate in seawater as high as distilled water, the reaction temperature has to be increased by $80^{\circ}C$ or more.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2024

The durability of the catalyst support has a significant effect on the durability of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). The accelerated durability evaluation of the catalyst support is performed at a high voltage (1.0 to 1.5 V), and the catalyst and ionomer binder in the catalyst layer are also deteriorated, hindering the evaluation of the durability of the support. The existing protocol (DOE protocol) was improved to find conditions in which the support, which is a durability evaluation target, deteriorates further. A protocol (MDOE) was developed in which the relative humidity was lowered by 35% and the number of voltage changes was reduced. After repeating the 1.0 ↔ 1.5 V voltage change cycle, the catalyst mass activitiy (MA), electrochemical active area (ECSA), electrical double layer capacity (DLC), Pt dissolution and particle growth were analyzed. Reaching 40% reduction in mass activity, the MDOE protocol took only 500 cycles, reducing the number of voltage changes compared to the DOE method and increasing the degradation of the carbon support by 50% compared to the DOE protocol.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.643-648
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• 2010

Portable fuel cells are commonly operated in the dead-end mode because of such as high fuel utilization. However, the performance of such systems deteriorates continuously with an increase in the amount of by-products such as water vapor and nitrogen. In this study, to verify the effect of water vapor on Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs), constant-load experiments were carried out for a current density of 600 mA/cm2 and a voltage of 0.4 V, respectively. The performance of the cell was more stable under constant voltage conditions than under constant current density conditions. Condensed water accumulated in the anode channel near the cell outlet. The experimental results show how the relative humidity (RH = 0.15, 0.4 and 0.75) of air at the cathode side affect the performance of PEMFCs with dead-end anode. At RH values higher than 0.15, the mean power density increased by up to 51% and the mean purge duration decreased by up to 25% compared to the corresponding initial values.