• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.373-373
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• 2009

Relative humidity, membrane conductivity and water activity are critical parameters of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) for high performance and reliability. These parameters are closely related with temperature. Moreover, the ideal values of these parameters are not always identical along the channels. Therefore, the cooling channel design and its operating condition should be well optimized along the all location of the channels. In the present study, we have performed a numerical investigation on the effects of cooling channels on performance of a PEMFC. Three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations are solved with the energy equation including heat generated by the electrochemical reactions in the fuel cell. The present numerical model includes the gas diffusion layers (GDL) and serpentine channels for both anode and cathode gas flows, as well as cooling channels. To accurately predict the water transport across the membrane, the distribution of water content in the membrane is calculated by solving a nonlinear differential equation with a nonlinear coefficient, i.e., the water diffusivity which is a function of water content as well as temperature. Main emphasis is placed on the heat transfer between the solid bipolar plate and coolant flow. The present results show that local current density is affected by cooling channels due to the change of the oxygen concentration and the membrane conductivity as well as the water content. It is also found that the relative humidity is influenced by the generated water and the gas temperature and thus it affects the distribution of fuel concentration and the conductivity of the membrane, ultimately fuel cell performance. Unit-cell experiments are also carried out to validate the numerical models. The performance curves between the models and experiments show reasonable results.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.149-157
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• 2006

Hydrogen as new energy sources is highly efficient and have very low environmental emissions. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is an emerging technology that can meet these demands. Therefore, the preparation of stable polymeric membranes with good proton conductivity and durability are very important for hydrogen production via water electrolysis with PEM at medium temperature above $80^{\circ}C$. Currently Nafion of Dupont and Aciflex of Asahi, etc., solid polymer electrolytes of perfluorosulfonic acid membrane, are the best performing commercially available polymer electrolytes. However, these membrane have several flaws including its high cost, and its limited operational temperature above $80^{\circ}C$. Because of this, significant research efforts have been devoted to the development of newer and cheaper membranes. In order to make up for the weak points and to improve the mechanical characteristics with cross -linking, acid-base complexes were prepared by the combination PSf-co-PPSS-$NH_2$ with PEEK-$SO_3H$. The results showed that the proton conductivity decreased in 17.6% and 40% but tensile strength increased in 78% and 98%, about $20.65\;{\times}\;10^6N/m^2$, in comparison with SBPSf/HPA and SPEEK/HPA complex membrane.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.204-211
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• 2008

A platinum-catalyzed polyelectrolyte porous membrane was prepared by solid-state compression of electrospun polystyrene (PS) fibers and in-situ metallization of counter-balanced ionic metal sources on the polymer surface. Using this ion-exchange metal-polymer composite system, fiber entangled pores were formed in the interstitial space of the fibers, which were surrounded by sulfonic acid sites ($SO_3^-$) to give a cation-selective polyelectrolyte porous bed with an ion exchange capacity ($I_{EC}$) of 3.0 meq/g and an ionic conductivity of 0.09 S/cm. The Pt loading was estimated to be 16.32 wt% from the $SO_3^-$ ions on the surface of the sulfonated PS fibers, which interact with the cationic platinum complex, $Pt(NH_3)_4^{2+}$, at a ratio of 3:1 based on steric hindrance and the arrangement of interacting ions. This is in good agreement with the Pt loading of 15.82 wt% measured by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The Pt-loaded sulfonated PS media showed an ionic conductivity of 0.32 S/cm. The in-situ metallized platinum provided a nano-sized and strongly-bound catalyst in robust porous media, which highlights its potential use in various electrochemical and catalytic systems.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society for Energy Engineering kosee Conference
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• 1993.05a
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• pp.96-100
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• 1993

상용 모사기인 ASPEN PLUS를 이용하여 메탄올을 원료로 한 고체 고분자 전해질 연료전지 발전 시스템의 정상상태 전산 모사를 실시하여 최적의 설계를 시도하였다. 연료전지 본체의 모사를 위하여 USER block과 FORTRAN block을 작성하였으며, 다른 공정은 ASPEN PLUS에서 제공되는 모델을 사용하였다. 모사 결과, 실제 경우와 근사한 값을 얻었으며, 이를 근거로 하여 조업조건에 따른 출력의 변화를 살펴봄으로써 효율을 최대로 하는 각 단위공정의 최적 조업조건을 찾아내었다. 이로부터 향후 실용화될 국내의 고체 고분자 전해질 연료전지 발전 시스템에 대한 기본 자료를 제시할 수 있으며, 개발되는 공정은 고온으로 조작되는 개질기의 열을 효율적으로 회수하여 이용함으로써 공정의 에너지 효율을 높이도록 하여야 한다.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.73-80
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• 2010

A solid oxide fuel cells(SOFC) is a clean energy technology which directly converts chemical energy to electric energy. When the SOFC is used in cogeneration then the efficiency can reach higher than 80%. Also, it has flexibility in using various fuels like natural gases and bio gases, so it has an advantage over polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells in terms of fuel selection. A typical cathode material of the SOFC in conjunction with yttria stabilized zirconia(YSZ) electrolyte is still Sr-doped $LaMnO_3$(LSM). Recently, application of mixed electronic and ionic conducting perovskites such as Sr-doped $LaCoO_3$(LSCo), $LaFeO_3$(LSF), and $LaFe_{0.8}Co_{0.2}O_3$(LSCF) has drawn much attention because these materials exhibit lower electrode impedance than LSM. However, chemical reaction occurs at the manufacturing temperature of the cathode when these materials directly contact with YSZ. In addition, thermal expansion coefficient(TEC) mismatch with YSZ is also a significant issue. It is important, therefore, to develop cathode materials with good chemical stability and matched TEC with the SOFC electrolyte, as well as with high electrochemical activity.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.40-49
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• 2022

In this study, the phase and electrochemical properties of Co and Ti substituted layered perovskites SmBaCo_2-xTi_xO_5+d (x=0.5, 0.7, 1.0, 1.1, 1.3, and 1.5) were analyzed, and their application as electrodes in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) were evaluated. After calcination at 1300℃ for 6 h, a single phase was observed for two compositions of the SmBaCo_2-xTi_xO_5+d oxide system, SmBaCoTiO_5+d (x=1.0) and SmBaCo_0.9Ti_1.1O_5+d (x=1.1). However, the phases of SmBaCoTiO_5+d (SBCTO) and SmTiO₃ coexisted for compositions with x≥1.3 (Ti content). In contrast, for compositions of x≤0.7, the SmBaCo₂O_5+d phase was observed instead of the SmTiO₃ phase. To evaluate the applicability of these materials as SOFC electrodes, the electrical conductivities were measured under various atmospheres (air, N₂, and H₂). SBCTO exhibited stable semi-conductor electrical conductivity behavior in an air and N₂ atmosphere. However, SBCTO showed insulator behavior at temperatures above 600℃ in a H₂ atmosphere. Therefore, SBCTO may only be used as cathode materials. Moreover, SBCTO had an area specific resistance (ASR) value of 0.140 Ω·cm² at 750℃.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.440-447
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• 2006

Solid polymer electrolyte(SPE) membrane with electrodes embedded on both faces offer unique possibilities for the electrochemical cells like water electrolyzer with fuel cell. The Nafion 117 membrane was used as the SPE, and $Pt(NH_3)_4Cl_2$ and $NaBH_4$ as the electrocatalysts and reducing agent, respectively. The 'impregnation-reduction(I-R) method' has been investigated as a tool for the preparation of electrocatalysts for water electrolyzer by varying the concentration of reducing agent and reduction time at fixed concentration of platinum salt, 5 mmol/L. Pt-SPE electrocatalysts prepared by non-equilibrium I-R method showed the lowest cell voltage of 2.17 V at reduction time, 90 min and with concentration of reducing agent 0.8 mol/L and the cell voltage with those by equilibrium I-R method was 2.42 V at reduction time, 60 min and with concentration of reducing agent 0.8 mol/L. The cell voltage were obtained at a current density $1\;A/cm^2$ and $80^{\circ}C$. In water electrolysis, hydrogen production efficiency by Pt-SPE electrocatalyst is 68.2% in case of non-equilibrium I-R method and 61.2% at equilibrium I-R method.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.180-186
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• 2017

In this work, the effect of low-temperature dehydration of a poly(styrene-co-styrenesulfonic acid) (PSSA) membrane was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), electron magnetic resonancespectroscopy (EMR), and $^1H$- and $^{13}C$ solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These analyses were performed at room temperature for powdered PSSA specimens with and without dehydration and the following key observations were made. First, FT-IR analysis showed that low-temperature dehydration not only transformed the [${SO_3}^-{\cdots}H^+$] ionic pair in the non-hydrated PSSA to an $SO_3H$ group, but also induced the formation of -C=C- double bonds in the dehydrated PSSA. Second, the ${-SO_3}^{\bullet}$ radical was unambiguously identified by EMR spectroscopy. Third, H-abstraction was detected by $^1H$ magic-angle spinning spectroscopy. Finally, an unexpected color shift from white for the non-hydrated PSSA to a yellowish brown for the dehydrated sample was observed. In order to explain these experimental results, it was proposed that the formation of the intermediate hydrogen ($H^{\bullet}$) or hydroxyl radical ($HO^{\bullet}$) species was initiated by the dehydration process. The sespecies attacked the $SO_3H$ group and the tertiary proton at the ${\alpha}-carbon$, resulting in the formation of $-SO^{\bullet}$ radicals and -C=C- double bonds, which correlated with the color shift in the dehydrated PSSA sample. The semechanisms are useful for understanding the simultaneous loss of an aromatic ring and -SO- groups in the PSSA fuel cell membrane.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.282-285
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• 2009

This study presents preparation and characterization of composite membranes based on ionic liquids. The ionic liquids act as water in sulfonated membranes. On the behalf of ionic conduction through ionic liquid inside the membranes, non-aqueous membranes showed Arrenhius dependence on temperature with no external humidification. It was implied that hopping mechanism of proton was dominant in the ionic liquid based membranes. In addition, small angle X-ray (SAXS) studies provided the information on morphology of ionic clusters formed by the interaction between sulfonic acid groups of the polymers and ionic liquids. The SAXS spectra showed matrix peaks, ionomer peaks and Prodo's law for Nafion based composite membranes and only matrix peaks for hydrocarbon based ones. However, ionic conductivity and atomic force microscopy (AFM) images showed the clear formation of ionic clusters of the hydrocarbon based composite membranes. It implies for ionic liquid based high temperature membranes that it is important to use sulfonated polymers as solid matrix of ionic liquid which can form clear ionic clusters in SAXS spectra.