• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.488-494
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• 2011

Gasket plays an important role on sealing of the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack. Stack requires gaskets in each cell to keep the hydrogen and air/oxygen within their respective regions. The failure of the gasket creates the problems of fuel leakage, mixing, damage on parts and can be a direct reason for the degrading the efficiency of fuel cell. The purpose of this paper researches on how mechanical properties of EPDM gasket in PEMFC are changed after long-term operations. The EPDM (ethylenepropylene-diene monomer) gaskets are obtained from the stack after long-term operations. DMA (dynamic mechanical analysis) is conducted to access the change of mechanical properties of the EPDM gasket. SEM/EDS (scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive spectroscopy) was used to show the surface topography and chemical characterization on the sample surface.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.146-151
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• 2013

This paper reveals the performance decrease and recovery of PEMFC when the contaminated fuel gas and air source with sulfur impurities such as hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide were simultaneously introduced to anode and cathode, respectively. Three different GDLs were fabricated with different carbon black and activated carbon to prevent an introduction of sulfur compound impurities into MEA. components. The severity of $SO_2$ and $H_2S$ poisoning was depended on concentrations(3 ppm - 10 ppm) of sulfur impurities. Especially, cell performance degradation rate was rapid when MEA fabricated with CN-2 GDL because it had little porosity on GDL surface. Moreover, the cell performance can be recovered up to 90%-95% only with neat hydrogen and fresh air feeding.. Conclusively, MEA fabricated with porous CN-1 GDL showed the best cell performance and recovery efficiency during exposure to poisoning condition by simultaneous sulfur impurities.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Power Electronics
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.75-85
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• 2010

In this paper, a Z-source hybrid active power filter is proposed to compensate the harmonics and reactive power in power distribution system. The proposed system is composed of a 7th harmonics-tuned passive filter and an active power filter with a Z-source inverter topology, while voltage source PWM inverter or current source PWM inverter are applied as the power converter topology of conventional active power filters. The Z-source impedance network along with shoot through capability would ensure a constant DC voltage across the DC link. A polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell is employed as an compensation DC energy source of the proposed system and its equivalent R-L-C circuit is modeled for simulation. As the compensation and control algorithm of the proposed system, the current synchronous detection algorithm is applied. The simulation analysis by PSIM is performed under the three-phase 220V/60Hz voltage source and 25A nonlinear diode loads. The effectiveness of the proposed the system is verified in the steady and transient states.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.48-52
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• 2003

A mathematical dynamic model of fuel cell was formulated in order to design the control system which will meet the control object. The control objective is set to regulate the airflow in the load change by utilization of airflow and the pressure difference between anode and cathode is maintained below a limit range. Simulation result of 10kW polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) clearly demonstrates that response time need to be less. than 1 seconds for the control requirements. Besides, pressure difference was allowed in pressure range less than 0.01 atm.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.82.1-82.1
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• 2011

최근 국내에서 발생된 대규모 정전사태로 인해 안정적인 전력공급에 대한 국민들의 요구가 커져, 지난 3월 일본 후쿠시마 원전사고 이후 다시 한번 분산전원에 대한 필요성이 대두되어지고 있다. 여러 분산전원 중 연료전지는 다른 에너지원에 비해 에너지의 지속성이 우수하여 가장 안정적인 분산전원 형태의 하나이다. 이에 따라 국내의 경우 우수한 도시가스 인프라로 인해 건물용 연료전지라는 신기술에 대한 국민의 수용성은 점점 높아질 것으로 기대된다. 현재 건물용 연료전지의 경우, 주로 1kW급 연료전지가 시범보급되어 각 가정에 설치되어지고 있으나, 상가, 주유소 및 편의점 등의 상업시설과 생활관 및 소형빌라 등의 집단 주거시설 같은 1kW급 보다 용량을 더 필요로 하는 응용처에 국내에서 개발된 5kW급 연료전지시스템이 적용되어지기를 기대한다. 본 연구에서는 국내 제작된 5kW급 고분자전해질 연료전지시스템의 보급이전에 안전성능 평가를 통해 시스템의 성능 및 안전성 평가결과를 제조사에 피드백 하여 5kW급 건물용 연료전지시스템의 조기 상업화에 앞장서고자 한다. 5kW급 연료전지시스템의 기술개발은 핵심부품인 연료변환기, 스택 및 BOP 기술의 경우 1kW급 연료전지시스템에 적용된 것과는 다른 기술이 필요하고, 단순한 scale-up 과정이 아닌 새로운 기술개발로 제품에 적용시켜야 하는 난점을 가지고 있다. 특히, 연료변환기의 경우 연료 유량의 증가로 인하여 reformer, CO shift 및 Prox 반응기의 유체역학, 열교환 흐름 및 촉매반응 공학적으로 이론을 응용한 새로운 반응기 설계와 제작기술 확립이 선행되어 전체적인 시스템 제작 설계에 반영되어져야 한다. 그러므로 본 연구에서는 연료전지시스템 안전성능 평가를 위해 용량증대에 따른 안전성평가 항목을 검토하고, 5kW급 연료전지시스템평가를 수행하여 시스템의 제품성능, 작동성능 및 계통연계성능에서의 안전성을 확인하였고, 정전 유풍과 같은 이상조건 및 실외 환경에 대한 시스템의 안전성도 확인하였다. 또한 부하운전 조건을 75% 및 50%로 변화시켰을 때 빠른 응답시간과 안정적인 부하변동운전을 확인하였다.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.173-178
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• 2011

Separator of stack in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is high cost and heavy. If we make it low cost and lighter, it will have a great ripple. In this study, low carbon steel is used as base metal of separator because the cost of low carbon steel is very cheaper commercial metal material than stainless steels, which is widely used as separator. Low carbon steel has not a good corrosion resistance. In order to improve the corrosion resistance and electrolytic conductivity, low carbon steel needs to be surface treated. We made Chromium electroplated layer of $5{\mu}m$, $10{\mu}m$ thickness on the surface of low carbon steel and it was nitrided for 2 hours at $1000^{\circ}C$ in a furnace with 100 torr nitrogen gas pressure. Cross-sectional and surface microstructures of surface treated low carbon steel are investigated using SEM. And crystal structures are investigated by XRD. Interfacial contact resistance and corrosion tests were considered to simulate the internal operating conditions of PEMFC stack. The corrosion test was performed in 0.1 N $H_2SO_4$ + 2 ppm $F^-$ solution at $80^{\circ}C$. Throughout this research, we try to know that low carbon steel can be replaced stainless steel in separator of PEMFC.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.403-409
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• 2008

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is very interesting power source due to high power density, simple construction and operation at low temperature. But it has problems such as high cost, improvement of performance, effect of temperature and initial start at low temperature. These problems can be approached to be solved by using experiment and mathematical method which are general principles for analysis and optimization of control system for heat and hydrogen detecting management. In this paper, insulation vessel and control system for stable operation of fuel cell at low temperature were developed for experiment. The constant temperature capability and the heating time at sub-zero temperatures with insulation control system were studied by using a heating bar of 60W class. PEMFC stack which was made by 4 cells with $50\;mc^2$ active area in each cell is a thermal source. Times which take to reach constant temperature by the state of insulation vacuum were measured at variable environment temperatures. The test was performed at two conditions: heating mode and cooling mode. Constant temperature capability was better at lower environment temperature and vacuum pressure. The results of this experiment could be used as basis data about stable operation of fuel cell stack in low temperature zone.

• Carbon letters
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.38-40
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• 2010

Carbon supported electrocatalysts are commonly used as electrode materials for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs). These kinds of electrocatalysts provide large surface area and sufficient electrical conductivity. The support of typical PEM fuel cell catalysts has been a traditional conductive type of carbon black. However, even though the carbon particles conduct electrons, there is still significant portion of Pt that is isolated from the external circuit and the PEM, resulting in a low Pt utilization. Herein, new types of carbon materials to effectively utilize the Pt catalyst are being evaluated. Carbon nanofiber/activated carbon fiber (CNF/ACF) composite with multifunctional surfaces were prepared through catalytic growth of CNFs on ACFs. Nickel nitrate was used as a precursor of the catalyst to synthesize carbon nanofibers(CNFs). CNFs were synthesized by pyrolysising $CH_4$ using catalysts dispersed in acetone and ACF(activated carbon fiber). The as-prepared samples were characterized with transmission electron microscopy(TEM), scanning electron microscopy(SEM). In TEM image, carbon nanofibers were synthesized on the ACF to form a three-dimensional network. Pt/CNF/ACF was employed as a catalyst for PEMFC. As the ratio of prepared catalyst to commercial catalyst was changed from 0 to 50%, the performance of the mixture of 30 wt% of Pt/CNF/ACF and 70wt% of Pt/C commercial catalyst showed better perfromance than that of 100% commercial catalyst. The unique structure of CNF can supply the significant site for the stabilization of Pt particles. CNF/ACF is expected to be promising support to improve the performance in PEMFC.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.541-546
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• 2008

A coolant operating condition in al fuel cell stack was an important factor to determine the temperature distribution which affected the fuel cell performance and relative humidity. In this study, the fuel cell performance was evaluated as a function of the coolant flow rate with the range of $0.1{\sim}0.8$ liter/min cell and the coolant inlet temperature of $20{\sim}82^{\circ}C$. The cell temperature increased with increasing the coolant inlet temperature and with decreasing the coolant flow rate. The coolant inlet temperature and flow rate to maintain the better performance of the fuel cell were in the range of $45{\sim}60^{\circ}C$ and $0.2{\sim}0.4$ liter/min cell, respectively. The experimental results showed that the optimal heat removal rate from the stack by coolant was $0.4{\sim}0.6W/cm^2$ cell.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.579-584
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• 2011

Sulfonated poly (ether sulfone)s containing BFBN were prepared from 2,3-bis(4-fluorophenyl)-2-butenedinitrile , 4,4-sulfonyldiphenol and sulfonated 4,4'-difluorodiphenylsulfone sodium salt using potassium carbonate, and followed acidification reaction with 1M $H_2SO_4$. BFBN was prepared from 4-fluorobenzylcyanide, $CCl_4$, NaOH using trimethylbenzylammoniumchloride . Sulfonated poly(ether sulfone)s containing BFBN were studied by FT-IR, $^1H$-NMR spectroscopy, and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). The water uptake of synthesized S-PBFBN membranes exhibit 31~62% compared with 28% of Nafion 211. The S-PBFBN membranes exhibit proton conductivities ($80^{\circ}C$, RH 100) of 53.8~117.4 mS/cm compared with 137.4 mS/cm of Nafion 211.