• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.125-132
• /
• 2011

A unitized regenerative fuel cell (URFC) as a next-generation fuel cell technology was considered in the study. URFC is a mandatory technology for the completion of the hybrid system with the fuel cell and the renewable energy sources, and it can be expected as a new technology for the realization of hydrogen economy society in the $21^{st}$ century. Specifically, the recent research data and results concerning the polymer electrolyte membrane for the URFC technology were summarized in the study. The prime requirements of polymer electrolyte membrane for the URFC applications are high proton conductivity, dimensional stability, mechanical strength, and interfacial stability with the electrode binder. Based on the performance of the polymer electrolyte membrane, the URFC technology combining the systems for the production, storage, utilization of hydrogen can be a new research area in the development of an advanced technology concerning with renewable energy such as fuel cell, solar cell, and wind power.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2009.11a
• /
• pp.150-153
• /
• 2009

Anion exchange polymer electrolyte pore-filling membranes consisting of the whole hydrocarbon materials were prepared by photo polymerization with various quaternary ammonium cationic monomers and characterized on the properties for applying to solid alkali fuel cell (SAFC). Hydrocarbon porous substrates such as polyethylene were used for the preparation of the pore-filling membranes. The hydroxyl ion conductivity of the polymer electrolyte membranes prepared in this research was dependent on the composition ratio of an electrolyte monomer and crosslinking agents used for polymerization. Furthermore, these pore-filling membranes have commonly excellent properties such as smaller dimensional affects when swollen in solvents, higher mechanical strength, lower fuel crossover through the membranes, and easier preparation process than those of traditional cast membranes.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.389-398
• /
• 2019

Hydrogen energy is not only a solution to climate change problems caused by the use of fossil fuels, but also as an alternative source for the industrial power generation and automotive fuel. Among hydrogen production methods, electrolysis of water is considered to be one of the most efficient and practical methods. Compared to that of the fossil fuel production method, the method of producing hydrogen directly from water has no emission of methane and carbon dioxide, which are regarded as global environmental pollutants. In this paper, the alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) and polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE), which are one of the hydrogen production methods, were discussed. Recent research trends of hydrocarbon electrolyte membranes and the crossover phenomenon of electrolyte membranes were also described.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.365-371
• /
• 2016

Cell performance of the Zn-Br redox flow battery (ZBRFB) using two different type's membrane (Nafion117 and SF-600) was evaluated at $20mA/cm^2$ of current density in 1M (mol/L) $ZnBr_2$ + 2M KCl + 0.3M EMPBr(1-ethyl-1-methyl pyrrolidinium bromide) electrolyte. The average energy efficiencies of ZBRFB were 74.9% and 74.7% for Nafion117 and SF-600, respectively. The electrolyte added the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide (EMICA) as an additive was tested for the electrolyte in ZBRFB using SF-600 at $30mA/cm^2$ of current density. An average energy efficiency of the ZBRFB was 74.5% and 77.4% for the electrolyte non-added EMICA and added 1wt% of EMICA, respectively. ZBRFB using the electrolyte added EMICA was showed the higher performance than that using the electrolyte non-added EMICA.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.291-301
• /
• 2009

Double-layered polymer electrolyte membranes were prepared from two different sulfonated poly(aryl ether sulfone) copolymers by the two-step solution casting method for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). Sulfonation degrees were adjusted 10% (SPAES-10) and 50% (SPAES-50) by controlling monomer ratios, and the weight ratios of SPAES-10 copolymer were varied in the range of 5~20% to investigate the effect of thickness of coating layers on the membranes. Proton conducting layers were fabricated from SPAES-50 solutions of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) by a solution casting technique, and coating layers formed on the semiliquid surface of the conducting layer by pouring of SPAES-10-NMP solutions onto. It was found that double-layered polymer electrolyte membrane could significantly reduce the methanol crossover through the membrane and maintain high proton conductivities being comparable to single-layered SPAES-50 membrane. The maximum power density of membrane-electrolyte assembly (MEA) at the condition of $60^{\circ}C$ and 2 M methanol-air was $134.01\;mW/cm^2$ for the membrane prepared in the 5 wt-% of SPAES-10 copolymer, and it was corresponding to the 105.5% of the performance of the commercial Nafion 115 membrane.

• Korean Membrane Journal
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.36-40
• /
• 2002

The diffusion coefficients of ions in the reverse transport system using the carrier mediated membrane were estimated from the diffusional membrane permeabilities and the ion activity in membrane system. In the aqueous alkali metal ions-membrane system diffusional flux of alkali metal ions driven by coupled proton was analyzed. The aqueous phase I contained NaOH solution and the aqueous phase II also contained NaCl and HCl mixed solution. The concentration of Na ions of both phases were $10^{0},\;10^{-1},\;10^{-2},\;5{\times}10^{-1}\;and\;5{\times}10^{-2}\;mol{\cdot}dm^{-3}$ and the concentration of HCI in aqueous phase II was always kept at $1{\times}10^{-1}\;mol{\cdot}dm^{-3}$. Moreover, the carrier concentration in liquid membrane was $10^{-2}\;mol{\cdot}dm^{-3}$. The results indicated that the diffusion coefficients depend strongly on the concentration of both phases electrolyte solution equilibriated with the membrane. The points were interpreted in terms of the energy barrier theory. Furthermore, eliminating the potential terms from the membrane equation was derived.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.119-125
• /
• 2008

The FAS(Fluoroalkylsilane)/Nafion inorganic-organic composite electrolyte membrane was successfully fabricated through sol-gel method. The FAS having hydrophobic functional group and silanol ligands is impregnated in $Nafion^{(R)}$ membrane to reduce methanol crossover. The prepared FAS/Nafion inorganic-organic composite electrolyte membrane consist of the hydrophobic FAS-derived silicate nano-particles and $Nafion^{(R)}$ matrix showed decrease of methanol crossover and reduction of humidity dependence without large sacrifice of proton conductivity. The microstructural analysis of the composite membranes was performed using FESEM and FTIR. And the effect of the incorporation of the hydrophobic FAS-derived silicate nano-particles into $Nafion^{(R)}$ membrane was investigated via solvent uptake, membrane expansion rate, humidity dependency of proton conductivity and contact angle measurement.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.43-48
• /
• 2002

In this study, high performance electrode catalyst was developed in fabrication of membrane electrode assembly for PEMFCs(Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells). The I-V characteristics were measured to evaluate the influence of Nafion solution and Pt loading amount in the catalyst composition. The electrode characteristics were also investigated with respect to temperature change. The electrode performance was optimized at Nafion 5 wt% and 0.5 mg Pt/$\textrm{cm}^2$ content. The increase in the concentration of Nafion solution resulted in the decrease in electrode performance. At $80^{\circ}C$ of unit cell, I-V characteristics excelled those obtained at lower temperature. There was no difference in performance at low current density, but the improvement of voltage value in higher temperature could be found at high current density.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society for Energy Engineering kosee Conference
• /
• 2004.11a
• /
• pp.133-138
• /
• 2004

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is considered as a clean and efficient energy conversion det ice for mobile and stationary applications. Anions all the components of the PEMFC, the interface between the electrolyte ,and electrode catalyst plays an important role in determining tile cell performance since the electrochemical reactions take place at the interface in contact with tile reactant gases. Therefore, to increase the interface area and obtain a high-performance PEMFC, surface of the electrolyte membrane was roughened by Ar$^{+}$ beam bombardment. The results imply that by modifying surface of the electrolyte membrane, platinum loading can be reduced significantly without performance loss. To optimize the surface treatment condition, effects of ion dose density on characteristics of the membrane/electrode interface were examined by measuring the cell performance, impedance spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammograms. Surface of the modified membranes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and FT-IR.R.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.349-354
• /
• 2005

YSZ (yttria-stabilized zirconia) determined with an electrolyte that analyzed thermal stability along sintering condition and an electric characteristic. As sintering temperature increases by SEM, grain grows and it showed that pore decreases relatively. and confirmed effect by grain size. It evaluated that particle internal resistance and electric performance by resistance in an electrolyte and electricity conductivity measurement through ac impedance measurement in temperature of $800\~1000^{\circ}C$ in 2-probe method In order to recognize an electric characteristic. In dry process and wet process, density was each 6.13, 6.25 $g/cm^3$ and the relative density was each 98, 99$\%$ when sintering condition is $1400^{\circ}C$.