Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society (한국수소및신에너지학회논문집)

The Korean Hydrogen and New Energy Society (한국수소및신에너지학회)
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Durability Evaluation of Air-Cooled Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells Stacks by Repeated Start-Up/Shut-Down

시동/정지반복에 의한 공랭식 고분자연료전지 스택 내구성 평가

  • YOO, DONGGEUN (Department of Chemical Engineering, Sunchon National University) ;
  • KIM, HYEONSUCK (Department of Chemical Engineering, Sunchon National University) ;
  • OH, SOHYEONG (Department of Chemical Engineering, Sunchon National University) ;
  • PARK, KWON-PIL (Department of Chemical Engineering, Sunchon National University)
  • 유동근 (순천대학교 화학공학과) ;
  • 김현석 (순천대학교 화학공학과) ;
  • 오소형 (순천대학교 화학공학과) ;
  • 박권필 (순천대학교 화학공학과)
  • Received : 2021.09.03
  • Accepted : 2021.10.18
  • Published : 2021.10.30
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Abstract

The air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) stacks, which is widely used in small-sized PEMFC, have a problem in that durability is weaker than that of the water-cooled type. Because the cathode is open to the atmosphere and the structural problem of the air-cooled stack, which is difficult to maintain airtightness, is highly likely to form a hydrogen/air boundary during start-up/shut-down (SU/SD). Through the accelerated durability evaluation of the 20 W air-cooled PEMFC stack, the purpose of this study was to find out the cause of the degradation of the stack and to contribute to the improvement of the durability of the air-cooled PEMFC stack. In this study, it was possible to evaluate durability in a relatively short time by reducing 20-30% of initial performance by repeating SU/SD 1,000 to 1,200 times on an air-cooled PEMFC stack. After disassembling the stack, each cell was divided into two and the performance analysis showed that the electrode degradation was more severe in the anode outlet membrane electrode assembly (MEA), which facilitates air inflow as a whole, than in the inlet MEA. It was shown that the cathode Pt was dissolved/precipitated to deteriorate the polymer ionomer inside the membrane.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

이 논문은 순천대학교 교연비 사업에 의하여 연구되었습니다.

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