• Title/Summary/Keyword: Unitized regenerative fuel cell

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The Effect of sGO Content in sPEEK/sGO Composite Membrane for Unitized Regenerative Fuel Cell (일체형 재생연료전지 적용을 위한 sGO 함량 변화에 따른 sGO/sPEEK 복합막의 특성 평가)

  • Jung, Ho-Young;Kim, Min-Woo;Lim, Ji-Hun;Choi, Jin H.;Roh, Sung-Hee
    • KEPCO Journal on Electric Power and Energy
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    • v.2 no.1
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    • pp.127-131
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    • 2016
  • Polymer electrolyte membrane for unitized regenerative fuel cells requires high proton conductivity, high dimensional stability, low permeability, and low cost. However, DuPont's Nafion which is a commercial polymer electrolyte membrane has high permeability, high cost, and decreasing proton conductivity and dimensional stability over $80^{\circ}C$. To address these problems, sulfonated poly ether ether ketone (sPEEK) which is a low cost hydrocarbon polymer is selected as matrix polymer for the preparation of polymer electrolyte membrane. In addition, composite membrane with improved proton conductivity and dimensional stability is prepared by introducing sulfonated graphene oxide (sGO). The fundamental properties of polymer electrolyte membranes are analyzed by investigating membrane's water content, dimensional stability, proton conductivity, and morphology. The cell test is conducted to consider the possibility of application of sPEEK/sGO composite membrane for an unitized regenerative fuel cell.

Understanding of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane for a Unitized Regenerative Fuel Cell (URFC) (일체형 재생 연료전지(URFC)용 고분자 전해질 막의 이해)

  • Jung, Ho-Young
    • Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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    • v.22 no.2
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    • pp.125-132
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    • 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.

Effects of Diffusion Layer (DL) and ORR Catalyst (MORR) on the Performance of MORR/IrO2/DL Electrodes for PEM-Type Unitized Regenerative Fuel Cells

  • Choe, Seunghoe;Lee, Byung-Seok;Jang, Jong Hyun
    • Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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    • v.8 no.1
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    • pp.7-14
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    • 2017
  • This study aims to examine the influences of substrates/diffusion layers (DL) and oxygen reduction reaction catalysts ($M_{ORR}$) on the performance of $M_{ORR}/IrO_2$/DL-type bifunctional oxygen electrodes for use in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM)-type unitized regenerative fuel cells (URFC). The $M_{ORR}/IrO_2$/DL electrodes were prepared via two sequential steps: anodic electrodeposition of $IrO_2$ on various DLs and fabrication of $M_{ORR}$ layers (Pt, Pd, and Pt-Ru) by spraying on $IrO_2/DL$. Experiments using different DLs, with Pt as the $M_{ORR}$, revealed that the roughness factor of the DL mainly determined the electrode performance for both water electrolyzer (WE) and fuel cell (FC) operations, while the contributions of porosity and substrate material were insignificant. When Pt-Ru was utilized as the $M_{ORR}$ instead of Pt, WE performance was enhanced and the electrode performance was assessed by analyzing round-trip efficiencies (${\varepsilon}_{RT}$) at current densities of 0.2 and $0.4A/cm^2$. As a result, using Pt-Ru instead of Pt alone provided better ${\varepsilon}_{RT}$ at both current densities, while Pd resulted in very low ${\varepsilon}_{RT}$. Improved efficiency was related to the additional catalytic action by Ru toward ORR during WE operation.

Effect of Double Porous Layer on a Polymer Electrolyte Unitized Regenerative Fuel Cell (수전해·연료전지 가역셀에서 이중 가스 확산층의 효과)

  • Hwang, Chul-Min;Park, Dae-Heum;Jung, Young-Guan;Kim, Kyunghoon;Kim, Jongsoo
    • Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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    • v.24 no.4
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    • pp.320-325
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    • 2013
  • TUnitized reversible fuel cells (URFC) combine the functionality of a fuel cell and electrolyzer in one unitized device. For a URFC with proton exchange membrane, a titanium (Ti)-felt is applied to the gas diffusion layer (GDL) substrate at the oxygen electrode, and additionally titanium (Ti)-powders and TiN-powders are loaded in the GDL substrate as a micro porous layer (MPL). Double porous layer with TiN MPL was not acceptable for the URFC because both of fuel cell performance and electrolysis performance are degraded. The double porous layer with Ti-powder loading in the Ti-felt substrate influence rearly for the electrolysis performance. In contrast, the change of pore-size distribution brings a significant improvement of fuel cell performance under fully humidification conditions. This fact indicates that the hydrophobic meso-pores in the GDL play an important role for mass transport.

Development of Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for PEM URFC (고분자 전해질 막을 이용한 일체형 재생 연료전지용 촉매전극 개발)

  • Yim, Sung-Dae;Park, Gu-Gon;Sohn, Young-Jun;Yang, Tae-Hyun;Yoon, Young-Gi;Lee, Won-Yong;Kim, Chang-Soo
    • Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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    • v.15 no.1
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    • pp.23-31
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    • 2004
  • For the fabrication of high efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst of oxygen electrode for PEM URFC (Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Unitized Regenerative Fuel Cell), which is a promising energy storage and conversion system using hydrogen as the energy medium, several bifunctional electrocatalysts were prepared and tested in a single cell URFC system. The catalysts for oxygen electrode revealed fuel cell performance in the order of Pt black > PtIr > PtRuOx > PtRu ~ PtRuIr > PtIrOx, whereas water electrolysis performance in the order of PtIr ~ PtIrOx > PtRu > PtRuIr > PtRuOx ~ Pt black. Considering both reaction modes PtIr was the most effective elctrocatalyst for oxygen electrode of present PEM URFC system. In addition, the water electrolysis performance was significantly improved when Ir or IrOx was added to Pt black just 1 wt.% without the decrease of fuel cell performance. Based on the catalyst screening and the optimization of catalyst composition and loading, the optimum catalyst electrodes for PEM URFC were $1.0mg/cm^2$ of Pt black as hydrogen electrode and $2.0mg/cm^2$ of PtIr (99:1) as oxygen electrode.