Reactive impinging-flow technique for polymer-electrolyte-fuel-cell electrode-defect detection

JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES

卷:332

Article

Zenyuk, Iryna V.^1,3  Englund, Nicholas¹  Bender, Guido²  Weber, Adam Z.¹  Ulsh, Michael² 

[1] Lawrence Berkeley Natl Lab, Energy Convers Grp, Energy Technol Area, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA

[2] Natl Renewable Energy Lab, Golden, CO 80401 USA

[3] Tufts Univ, Dept Mech Engn, Medford, MA 02155 USA

关键词: Polymer-electrolyte fuel-cells;    Reactive impinging flow;    Quality control;    Defect detection;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.jpowsour.2016.09.109

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Reactive impinging flow (RIF) is a novel quality-control method for defect detection (i.e., reduction in Pt catalyst loading) in gas-diffusion electrodes (GDEs) on weblines. The technique uses infrared thermography to detect temperature of a nonflammable (<4% H-2) reactive mixture of H-2/O-2 in N-2 impinging and reacting on a Pt catalytic surface. In this paper, different GDE size defects (with catalyst-loading reductions of 25, 50, and 100%) are detected at various webline speeds (3.048 and 9.144 m min(-1)) and gas flowrates (32.5 or 50 standard L min(-1)). Furthermore, a model is developed and validated for the technique, and it is subsequently used to optimize operating conditions and explore the applicability of the technique to a range of defects. The model suggests that increased detection can be achieved by recting more of the impinging H-2, which can be accomplished by placing blocking substrates on the top, bottom, or both of the GDE; placing a substrate on both results in a factor of four increase in the temperature differential, which is needed for smaller defect detection. Overall, the RIF technique is shown to be a promising route for in-line, high-speed, large-area detection of GDE defects on moving weblines. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved,

【 授权许可】

Free