Real-time visualization of oxygen partial pressures in straight channels of running polymer electrolyte fuel cell with water plugging

JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES

卷:273

Article

Nagase, Katsuya^1,2  Suga, Takeo³  Nagumo, Yuzo⁴  Uchida, Makoto⁵  Inukai, Junji⁵  Nishide, Hiroyuki³  Watanabe, Masahiro⁵ 

[1] Univ Yamanashi, Interdisciplinary Grad Sch Med & Engn, Kofu, Yamanashi 4008510, Japan

[2] Takahata Precis Japan Co Ltd, Fuefuki, Yamanashi 4060843, Japan

[3] Waseda Univ, Dept Appl Chem, Shinjuku Ku, Tokyo 1698555, Japan

[4] Shimadzu Co Ltd, Kyoto 6190237, Japan

[5] Univ Yamanashi, Fuel Cell Nanomat Ctr, Kofu, Yamanashi 4008511, Japan

关键词: Polymer electrolyte fuel cell;    Oxygen partial pressure;    Gas-flow channel;    Gas diffusion layer;    Water blockage;    Cross flow;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.jpowsour.2014.09.169

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Visualization inside polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) for elucidating the reaction distributions is expected to improve the performance, durability, and stability. An oxygen-sensitive film of a luminescent porphyrin was used to visualize the oxygen partial pressures in five straight gas-flow channels of a running PEFC with liquid-water blockages formed at the end of the channels. The blockage greatly lowered and unstabilized the cell voltage. The oxygen partial pressure decreased nearly to 0 kPa in the blocked channel. With a water blockage in a channel, the oxygen partial pressures in the adjacent channels were lowered due to an extra demand of oxygen consumption. When the number of the blocked channels increased, the oxygen partial pressure in the unblocked channels became much lowered. When the water blockages disappeared, the oxygen partial pressures quickly returned to the values before plugging. The influence of the cross flows of air through the gas diffusion layers in straight channels was much smaller than that in serpentine flow channels. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

Free