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- Polymer-Elektrolytmembran-Brennstoffzelle (3) (entfernen)
In this study, a novel design concept for PEMFC (polymer electrolytemembrane fuel cell) stacks is presented with singlecells inserted in pockets surrounded by a hydraulic medium. Thehydraulic pressure introduces necessary compression forces to themembrane electrode assembly of each cell within a stack. Moreover, homogeneous cell cooling is achieved by this medium. First,prototypes presented in this work indicate that, upscaling of cells for the novelstack design is possible without significantperformancelosses. Due to its modularity and scalability, this stackdesign meets the requirements for large PEMFC units.
For this experimental work gas diffusion electrodes (GDE) with low platinum loading are prepared for the application as anodes in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. As catalyst support material, carbon nano fibres (CNF) are investigated due to high specific surface area as well as high graphitisation degree. Optimisation is achieved by an economic and environmental friendly pre-treatment process in oxygen plasma. For electrode preparation an ink is used containing oxygen plasma activated CNFs as well as hydrophilic polymer. After spray coating of this CNF ink on a graphitic substrate, platinum is deposited by pulse plating method. Preliminary results established that the plasma activation improves considerably CNF dispersibility as well as the amount, respectively, the morphology of the deposited platinum. Morphology and microstructure are observed by electron microscopy. Platinum loading is determined by thermogravimetric analysis to be in the range of 0.010 to 0.016 mg cm-2. Furthermore, MEAs are prepared from these GDEs and testing is performed in a novel modular test stack based on hydraulic compression. Technical information about the test stack design and functions are given in this work. In this test environment maximum specific power output of 182 mW cm-2 has been obtained under robust operation conditions.
This report gives a brief overview to the state of the art of PEM fuel cell technology and a description of a newly developed fuel cell stack concept. One main research activity at the Westphalian Energy Institute of the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences is the development of PEM fuel cells, for which a range of different materials have been investigated for fuel cell pole plate construction. Whereas graphite is a material which has suitable properties concerning conductivity as well as manufacturing e.g. for milling, stainless steel foils are suitable for economical hydroforming processes. However, with steel coating is necessary to increase corrosion resistance as well as electrical conductivity. A new fuel cell stack design is currently under development using separated single fuel cells with hydraulic cell compression. The advantages of this stack concept are modularity, effective heat exchanging and constant, uniform cell compression which are further described in this work.