Structural Characterization of Membrane-Electrode-Assemblies in High Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells
Autor: | Thomas Steenberg, Silvia M. Alfaro, Søren Bredmose Simonsen, Merit Bodner, Hans Aage Hjuler, Janet Jonna Bentzen, Vedrana Andersen Dahl |
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Rok vydání: | 2019 |
Předmět: |
chemistry.chemical_classification
Materials science Renewable Energy Sustainability and the Environment Polymer Electrolyte Condensed Matter Physics Surfaces Coatings and Films Electronic Optical and Magnetic Materials Characterization (materials science) Membrane chemistry Chemical engineering Electrode Materials Chemistry Electrochemistry Fuel cells |
Zdroj: | Bodner, M, Bentzen, J J, Dahl, V A, Alfaro, S M, Steenberg, T, Hjuler, H A & Simonsen, S B 2019, ' Structural Characterization of Membrane-Electrode-Assemblies in High Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells ', Journal of The Electrochemical Society, vol. 166, no. 14, pp. F1105-F1111 . https://doi.org/10.1149/2.0981914jes |
ISSN: | 1945-7111 0013-4651 |
Popis: | In high temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cells, polybenzimidazole membranes doped in phosphoric acid are used as electrolyte material. The membrane thickness directly relate to the amount of absorbed acid which relate to performance. In this study, we compare scanning electron microscopy and X-ray micro-computed tomography (CT) regarding suitability for determining the structure of electrolyte membranes. Semi-automated layer identification and thickness estimation was used to reduce human errors and data processing time. Scanning electron microscopy was found reliable for membrane thickness characterization despite necessary destructive sample preparation. With X-ray CT it was possible to study the cells non-destructively before and after cell test. This made it possible to identify, so-called hot pressing, as the step in which the membrane lost most of its thickness. After cell operation, the use of X-ray CT at large field of view and a recently developed layer detection algorithm made it possible to visualize compression of the membrane in a pattern identical to that of the flow plate channels. This compression pattern would have been difficult to determine with conventional electron microscopy or X-ray CT without semi-automated layer detection. |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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