Cold-start icing characteristics of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells

Understanding the icing characteristics of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is essential for optimizing their cold-start performance. This study examined the effects of start-up temperature, current density, and microporous layer (MPL) hydrophobicity on the cold-start performance and icing characteristics of PEMFCs. Further, the cold-start icing characteristics of PEMFCs were studied by testing the PEMFC output voltage, impedance, and temperature changes at different positions of the cathode gas diffusion layer. Observation of the MPL surface after cold-start failure allowed determination of the distribution of ice formation at the catalytic layer/MPL interface. At fuel cell temperatures below 0 °C, supercooled water in the cell was more likely to undergo concentrated instantaneous freezing at higher temperatures (−4 and −5 °C), whereas the cathode tended to freeze in sequence at lower temperatures (−8 °C). In addition, a more hydrophobic MPL resulted in two successive instantaneous icing phenomena in the fuel cell and improved the cold-start performance.     

A comprehensive review on the proton conductivity of proton exchange membranes (PEMs) under anhydrous conditions: Proton conductivity upper bound

The present study aims to assess the proton conductivities of the most investigated proton exchange membranes (PEMs) used in PEM fuel cells (PEMFCs). Specifically, PEMs are analyzed for their use in anhydrous fuel cells and proton conductivity upper bounds were provided for them. Considering the direct relationship between proton conductivity and temperature, an upper bound is presented. Based on the obtained upper bounds, suitable membranes for high-temperature performance are determined, and the average range of proton conductivity for each polymer group is discussed. By comparing the available proton conductivity data with upper bound, it was demonstrated that some of poly (ionic liquid)s have provided the highest proton conductivities, however aromatic polymers such as polybenzimidazole (PBI) are found more suitable choices for application at anhydrous conditions and high temperatures. The proton conductivity upper bound for anhydrous PEMs demonstrates the availability of promising polymer options for the deployment of anhydrous fuel cells.     

Carbon nanotubes reinforced proton exchange membranes in fuel cells: An overview

The proton exchange membrane (PEM) is the core component in a fuel cell. In this review, recent progress and developments on per-fluorinated and non-fluorinated membranes with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as reinforced fillers have been summarized on many key topics. Topics reviewed stem from correlating the mechanical stability, thermal stability, water retention capacity and proton conductivity of various membranes across different functionalized CNTs. In addition, topics such as the preparation strategies of membrane matrix and CNTs filler, the reinforced mechanism of CNTs in membrane are presented. Throughout, the impact of interactions between CNTs and various types of PEM is also discussed to present a deeper perspective. Finally, the strategy for improving the performance of PEM and the challenges of CNTs-based membranes are analyzed for prospects.     

Chemical durability of thin pore-filling membrane in open-circuit voltage hold test

Long-term chemical stability of proton exchange membranes in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) is an important issue for widespread commercialization. Here, we report on the chemical stability of a membrane-electrode assembly with a 7 μm thick pore-filling membrane (porous substrate filled with high ion exchange capacity perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) polymer) using an open-circuit voltage hold test. The very thin pore-filling membrane shows comparable chemical durability to Nafion 211. Interestingly, the pore-filling membrane shows a different degradation behavior from Nafion 211 due to the use of chemically and mechanically stable porous substrate, with no thickness change and little amounts of fluorine leakages are observed in the pore-filling membrane compared to membrane thinning and large amounts of fluorine leakage in Nafion 211. The thin pore-filling membrane shows promise for application in PEFCs, as it balances high fuel cell performance at high temperature and low relative humidity with high chemical durability.     

A review on current trends in potential use of metal-organic framework for hydrogen storage

Hydrogen can be a promising clean energy carrier for the replenishment of non-renewable fossil fuels. The set back of hydrogen as an alternative fuel is due to its difficulties in feasible storage and safety concerns. Current hydrogen adsorption technologies, such as cryo-compressed and liquefied storage, are costly for practical applications. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are crystalline materials that have structural versatility, high porosity and surface area, which can adsorb hydrogen efficiently. Hydrogen is adsorbed by physisorption on the MOFs through weak van der Waals force of attraction which can be easily desorbed by applying suitable heat or pressure. The strategies to improve the MOFs surface area, hydrogen uptake capacities and parameters affecting them are studied. Hydrogen spill over mechanism is found to provide high-density storage when compared to other mechanisms. MOFs can be used as proton exchange membranes to convert the stored hydrogen into electricity and can be used as electrodes for the fuel cells. In this review, we addressed the key strategies that could improve hydrogen storage properties for utilizing hydrogen as fuel and opportunities for further growth to meet energy demands.     

Alkaline fuel cell technology - A review

The realm of alkaline-based fuel cells has with the arrival of anionic exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) taken a great step to replace traditional liquid electrolyte alkaline fuel cells (AFCs). The following review summarises progress, bottleneck issues and highlights the most recent research trends within the field. The activity of alkaline catalyst materials has greatly advanced, however achieving long-term stability remains a challenge. Great AEMFC performances are reported, though these are generally obtained through the employment of platinum group metals (PGMs), thus emphasising the importance of R&D related to non-PGM materials. Thorough design strategies must be utilised for all components, to avoid a mismatch of electrochemical properties between electrode components. Lastly, AEMFC optimisation challenges on the system-level will also have to be assessed, as few application-size AEMFCs have been built and tested.     

Numerical study of cold start performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cell with coolant circulation

It has been well recognized that cold start is one of the key issues of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) used as the engine of vehicles. Coolant circulation is usually launched synchronously with the fuel cell during cold start to avoid sudden large temperature variation, which greatly increases the cell thermal mass, lowers the heating rate, and worsens the cell performance. Considering the flow and heat transfer of coolant circulation, a three-dimensional, transient, multi-disciplinary model for cold start is built up. The numerical results agree reasonably well with experimental data, indicating that the model can be used for the investigation of PEMFC cold start processes. The analysis of circulation parameter effects shows that increasing the coolant flow rate or coolant tank capacity has little influence on the cell voltage, but will increase the non-uniformity of temperature distribution along flow direction. At lower start-up temperature, this non-uniformity is more obvious. With higher coolant flow rate, although the distribution of current density becomes more evenly, the ice formation amount increases and its distribution and location are greatly affected.     

Optimization of the bipolar plate rib structure in proton exchange membrane fuel cells with an analytical method

In order to make proton exchange membrane fuel cell vehicles more marketable, not only should costs be reduced, but service life should also be further increased. Important factors determining the expected service life are the deformation and the stress distribution within the carbon paper gas diffusion layer (GDL), on which the rib structure of the bipolar plates (BPP) has a significant impact. Against this background, a new analytical method is firstly developed to predict the deformation and stress distribution within the GDL, due to compression by the ribs, with high accuracy and low computing resources. Based on the analytical method, a new parabolic rib geometry is then proposed, which can significantly reduce the maximum normal and shear stresses occurring within the GDL, thus reducing the possibility of its mechanical damage. The optimized rib design provides guidance for designing and processing commercial fuel cell BPPs.     

Reinforcement learning based energy management systems and hydrogen refuelling stations for fuel cell electric vehicles: An overview

This paper examines the current state of the art of hydrogen refuelling stations-based production and storage systems for fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles (FCHEV). Nowadays, the emissions are increasing rapidly due to the usage of fossil fuels and the demand for hydrogen refuelling stations (HRS) is emerging to replace the conventional vehicles with FCHEVs. Hence, the availability of HRS and its economic aspects are discussed. In addition, a comprehensive study is presented on the energy storage systems such as batteries, supercapacitors and fuel cells which play a major role in the FCHEVs. An energy management system (EMS) is essential to meet the load requirement with effective utilisation of power sources with various optimizing techniques. A detailed comparative analysis is presented on the merits of Reinforcement learning (RL) for the FCHEVs. The significant challenges are discussed in depth with potential solutions for future work.     

Proton-exchange membrane fuel cell ionomer hydration model using finite volume method

In this paper a dynamic membrane electrode assembly water transport model, based on the Finite Volume Method, is presented. The purpose of this paper is to provide an accessible and reproductible model capable of real time simulation. To this aim, a detailed explanation is provided regarding the equations and methods used to compute the physical-based fuel cell model. Additionally, the model is purposely developed using basic code (on Matlab?), to not be limited to a single programming language. Two phase water transport through multi-gaseous porous media (electrodes), interfacial transport, as well as diffusion, convection, and electro-osmosis within the polymer are considered. The main novelty relies in the restructuring of all equations into a single implicit system, which can iteratively be resolved through LU decomposition. This computationally efficient method allows the model to be capable of real-time simulation, by displaying the membrane water content profile evolution on a 3D figure. For nominal PEMFC operating conditions, a dry membrane reaches 35% of its final water concentration value after 2 s, and fully converges after 20 s. The final water content profile displays an 18% gradient (9 and 11 molecules per sulfonic acid sites on the anode and cathode sides, respectively). To calibrate and validate this model, mass transfer (flowmeter) and electrical (ohmmeter) methods have been applied.     

Renewable-powered hydrogen economy from Australia's perspective

This article broadly reviews the state-of-the-art technologies for hydrogen production routes, and methods of renewable integration. It outlines the main techno-economic enabler factors for Australia to transform and lead the regional energy market. Two main categories for competitive and commercial-scale hydrogen production routes in Australia are identified: 1) electrolysis powered by renewable, and 2) fossil fuel cracking via steam methane reforming (SMR) or coal gasification which must be coupled with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). It is reported that Australia is able to competitively lower the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) to a record $(1.88–2.30)/kg_H2 for SMR technologies, and $(2.02–2.47)/kg_H2 for black-coal gasification technologies. Comparatively, the LCOH via electrolysis technologies is in the range of $(4.78–5.84)/kg_H2 for the alkaline electrolysis (AE) and $(6.08–7.43)/kg_H2 for the proton exchange membrane (PEM) counterparts. Nevertheless, hydrogen production must be linked to the right infrastructure in transport-storage-conversion to demonstrate appealing business models.     

Performance deterioration and recovery in high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells: Effects of deliquescence of phosphoric acid

Phosphoric acid (PA)-doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) membranes used in high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) have high proton conductivity, and excellent mechanical and thermal stability. However, the deliquescence of PA leads to performance deterioration in humid atmosphere. The performance degradation upon exposure of the PA-doped membrane to humidity and the changes in the performance as a function of the PA loading in the electrodes are investigated. The performance of the HT-PEMFC employing the humidity-exposed membrane declines by 74.1% compared to that of the pristine membrane due to ineffective formation of the three-phase boundary. Loading a small amount of PA into the electrode induces drastic performance recovery with a decrease in the charge transfer resistance, especially at the anode. PA-dosing of both electrodes produces the best performance recovery, exceeding that of the pristine counterparts. This is a simple and effective method of recovering the performance of HT-PEMFCs after humidity-related deterioration.     

Metaheuristic-based energy management strategies for fuel cell emergency power unit in electrical aircraft

This paper aims at presenting a comparative analysis of different metaheuristic algorithms in the application of energy management for fuel cell-based hybrid emergency power unit within electrical aircraft. Two energy management conventional strategies are employed while optimizing the operating temperature. Both the external energy maximization and the equivalent consumption minimization strategies are dealt with. The most efficient up-to-date metaheuristic techniques such as the artificial bee colony, the grey wolf optimization, the cuckoo search, the mine blast algorithm, the whale optimization algorithm, the moth swarm algorithm, the harmony search, the modified flower pollination algorithm and the electromagnetic field optimization are considered. The overall index of optimization performance is considered as a function of hydrogen consumption, overall system efficiency, variations of states of charge and stresses in different energy sources. The numerical simulations, through Matlab™/Simulink, highlights the capability of the different metaheuristic optimization techniques towards reducing the amount of consumed hydrogen in fuel cell-based emergency power unit in electrical aircrafts. The electromagnetic field optimization method results in significant hydrogen consumption reduction in comparison with the other proposed techniques.     

Determination of fuel utilisation and recirculated gas composition in dead-ended PEMFC systems

This work presents a fundamental theory and methods for understanding the gas composition dynamics in PEMFC anode fuel supply compartments operated dead-ended with recirculation. The methods are applied to measurement data obtained from a PEMFC system operated with a 1 kW short stack.We show how fuel utilisation and stack efficiency, two key factors determining how well a fuel supply system performs, are coupled through the anode gas composition.The developed methods allow determination of the anode fuel supply molar balance, giving access to the membrane crossover rates and the extent of recirculated gas exchanged to fresh fuel during a purge. A methane tracer gas is also evaluated for estimating fuel impurity enrichment ratios.The above theory and methods may be applied in modelling and experimental research activities related to defining hydrogen fuel quality standards, as well as for developing more efficient and robust PEMFC system operation strategies.     

Review of hydrogen economy in Malaysia and its way forward

Heavy fossil fuels consumption has raised concerns over the energy security and climate change while hydrogen is regarded as the fuel of future to decarbonize global energy use. Hydrogen is commonly used as feedstocks in chemical industries and has a wide range of energy applications such as vehicle fuel, boiler fuel, and energy storage. However, the development of hydrogen energy in Malaysia is sluggish despite the predefined targets in hydrogen roadmap. This paper aims to study the future directions of hydrogen economy in Malaysia considering a variety of hydrogen applications. The potential approaches for hydrogen production, storage, distribution and application in Malaysia have been reviewed and the challenges of hydrogen economy are discussed. A conceptual framework for the accomplishment of hydrogen economy has been proposed where renewable hydrogen could penetrate Malaysia market in three phases. In the first phase, the market should aim to utilize the hydrogen as feedstock for chemical industries. Once the hydrogen production side is matured in the second phase, hydrogen should be used as fuel in internal combustion engines or burners. In the final phase hydrogen should be used as fuel for automobiles (using fuel cell), fuel-cell combined heat and power (CHP) and as energy storage.     

A novel approach to ammonia synthesis from hydrogen sulfide

There are a number of shortcomings for currently-available technologies for ammonia production, such as carbon dioxide emissions and water consumption. We simulate a novel model for ammonia production from hydrogen sulfide through membrane technologies. The proposed production process decreases the need for external water and reduces the physical footprint of the plant. The required hydrogen comes from the separation of hydrogen sulfide by electrochemical membrane separation, while the required nitrogen is obtained from separating oxygen from air through an ion transport membrane. 10% of the hydrogen from the electrochemical membrane separation along with the separated oxygen from the ion transport membrane is sent to the solid oxide fuel cell for heat and power generation. This production process operates with a minimal number of processing units and in physical, kinetic, and thermal conditions in which a separation factor of ~99.99% can be attained.     

Wettability and wettability modification methods of porous transport layer in polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysis cells (PEMEC): A review

As a key component of polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysis cells (PEMEC), the wettability of anode porous transport layer (APTL) plays an important role on the transport of gas and liquid water in the anode. This paper reviews the research progress on the materials, structural parameters and wettability of APTL, and discusses qualitatively the effect of wettability on the detachment characteristics of oxygen bubbles which are on the surface or in the internal pore channels of APTL by establishing force models of an oxygen bubble. For the surface wettability modification of titanium (Ti) fiber-based APTL, the feasibility of four surface chemical modification methods, namely silane coupling agent modification, dopamine (DA) modification, grafting modification based on Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation or supercritical fluid technology are analyzed, which makes up for the blank of review articles in this field. Finally, the above-mentioned chemical modification methods are possible research opportunities for the wettability transformation of APTL.     

Performance analysis of a novel solar PTC integrated system for multi-generation with hydrogen production

The performance analysis of a novel multi-generation (MG) system that is developed for electricity, cooling, hot water and hydrogen production is presented in this study. MG systems in literature are predominantly built on a gas cycle, integrated with other thermodynamic cycles. The aim of this study is to achieve better thermodynamic (energy and exergy) performance using a MG system (without a gas cycle) that produces hydrogen. A proton exchange membrane (PEM) utilizes some of the electricity generated by the MG system to produce hydrogen. Two Rankine cycles with regeneration and reheat principles are used in the MG configuration. Double effect and single effect absorption cycles are also used to produce cooling. The electricity, hot water, cooling effect, and hydrogen production from the multi-generation are 1027 kW, 188.5 kW, 11.23 kg/s and 0.9785 kg/h respectively. An overall energy and exergy efficiency of 71.6% and 24.5% respectively is achieved considering the solar parabolic trough collector (PTC) input and this can increase to 93.3% and 31.9% if the input source is 100% efficient. The greenhouse gas emission reduction of this MG system is also analyzed.     

On the economics of a hydrogen bus fleet powered by a wind park – A case study for Austria

This paper investigates the economics of a fuel cell bus fleet powered by hydrogen produced from electricity generated by a wind park in Austria. The main research question is to simultaneously identify the most economical hydrogen generation business model for the electric utility owning wind power plants and to evaluate the economics of operating a fuel cell bus fleet, with the core objective to minimize the total costs of the overall fuel supply (hydrogen production) and use (bus and operation) system. For that, three possible operation modes of the electrolyzer have been identified and the resulting hydrogen production costs calculated. Furthermore, an in-depth economic analysis of the fuel cell buses as well as the electrolyzer technology has been conducted. Results show that investment costs are the largest cost factor for both technologies. Thus, continuous hydrogen production with the smallest possible electrolyzer is the economically most favorable option. In such an operation mode (power grid), the costs of production per kg/H₂ were the lowest. However, this means that the electrolyzer cannot be solely operated with electricity from the wind park, but is also dependent on the electricity mix from the grid. For fuel cell buses, the future cost development will depend very much on the respective policies and funding programs for the market uptake, as to date, the total cost of use for the fuel cell bus is more than two times higher than the diesel bus. The major final conclusion of this paper is that to make fuel cell electric busses competitive in the next years today severe policy interferences, such as subsidies for these busses as well as electrolyzers and bans for fossil energy, along with investments in the setup of a hydrogen infrastructure, are necessary.     

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for use on renewable sourced hydrogen fuel cell buses vs diesel engines buses in the city of Rosario,Argentina

The purpose of this paper is to build the first Energy and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) comparison between buses with internal combustion engine currently used in the city of Rosario, Province of Santa Fe, Argentina, and some technological alternatives and their variants focusing on buses with an electrical engine powered by compressed hydrogen that feet fuel cells of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM). This LCA comprehend raw material extraction up to its consumption as fuel. Specifically, hydrogen production considering different production processes from renewable sources called “green hydrogen” (Velazquez Abad and Dodds, 2020) [1] and non-renewable sources called “grey hydrogen” (Velazquez Abad and Dodds, 2020) [1]. Renewable sources for hydrogen production are rapid cut densified poplar energy plantation, post-industrial wood residues such as chips pallets, and maize silage. For non-renewable hydrogen production sources are the local electrical power grid from water electrolysis and natural gas from the steam methane reforming process.Buses whose fuel would be renewable hydrogen, produced near the City of Rosario, Province of Santa Fe, Argentina, meet one of the main criteria of sustainability biofuels of the European Union (EU) taken into account Renewable Energy Directive (RED) 2009/28 [2] and EU RED Directive 2018/2001 [3] that need significant reduction on net greenhouse gases (GHG) from biomass origin row material respect fossil fuels. At least 70% of GHG would be avoided from its main fossil counterpart of the intern combustion engine (ICE), in the worst and current scenario of the emission factor of the electrical grid of Argentina in the point of use that is about 0.40 kg CO_2eq/kWh with energy and environmental load of 100% in the allocation factor in the hydrogen production stage of the LCA analysis.