Proton Exchange Fuel Cell

Proton Exchange Fuel Cell. General Operation of PEMFCsBenefits of PEMFCsDrawbacks of PEMFCsAt the anode hydrogen is broken down to yield a single proton and single electron The source of the hydrogen for this step is what determines the subtype of PEMFC For instance pure liquid hydrogen is used in hydrogen fuel cells while hydrogen derived from methanol is used in methanol fuel cells (whether direct or indirect) After the proton and electron are separated the proton is free to travel through the proton exchange membrane (also called a polymer eletrolyte membrane and both abbreviated PEM) The PEM is most commonly made of perfluorosulfonic acid which acts as the electrolyte in these fuel cells The proton moves to the cathode side of the fuel cell leaving the electron behind The electron is unable to cross the PEM and as a result cannot reach the cathode which is positively charged thanks to all of the protons migrating through the PEM This difference in charges sets up an electrochemical gradient which is commonly referred to as a voltage A voltage is nothing Proton exchange membrane fuel cells can operate at temperatures of 80 to 100 C which is a tremendous benefit when compared to high temperature fuel cells The ability to operate at low temperatures means short warmup periods which makes PEMFCs suitable for transportation solutions Depending on the fuel type PEMFCs are also environmentally friendly Those that burn pure hydrogen produce only water as an end product PEMFCs have high power densities They have power ranges from 5 watts to well over 500 kilowatts What is more this power is generated in a relatively small volume fuel cell when compared to other types like solid oxide or molten carbonate This high power density makes PEMFCs ideal for use in transportation There are several challenges to overcome with PEMFCs the most substantial of which is the expense and rarity of the catalysts used Platinum or a similar catalyst is necessary to facilitate the breakdown or hydrogen Without a catalyst the reaction proceeds to slow to be useful in generating electricity Another problem with platinum is that it is sensitive to carbon monoxide which is a problem in any PEMFC that does not utilize pure hydrogen Carbon monoxide at a level of even 1 part per million can “poison” the platinum catalyst and dramatically lower its efficiency There is ongoing research to find alternatives to platinum the most promising of which is an ironbased catalyst In Quebec Canada researchers at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientificque have been able to improve the efficiency of an ironbased catalyst by 35 fold This has allowed this far less expensive catalyst to perform as well as platinum Its widespread use however is held back by the fact th.

Fuel cells based on proton exchange membranes (PEMs) are among the most promising electrochemicalgenerating devices due to their high efficiency high power density low emissions and energy supply [45] Even when compared to devices such as Redox flow batteries (RFBs) they share practically the same configuration Author Miriam M TellezCruz Jorge Escorihuela Omar SolorzaFeria Vicente CompañCited by Publish Year 2021.

Protonexchange membrane fuel cell Wikipedia

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is one of the most elegant types of fuel cells which is fed hydrogen which is oxidized at the anode and oxygen that is reduced at the cathode FromCompendium of Hydrogen Energy 2016 Related terms Hydrogen.

ProtonExchange Membrane Fuel Cells an overview

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is an electrochemical energy conversion technology to directly convert the chemical energy of fuels to electricity with high efficiency and low greenhouse gas emission.