In situ metal ion contamination and the effects on proton exchange membrane fuel cell performance

摘要

Automotive ruei ceu tecnnoiogy nas maae consiaeraDie progress, ana nyarogen ruei ceil vemcies are regarded as a possible long-term solution to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, reduce fossil fuel depen dency and increase energy efficiency. Even though great strides have been made, durability is still an issue. One key challenge is controlling MEA contamination. Metal ion contamination within the mem brane and the effects on fuel cell performance were investigated. Given the possible benefits of using stainless steel or aluminum for balance-of-plant components or bipolar plates, cations of Al, Fe, Ni and Cr were studied. Membranes were immersed in metal sulfide solutions of varying concentration and then assembled into fuel cell MEAs tested in situ. The ranking of the four transition metals tested in terms of the greatest reduction in fuel cell performance was: Al3*» Fe2* > Ni2*, Cr3*. For iron-contaminated mem branes, no change in cell performance was detected until the membrane conductivity loss was greater than approximately 15%.