Modeling Hierarchical Non-Precious Metal Catalyst Cathodes for PEFCs Using Multi-Scale X-ray CT Imaging [electronic resource]

• Ngôn ngữ: eng
• Ký hiệu phân loại: 621.3815 Electrical, magnetic, optical, communications, computer engineering; electronics, lighting
• Thông tin xuất bản: Washington, D.C. : Oak Ridge, Tenn. : United States. Office of the Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy ; Distributed by the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Dept. of Energy, 2014
• Mô tả vật lý: Size: p. 281-292 : , digital, PDF file.
• Bộ sưu tập: Metadata
• ID: 255908
• Chủ đề: 1. 30 direct energy conversion; 2. Energy sciences; 3. Fuel cell, computed tomography,

Tóm tắt

 This paper reports the development of a model for simulating polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) with non-precious metal catalyst (NPMC) cathodes. NPMCs present an opportunity to dramatically reduce the cost of PEFC electrodes by removing the costly Pt catalyst. To address the significant transport losses in thick NPMC cathodes (ca. >
 60 �m), we developed a hierarchical electrode model that resolves the unique structure of the NPMCs we studied. A unique feature of the approach is the integration of the model with morphology data extracted from nano-scale resolution X-ray computed tomography (nano-CT) imaging of the electrodes. A notable finding is the impact of the liquid water accumulation in the electrode and the significant performance improvement possible if electrode flooding is mitigated.