Polymer electrolyte membrane and direct methanol fuel cell technology: Volume 2: In situ characterization techniques for low temperature fuel cells

516 Pages·2012·43.287 MB·English

by  Dr. Christoph Hartnig, Dr. Christina Roth

Polymer electrolyte membrane and direct methanol fuel
cell technology
© Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2012
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© Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2012
Woodhead Publishing Series in Energy: Number 31
Polymer electrolyte
membrane and
direct methanol fuel
cell technology
Volume 2: I n situ characterization
techniques for low temperature
fuel cells
Edited by
Christoph Hartnig and Christina Roth
© Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2012
Published by Woodhead Publishing Limited,
80 High Street, Sawston, Cambridge CB22 3HJ, UK
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2011945946
ISBN 978-1-84569-774-7 (print)
ISBN 978-0-85709-548-0 (online)
ISSN 2044-9364 Woodhead Publishing Series in Energy (print)
ISSN 2044-9372 Woodhead Publishing Series in Energy (online)
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© Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2012
Contents
Contributor contact details xi
Woodhead Publishing Series in Energy xv
Preface xix
Part I Advanced characterization techniques for polymer
electrolyte membrane and direct methanol fuel cells 1
1 Extended X-ray absorption fi ne structure (EXAFS)
technique for low temperature fuel cell catalysts
characterization 3
E. PR INCIPI , Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A, Italy
1.1 Introduction 3
1.2 Basic principles and methods 4
1.3 Development of techniques 11
1.4 Application to fuel cell inspection 16
1.5 Advantages and limitations 21
1.6 Future trends 22
1.7 Sources of further information 23
1.8 References 23
2 Advanced microscopy techniques for the
characterization of polymer electrolyte membrane
fuel cell components 26
H. S CHULENBURG , Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), Switzerland,
C. RO TH , Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany and
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany and F. SC HEIBA ,
IFW Dresden, Germany
2.1 Analytical challenges in fuel cell research 26
2.2 Imaging of the ionomer 27
2.3 Imaging of electrode porosity 38
2.4 Imaging of the interface between electrode and gas
diffusion layer 47
v
© Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2012
vi Contents
2.5 The future of advanced microscopy in fuel cell research 53
2.6 Acknowledgements 60
2.7 References 60
3 Differential electrochemical mass spectrometry
(DEMS) technique for direct alcohol fuel cell
characterization 65
C. C REMERS and D. B AYER , Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical
Technology, Germany
3.1 Introduction 65
3.2 Basic principles, cell design and applications 66
3.3 Experimental techniques 73
3.4 Application with respect to fuel cell catalysis 75
3.5 Advantages and limitations of differential electrochemical
mass spectrometry (DEMS) 81
3.6 Fuel cell DEMS and in-line mass spectrometry 81
3.7 References 83
4 Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) techniques
for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell
characterization 87
X. TU AEV and P. S TRASSER , Technical University Berlin, Germany
4.1 Introduction 87
4.2 Principles and methods of small angle X-ray
scattering (SAXS) 88
4.3 Application of SAXS to fuel cell component
characterization 102
4.4 Future trends in SAXS-based fuel cell catalysis
research 112
4.5 Sources of further information 112
4.6 References 113
5 X-ray absorption near edge structure (∆μ XANES)
techniques for low temperature fuel cell
characterization 120
D. E. R AMAKER , George Washington University, USA and
C. RO TH , Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany
and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
5.1 Introduction 120
5.2 Basic principles, methods and theoretical calculations 122
5.3 Applications 129
5.4 Advantages, limitations and future trends 138
5.5 References 141
© Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2012
Contents vii
Part II Characterization of water and fuel management
in polymer electrolyte membrane and direct
methanol fuel cells 147
6 Characterization and modeling of interfaces in
polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells 149
T. SW AMY , The Pennsylvania State University, USA and
E. C. K UMBUR , Drexel University, USA
6.1 Introduction 149
6.2 Characterization of interfacial morphology in
polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) 150
6.3 Experimental investigation of interfaces in PEFCs 159
6.4 Modeling of interfaces in PEFCs 169
6.5 Future work 184
6.6 References 185
7 Neutron radiography for high-resolution studies
in low temperature fuel cells 188
D. S. H USSEY and D. L. J ACOBSON , National Institute of Standards
and Technology, USA
7.1 Introduction 188
7.2 Experimental layout of a high-resolution neutron
imaging beamline 190
7.3 Image acquisition and analysis 195
7.4 Review of recent experiments 205
7.5 Outlook and conclusions 209
7.6 Note 210
7.7 References 210
8 Neutron radiography for the investigation of
reaction patterns in direct methanol fuel cells 214
K. WI PPERMANN and A. S CHRÖDER , Forschungszentrum
Jülich GmbH, Germany
8.1 Introduction 214
8.2 Principle of neutron radiography imaging 217
8.3 Development of combined high-resolution neutron
radiography and local current distribution measurements 218
8.4 Combined neutron radiography and local current
distribution measurements 225
8.5 Conclusions and future trends 236
8.6 Sources of further information 239
8.7 References 239
© Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2012
viii Contents
9 Neutron tomography for polymer electrolyte
membrane fuel cell characterization 243
I. M ANKE and N. K ARDJILOV , Helmholtz Centre Berlin for Materials
and Energy, Germany and C. HA RTNIG , Chemetall GmbH, Germany
9.1 Introduction 243
9.2 Complementarity of neutrons and X-rays 244
9.3 Principles of neutron tomography 246
9.4 Limitations and artifacts 250
9.5 Examples of applications 252
9.6 Outlook 259
9.7 References 259
10 Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques for
polymer electrolyte membrane and direct alcohol
fuel cell characterization 262
K. W. F EINDEL , National Research Council Canada, Canada
10.1 Introduction 262
10.2 Concepts of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) 263
10.3 Introduction to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 269
10.4 NMR and MRI hardware 275
10.5 MRI technical considerations 277
10.6 Adaptation of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel
cell (PEMFC) design and materials 282
10.7 Quantifi cation of water content 286
10.8 General water distribution 289
10.9 Water in the PEM 290
10.10 Flow channels 303
10.11 Hydrogen–deuterium contrast 306
10.12 Application to direct alcohol fuel cells 310
10.13 Advantages and limitations 313
10.14 Future trends 314
10.15 Sources of further information 315
10.16 References 315
11 Raman spectroscopy for polymer electrolyte
membrane fuel cell characterization 321
H. B ETTERMANN and P. F ISCHER , Heinrich-Heine-University
of Düsseldorf, Germany
11.1 Introduction 321
11.2 Raman fundamentals 323
11.3 Experimental setup 328
11.4 Raman spectroscopic investigations on polymer
electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells 334
11.5 Outlook and future prospects 346
© Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2012
Contents ix
11.6 Acknowledgments 347
11.7 References 347
Part III Locally resolved methods for polymer
electrolyte membrane and direct methanol
fuel cell characterization 351
12 Submillimeter resolved transient techniques for
polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell
characterization: local i n situ diagnostics for
channel and land areas 353
I. A. S CHNEIDER , M. H. B AYER and S. von D AHLEN ,
Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), Switzerland
12.1 Spatially resolved characterization of polymer
electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) 353
12.2 Approaches for the evaluation of the lateral current
distribution in PEFCs 355
12.3 Submillimeter-resolved local current measurement in
channel and land areas 361
12.4 Local transient techniques in channel and land areas 363
12.5 Combined use of local transient techniques and
neutron radiography 374
12.6 Start/stop phenomena in channel and land areas 382
12.7 Concluding remarks 390
12.8 Acknowledgments 391
12.9 References 391
13 Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) in
proton exchange membrane fuel cell research
and development 399
W. S CHUHMANN , Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany and
M. B RON , Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
13.1 Introduction 399
13.2 Basics of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) 400
13.3 SECM in fuel cell catalyst development and investigation 405
13.4 Towards the characterization of fuel cell electrodes with SECM 418
13.5 Future trends 419
13.6 References 419
14 Laser-optical methods for transport studies in
low temperature fuel cells 425
R. LI NDKEN and S. B URGMANN , Zentrum für Brennstoffzellen
Technik ZBT GmbH, Germany
14.1 Introduction 425
© Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2012