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Article

Open Access

Impact of Thickness of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane on Temperature Distributions in Single Cell of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Operated at High Temperature

Author(s)

Akira Nishimura, Yusuke Sato, Masato Yoshimura, Satoru Kamiya and Masafumi Hirota

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DOI:10.17265/1934-8975/2018.02.004

Affiliation(s)

Division of Mechanical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Mie University, Tsu-city, Mie 514-8507, Japan

ABSTRACT

This study is to understand the impact of operating condition, especially initial operation temperature (T_ini) which is set in high temperature range, on the temperature profile of the interface between PEM (polymer electrolyte membrane) and catalyst layer at the cathode (i.e., the reaction surface) in a single PEFC (polymer electrolyte fuel cell). A 1D multi-plate heat transfer model based on the temperature data of separator measured using thermograph in a power generation experiment was developed to evaluate the reaction surface temperature (T_react). This study investigated the effects of T_ini, flow rate and relative humidity of supply gas as well as thickness of PEM on the temperature distribution on reaction surface. As a result, the impact of flow rate of supply gas on the temperature distribution is not significant irrespective of relative humidity conditions as well as PEM type. When operated at high temperature, the temperature distribution is relatively flat in the case of thicker PEM (Nafion 115), while T_react rises from the inlet to the outlet large and the temperature distribution is wide in the case of thin PEM (Nafion 211) irrespective of relative humidity condition. Since the water transfer through PEM in the case of Nafion 211 is better than Nafion 115 due to thin PEM, the power generation is promoted along the gas flow with the aid of humidification by water produced from electrochemical reaction.

KEYWORDS

PEFC, heat transfer model, temperature distribution, high temperature operation, thickness of PEM.

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