NO/NO 2 Contamination of HT-PEM Fuel Cells – A Degradation Study with Evaluation of Regeneration Strategies

• Published in: ECS transactions 2020-09, Vol.98 (9), p.267-276
• Main Authors: Schonvogel, Dana, Büsselmann, Julian, Wagner, Peter, Dyck, Alexander
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1938-5862; 1938-6737
• DOI: 10.1149/09809.0267ecst

High temperature PEM fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) are characterized by enhanced tolerances towards reaction gas impurities like CO. However, impacts of NO x stemming from ambient air are not completely understood yet. This study provides the analysis of performance changes in dependence of several operational modes after cathode feed contamination using 10 ppm of NO or NO 2 . Open circuit voltage, N 2 supply, cyclic voltammetry, and an increased temperature of 180°C were used to investigate cell degradation and to evaluate their usability of regenerating the cell. NO and NO 2 contamination resulted in voltage loss rates greater than 350 µV h -1 . This dramatic impact on the HT-PEMFC was verified here to be irreversible without any regenerating effect by the applied cell modes. This evidences that less a suitable operation strategy but more an engineering approach in view of appropriate filter systems is a way to solve NO x contamination issues.