Implications of polymer electrolyte fuel cell exposure to synchrotron radiation on gas diffusion layer water distribution

Synchrotron radiation (SR) based imaging of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC), both radiography and tomography, is an attractive tool for the visualization of water in the gas diffusion layer as it provides temporal and spatial resolutions one order of magnitude superior to neutron imaging. Here...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of power sources 2014, Vol.245, p.796-800
Main Authors: ELLER, Jens, ROTH, Jörg, MARONE, Federica, STAMPANONI, Marco, WOKAUN, Alexander, BÜCHI, Felix N
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Direct energy conversion and energy accumulation
Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering
Electrical power engineering
Electrochemical conversion: primary and secondary batteries, fuel cells
Electrolytes
Electrolytic cells
Energy
Energy. Thermal use of fuels
Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc
Exact sciences and technology
Fuel cells
Gas diffusion
Imaging
Irradiation
Saturation
Synchrotron radiation
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Summary:Synchrotron radiation (SR) based imaging of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC), both radiography and tomography, is an attractive tool for the visualization of water in the gas diffusion layer as it provides temporal and spatial resolutions one order of magnitude superior to neutron imaging. Here we report on the degradation of cell performance and changes in GDL water saturation after SR irradiation of about 43% of a cell's active area. Fast X-ray tomographic microscopy (XTM) scans of 11 s duration are used to compare the GDL saturation before and after a 5 min irradiation period of the imaged section. The cell voltage and the water saturation decreased clearly during and after the exposure. Estimates of the current density of the SR exposed and non exposed cell domains underline the effect of irradiation.
ISSN:0378-7753
1873-2755
DOI:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2013.07.025