Elucidating mechanistic background of the origin and rates of peroxide formation in low temperature proton exchange fuel cells

Kregar, Ambrož (author), Katrašnik, Tomaž (author)

Degradation of electrode-membrane assembly of the low-temperature hydrogen fuel cells represents one of the main obstacles in wider adoption of these clean and efficient electrochemical sources of electrical energy. Chemical degradation of proton exchange membrane is initiated by hydrogen peroxide formation, which forms in the fuel cell as a byproduct to water in oxygen reduction reaction and decomposes to reactive radical species, damaging to the membrane chemical structure. Depending on the operating conditions of the fuel cell, the source of hydrogen peroxide can be either cathode, anode, or, as we argue in the paper, also the Pt particles in the membrane, which originate from the cathode catalyst dissolution, diffusion into the membrane and redeposition of Pt ions inside the membrane. In the paper we propose a mathematical model of intertwined physical processes in membrane and catalyst layer, aimed at unifying the description of hydrogen peroxide formation throughout entire membrane-electrode assembly at any fuel cell operating conditions. The model results, compared to experimental data, indicate that Pt particles inside the membrane can indeed be an important source of hydrogen peroxide in aged fuel cells. For a fresh fuel cell, numerical simulation using proposed model show that hydrogen peroxide can be formed at either cathode or anode, depending on the fuel cell operating condition, but with anode production being more prominent in standard fuel cell operating conditions.

• Language: English
• Keywords: fuel cells, membrane, degradation, hydrogen peroxide, modelling
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: Str. 753-770
• Numbering: Vol. 13, no. 5
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-148318-0c85b30c-41a5-8781-381c-9c0c05cb9ed6
• UDC: 621.352.6
• ISSN on article: 1847-9286
• DOI: 10.5599/jese.1659
• COBISS.SI-ID: 161131267
• Publication date in RUL: 11.08.2023

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Journal of electrochemical science and engineering
• Shortened title: J. electrochem. sci. eng.
• Publisher: International Association of Physical Chemists
• ISSN: 1847-9286
• COBISS.SI-ID: 16608022

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: gorivne celice, membrane, degradacija, vodikov peroksid, modeliranje