Gas-Crossover and Membrane-Pinhole Effects in Polymer-Electrolyte Fuel Cells
Open accessAbstract
This paper investigates the effects of gas crossover. Specifically, mathematical simulations are conducted to elucidate the fundamental changes in fuel-cell operation as permeation of the various gases through the membrane increases. Two cases are explored, with the first one examining uniform increases in the set of gas-permeation coefficients, and the second one the existence of regions of high gas crossover (i.e., membrane pinholes). For the first case, operation at 120 C is studied and a maximum limit for the hydrogen permeation coefficient of 1 x 10{sup -10} mol/bar-cm-s for a 25 {micro}m membrane is determined. For the second case, it is shown that negative current densities and temperature spikes can arise due to mixed-potential and direct-combustion effects where there are large enough pinholes, thereby impacting performance and water and thermal management.
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Weber suggested approximate relative relations ψO2 = ψN2 = (2/3)ψH2 and ψH2O = (8/9)ψH2.
“Weber suggested the following approximate relative relations [165]:(116)ψO2=ψN2=23ψH2ψH2O=89ψH2”
From Modelling the Proton-Conductive Membrane in Practical Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) Simulation: A Review (2020) · cites this paper as [165]
Weber argued that the threshold for significant performance impact arises at 10−13 mol m−1 s−1 Pa−1, which is appreciably higher than the measured permeation coefficients in wet Nafion.
“This work argued that the threshold for significant performance impact arises at 10−13 mol m−1 s−1 Pa−1, which is appreciably higher than the measured permeation coefficients in wet Nafion [165].”
From Modelling the Proton-Conductive Membrane in Practical Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) Simulation: A Review (2020) · cites this paper as [165]
Based on this theory, the study explored the impacts of pinholes with different sizes and frequencies along a channel length, revealing especially significant performance degradation in the case of single pinholes occupying a volume fraction εhole > 0.002.
“Based on this theory, the study explored the impacts of pinholes with different sizes and frequencies along a channel length, revealing especially significant performance degradation in the case of single pinholes occupying a volume fraction εhole > 0.002.”
From Modelling the Proton-Conductive Membrane in Practical Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) Simulation: A Review (2020) · cites this paper as [165]
Weber described a membrane pinhole with radius rhole according to a localised volume fraction εhole within a degraded area of the membrane Adeg.
“Weber described a membrane pinhole with radius rhole according to a localised volume fraction εhole within a degraded area of the membrane Adeg [165]:(125)εhole=πrhole2Adeg”
From Modelling the Proton-Conductive Membrane in Practical Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) Simulation: A Review (2020) · cites this paper as [165]
Within this region, the membrane effective properties are scaled by (1 − εhole) while the Maxwell-Stefan diffusion equations from the adjacent GDLs are extended through the membrane with porosity εhole and unit tortuosity, assuming a straight cylindrical pinhole.
“Within this region, the membrane effective properties are scaled by (1-εhole) while the Maxwell–Stefan diffusion equations from the adjacent GDLs are extended through the membrane with porosity εhole and unit tortuosity (assuming a straight, cylindrical pinhole).”
From Modelling the Proton-Conductive Membrane in Practical Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) Simulation: A Review (2020) · cites this paper as [165]
Cites
Transport in Polymer-Electrolyte Membranes
Weber, A. Z., & Newman, J. (2004) · Journal of The Electrochemical Society · doi:10.1149/1.1639157 · Cited by 462 · see citing works
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New Insights into Perfluorinated Sulfonic-Acid Ionomers
Kusoglu, A., & Weber, A. Z. (2017) · Chemical Reviews · doi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00159 · Cited by 2,432 · see citing works
Self-citationDickinson, E. J. F., & Smith, G. (2020) · Membranes · doi:10.3390/membranes10110310 · Cited by 101 · see citing works
- Authors
- Weber, A. Z.
- Affiliations
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US)
- Corresponding author
- Weber, Adam Z.
- ORCID
- Weber, Adam Z.
- Venue
- Journal of The Electrochemical Society
- Publisher
- The Electrochemical Society
- Published
- 2008
- Volume
- 155
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- B521
- ISSN
- 0013-4651 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1991670283
- Cited by
- 122
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 4.79
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.osti.gov
- Locations
- Journal of The Electrochemical Society (publishedVersion)
- OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) (submittedVersion)
- University of North Texas Digital Library (University of North Texas) (submittedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Department of Energy (-AC02-05CH11231, 05CH11231, DE-AC02-)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Fuel Cells and Related Materials
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Advancements in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Membrane Separation and Gas Transport
- Keywords
- gas crossover, proton exchange membrane fuel cells, hydrogen permeation, temperature spikes, mixed potential, direct combustion, fuel cell performance
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