Optimal MEA structure and operating conditions for fuel cell reactors with hydrogen peroxide and power cogeneration
Jie Yang,
Ruimin Ding,
Chang Liu,
Qinchao Xu,
Shanshan Liu,
Xi Yin
Affiliations
Jie Yang
State Key Laboratory of Coal Conversion, Institute of Coal Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, People’s Republic of China; School of Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, People’s Republic of China
Ruimin Ding
State Key Laboratory of Coal Conversion, Institute of Coal Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, People’s Republic of China
Chang Liu
State Key Laboratory of Coal Conversion, Institute of Coal Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, People’s Republic of China; School of Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, People’s Republic of China
Qinchao Xu
State Key Laboratory of Coal Conversion, Institute of Coal Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, People’s Republic of China
Shanshan Liu
State Key Laboratory of Coal Conversion, Institute of Coal Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, People’s Republic of China
The cogeneration of hydrogen peroxide (H _2 O _2 ) and power in proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) reactors via two-electron oxygen reduction reaction on the cathode is an economical, low-carbon, and green route for the on-site production of H _2 O _2 . However, in practice, the H _2 O _2 that cannot be collected timely will accumulate and self-decompose in the catalyst layer (CL), reducing the H _2 O _2 generation efficiency. Thus, accelerating the mass transport of H _2 O _2 within the cathode CL is critical to efficient H _2 O _2 generation in PEMFC. Herein, we investigated the effects of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) fabrication process, cathode CL thickness, and cathode carrier water flow rate on H _2 O _2 generation and cell performance in a PEMFC reactor. The results show that the catalyst-coated membrane-type MEA exhibits high power output due to its lower proton transport resistance. However, the formed CL with a dense structure significantly limits H _2 O _2 collection efficiency. The catalyst-coated gas diffusion electrode (GDE)-type MEA formed macroporous structures in the cathode CL, facilitating carrier water entry and H _2 O _2 drainage. In particular, carbon cloth GDE with thin CL could construct rich macroscopic liquid channels, thus maximizing the generation of H _2 O _2 , but will impede fuel cell performance. These results suggest that the construction of a well-connected interface between CL and proton exchange membrane (PEM) in MEA and the establishment of a macroscopic pore structure of the CL are the keys to improve the cell performance and H _2 O _2 collection efficiency.
