Waldrop K., Fan X., Kang N., Wycisk R., Gumeci C., Dale N., Pintauro P.N.
Vanderbilt University, US
Keywords: electrospinning, fuel cells, membrane-electrode-assembly, nanofibers, power density
The hydrogen/air proton-exchange membrane fuel cell is a promising candidate for automotive power plants, but Pt/C catalyst electrode cost and durability are still issues that require further study. Recently, there has been considerable work on identifying new catalyst electrode materials for low Pt-loading fuel cell operation, including metal alloys and core-shell nanostructures. Another way to reduce the amount of Pt in a fuel cell without a loss in power output is to improve the cathode morphology in order to maximize catalyst contact with feed gases and to enable facile water expulsion from the cathode while maintaining a sufficient number of pathways for proton and electron conduction. Electrodes with such properties can be created by nanofiber electrospinning. This paper presents representative result which show the superior performance of nanofiber mat electrode MEAs for H2/air fuel cells.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: TechConnect Briefs 2021
Published: October 18, 2021
Pages: 240 - 242
Industry sector: Energy & Sustainability
Topics: Catalysis, Energy Storage
ISBN: 978-0-578-99550-2