The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell is a power source with the potential for reducing green-house gas emissions. Characterizing the electrolyte of a fuel cell is an important procedure for assessing the performance of the entire device. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is one of the major instruments for such characterization, since it can be used for determining the surface potential and/o...

This paper considers modeling and simulation study of a fuel cell system. A mathematical model of a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cell system is presented in this paper. For the convenience of presentation, cathode flow, anode flow, the membrane hydration, and voltage output expressions of the PEM fuel cell system are given in the paper to bridge a generic model to the model of Fuel C...

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) with a dead-ended anode and cathode can obtain high hydrogen and oxygen utilization by a comparatively simple system. Nevertheless, the accumulation of the water in the anode and cathode channels might cause a local fuel starvation degrading the performance and durability of PEMFCs. In this study, a brand new design for a polymer electrolyte membrane...

A new approach to elucidate the operation and control of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cells is being developed. A global reactor engineering approach is applied to PEM fuel cells to identify the essential physics that govern the dynamics in PEM fuel cells. Reaction engineering principles are employed to develop a one-dimensional differential PEM fuel cell suitable for elucidating the...

The relentless increase in the demand for useable power from energy-hungry economies continues to drive energy-material related research. Fuel cells, as a future potential power source that provide clean-at-the-point-of-use power offer many advantages such as high efficiency, high energy density, quiet operation, and environmental friendliness. Critical to the operation of the fuel cell is the ...

The possibility of implementing fuel cell technology in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) propulsion systems is considered. Potential advantages of the Proton Exchange Membrane or Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEMFC) and Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFC), their fuels (hydrogen and methanol), and their storage systems are revised from technical and environmental standpoints. Some operating commercia...

the process environment are needed in many emerging energy and environment technologies, ranging from membranes for gas separation (e.g., carbon capture), water purification (e.g., desalination), to clean energy production (e.g., fuel cell). In the Guo group at the University of Notre Dame, we are focused on molecularly engineering polymer and polymer-based membranes that are both structurally ...

In this paper, the sensor selection approach is investigated with the aim of using fewer sensors to provide reliable fuel cell diagnostic and prognostic results. The sensitivity of sensors is firstly calculated with a developed fuel cell model. With sensor sensitivities to different fuel cell failure modes, the available sensors can be ranked. A sensor selection algorithm is used in the analysi...

modeling the heat and mass transport in micro channel is being used extensively in researches and industrial applications. the aim is optimizing fuel cell designs before building a prototype for engineering application. in this study, numerical, three-dimensional, single phase computational fluid dynamics model of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell with both the gas distribution flow channels...

Waste incineration fly ash and bone powder could be successfully recycled to calcium phosphate hydrogel, a type of fast proton conductor. The electric conductivity of the crystallized hydrogel from them was compared with that from calcium carbonate reagent. It was found that the conductivity of the hydrogel from bone powder is almost equal to that from calcium carbonate reagent, which is higher...