Optimization of Operation Conditions for Alkaline Membrane Fuel Cells

 We have been developing materials for Alkaline membrane fuel cells(AMFCs) for about 10 years. Alkaline membrane fuel cell (AMFC) is one of the polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) which uses anion exchange membrane and anion conductive ionomer as polymer electrolyte materials. AMFCs have some advantages over proton-exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFC) ^1-2).

(1) The high pH environment of AMFCs allows the use of non platinum catalysts.

(2) The kinetics of the ORR reaction is more facile in alkaline environment than in acid environment.

AMFCs have been  attracting worldwide attentions, and the number of report is  increasing year by year.

We have already demonstrated the relatively high AMFC performances with hydrogen fuel, and have confirmed several features specialized to AMFCs, namely CO₂ self-purging phenomena³⁾, which could be a solution against serious CO₂ problem in AMFCs^4-6), and the effective water transport from anode to cathode side, which prevent the lack of water needed for cathode reaction⁷⁾.

In this presentation, we are going to show some new aspects for AMFC operation conditions such as temperature, water management and  choice of materials.

References

1. H. A. Gasteiger , FC-EXPO 2008, Technical conference fc-10.
2. J. R. Varcoe, R. C. T. Slade, E. Lam How Yee, S. D. Poynton, D. J. Driscoll, D. C. Apperley, Chem.  Mater., 19, 2686 (2007)
3. L. A. Adams, S. D. Poynton, C. Tamain, R. C. T. Slade, J. R. Varcoe, ChemSusChem, 1, 79 (2008).
4. H. Yanagi, K. Fukuta, ECS transactions, 16, 257 (2008).
5. K. Fukuta, H. Inoue, S. Watanabe, H. Yanagi, ECS transactions, 19, 23 (2009).
6. H. Yanagi, S. Watanabe, K. Sadasue, T. Isomura, H. Inoue, K. Fukuta, Abstract of 216^th ECS Meeting, #341 (2009).
7. T.Isomura, K.Fukuta, H.Yanagi, S.Ge and C.Y. Wang, Abstract of 219^th ECS Meeting, #221 (2011).