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An isothermal model of a laboratory intermediate temperature fuel cell using PBI doped phosphoric acid membranes

Lookup NU author(s): Tiago Sousa, Professor Mohamed MamloukORCiD, Emeritus Professor Keith Scott

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Abstract

A two-dimensional isothermal model is described for an intermediate temperature fuel cell using a phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) membrane. The model considered the membrane-electrode-assembly and gas flow channels. All the major transport phenomena were taken into account except the cross-over of species through the membrane. The catalyst layers were treated as spherical catalyst agglomerates with porous inter-agglomerate spaces. The inter-agglomerate spaces are filled with a mixture of electrolyte (hot phosphoric acid) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The model was validated against experimental data and used to study the influence of the catalyst layer properties on performance. Through the analyses of the effectiveness factor the model showed that utilisation of catalyst particles was very low at high current densities. At these conditions, the reaction occurs mainly on the surface of the agglomerate. An optimum phosphoric acid loading was found from the model simulations. The model was also used to demonstrate the resistance of the intermediate temperature fuel cell to anode poisoning by CO. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Sousa T, Mamlouk M, Scott K

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Chemical Engineering Science

Year: 2010

Volume: 65

Issue: 8

Pages: 2513-2530

Print publication date: 01/04/2010

ISSN (print): 0009-2509

ISSN (electronic): 1873-4405

Publisher: Elsevier

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2009.12.038

DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2009.12.038

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