Estimation of approximate activation energy loss and mass transfer coefficient from a polarization curve of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell

Sung-Hyun Yun; Jung-Je Woo; Seok-Jun Seo; Tae-Hyun Yang; Seung-Hyeon Moon

Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.29, No.9, 1158-1162, September, 2012

DOI10.1007/s11814-012-0006-3 Export Citation

Estimation of approximate activation energy loss and mass transfer coefficient from a polarization curve of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell

Sung-Hyun Yun, Jung-Je Woo, Seok-Jun Seo, Tae-Hyun Yang¹, and Seung-Hyeon Moon^†

School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), 123, Cheomdan-gwagiro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 500-712, Korea
¹Fuel Cell Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research, P. O. Box 103, Yusong, Daejeon 305-600, Korea

E-mail:

A simple electrochemical approach is presented to quantitatively predict activation energy and mass transfer coefficient from a polarization curve of polymer electrolyte fuel cells to examine the membrane-electrode assembly(MEA) performance. It is assumed that the initial voltage drop at open circuit voltage is due to kinetic activation energy and that the current loss at short circuit current is due to mass transfer resistance. Accordingly, voltage drop in the activation polarization is converted into a change in the Gibbs free energy to determine the activation energy requirement. The mass transfer coefficient for current losses is derived from Fick’s law, based on the mass transfer limitation of oxygen at the oxygen reduction reaction sites. Case studies from the literature show reasonable correlations to the operating conditions, thereby providing a useful tool for prediction of the preliminary values of the activation energy and mass transfer coefficient for an MEA under various conditions.

Keywords:Activation Energy Loss;Mass Transfer Coefficient;Polarization Curve;Membrane-electrode Assembly (MEA);Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells (PEFCs)

[References]

Lazarou S, Pyrgioti E, Alexandridis AT, J. Power Sources, 190(2), 380 (2009)
Woo JJ, Seo SJ, Yun SH, Xu TW, Lee J, Moon SH, Electrochem. Commun., 12, 148 (2010)
Kulikovsky AA, Electrochem. Commun., 4, 845 (2002)
Kulikovsky AA, Wester T, Egmen A, Stolten D, J. Electrochem.Soc., 152, 6 (2005)
Xiong L, Kannan AM, Manthiram A, Electrochem. Commun., 4, 898 (2002)
Choi JE, Bae YC, J. Appl. Electrochem., 39(9), 1419 (2009)
Gurau V, Barbir F, Liu HT, J. Electrochem. Soc., 147(7), 2468 (2000)
Kim J, Lee SM, Srinivasan S, Chamberlin CE, J. Electrochem. Soc., 142(8), 2670 (1995)
Silva RF, De Francesco A, Pozio A, J. Power Sources, 134(1), 18 (2004)
Tricoli V, Carretta N, Bartolozzi M, J. Electrochem. Soc., 147(4), 1286 (2000)
De Martino F, Vatistas N, Tricoli V, J. Electrochem. Soc., 156(1), B59 (2009)
Agmon N, Chem. Phys. Lett., 319(3-4), 247 (2000)
Beuscher U, J. Electrochem. Soc., 153(9), A1788 (2006)
Santarelli MG, Torchio MF, Energy Conv. Manag., 48(1), 40 (2007)
Narayanan SR, Valdez TI, Firdosy S, J. Electrochem. Soc., 156(1), B152 (2009)
Fu Y, Manthiram A, Guiver MD, Electrochem. Commun., 8, 1386 (2006)
Seo SJ, Woo JJ, Yun SH, Lee HJ, Park JS, Xu TW, Yang TH, Lee J, Moon SH, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 12, 15291 (2010)
Santarelli MG, Torchio MF, Energy Conv. Manag., 48(1), 40 (2007)

[Related Articles]

[1] Lazarou S, Pyrgioti E, Alexandridis AT, J. Power Sources, 190(2), 380 (2009)

[2] Woo JJ, Seo SJ, Yun SH, Xu TW, Lee J, Moon SH, Electrochem. Commun., 12, 148 (2010)

[3] Kulikovsky AA, Electrochem. Commun., 4, 845 (2002)

[4] Kulikovsky AA, Wester T, Egmen A, Stolten D, J. Electrochem.Soc., 152, 6 (2005)

[5] Xiong L, Kannan AM, Manthiram A, Electrochem. Commun., 4, 898 (2002)

[6] Choi JE, Bae YC, J. Appl. Electrochem., 39(9), 1419 (2009)

[7] Gurau V, Barbir F, Liu HT, J. Electrochem. Soc., 147(7), 2468 (2000)

[8] Kim J, Lee SM, Srinivasan S, Chamberlin CE, J. Electrochem. Soc., 142(8), 2670 (1995)

[9] Silva RF, De Francesco A, Pozio A, J. Power Sources, 134(1), 18 (2004)

[10] Tricoli V, Carretta N, Bartolozzi M, J. Electrochem. Soc., 147(4), 1286 (2000)

[11] De Martino F, Vatistas N, Tricoli V, J. Electrochem. Soc., 156(1), B59 (2009)

[12] Agmon N, Chem. Phys. Lett., 319(3-4), 247 (2000)

[13] Beuscher U, J. Electrochem. Soc., 153(9), A1788 (2006)

[14] Santarelli MG, Torchio MF, Energy Conv. Manag., 48(1), 40 (2007)

[15] Narayanan SR, Valdez TI, Firdosy S, J. Electrochem. Soc., 156(1), B152 (2009)

[16] Fu Y, Manthiram A, Guiver MD, Electrochem. Commun., 8, 1386 (2006)

[17] Seo SJ, Woo JJ, Yun SH, Lee HJ, Park JS, Xu TW, Yang TH, Lee J, Moon SH, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 12, 15291 (2010)

[18] Santarelli MG, Torchio MF, Energy Conv. Manag., 48(1), 40 (2007)