Search results for " fuel cell"
showing 10 items of 169 documents
Influence of heteropolyacid in enhancing proton conductivity of chitosan membranes for H2/O2 Fuel Cells
2016
To promote Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) commercialization, large research effort has been devoted in developing new polymer electrolytes that can replace the usually employed proton conductors, e.g. Nafion®, with other membranes of comparable performances but lower cost. Chitosan (CS)-based membrane electrolyte is currently studied as alternative candidate for PEMFC application. Several works have shown that Heteropolyacids (HPAs) can be used to prepare Chitosan polyelectrolytes (PECs) to be employed as proton exchange membrane in low temperature fuel cell. In previous works [1-3] we have shown that CS/PTA membranes, prepared using alumina porous medium for the slow release …
The influence of sludge retention time on mixed culture microbial fuel cell start-ups
2017
Abstract In this work, the start-ups of air-cathode microbial fuel cells (MFCs) seeds with conventional activated sludge cultivated at different solid retention times (SRTs) are compared. A clear influence of the SRT of the inoculum was observed, corresponding to an SRT of 10 days to the higher current density exerted, about 0.2 A m −2 . This observation points out that, in this type of electrochemical device, it is recommended to use high SRT seeds. The work also points out that in order to promote an efficient start-up, it is not only necessary to use high SRT seeds, but also to feed a high COD concentration. When feeding 10,000 ppm COD and keeping SRT of 10 d differences of current densi…
Electrochemical Processe s and Apparatuses for the Abatement of Acid Orange 7 in Water
2014
We have studied the electrochemical treatment of aqu eous solutions contaminated by Acid Orange 7 (AO7) by electro-Fenton process (EF). The main object ive was to evaluate how the electrochemical route affects the performances of the d egradation process. EF process was carried out in a number of very different reactors: conventional bench scale electrochem ical cell, microfluidic electrochemical reactor, microbial fuel cell and stack for reverse electrodialysis processes. The utilisation of micro devices allowed to work without the addition of a supporting elec trolyte and improved the performances of EF. Microbial fuel cell did not need the supply of electric energy bu t our device requir…
Optimization of the performance of an air–cathode MFC by changing solid retention time
2017
BACKGROUND This work is focused on the optimization of the performances of air-cathode microbial fuel cells (MFC) by changing the solid retention time (SRT) of the suspended biomass culture. RESULTS Five MFCs inoculated with activated sludge obtained from a municipal wastewater treatment plant were fed with a highly-concentrated acetate solution (10 000 ppm COD) and operated over two-month tests in order to determine how SRT may influence the performances of the bio-electrogenic cells. The MFC operated at SRTs of 2.5 days was found to outperform the other cells, operated at SRT of 1.4, 5.0, 7.4 and 10.0 days. In order to evaluate the possibility of using SRT as a manipulated parameter for t…
Study of low-pressure suspension plasma spray nanostructured coating : structural characteristics and application in solid oxide fuel cell
2021
Suspension plasma spraying (SPS) has attracted more and more attention in terms of the preparation of nanostructured / sub-microstructured ceramic coatings. However, conventional SPS techniques are conducted under atmospheric pressure, which inevitably causes some disadvantages. Recently, a novel suspension spraying technology – low-pressure suspension plasma spraying (LPSPS) – was proposed, in which the sus-pension spraying process is conducted under low environmental pressure. Benefit from the significant impact of low pressure on the coating deposition, LPSPS is expected to improve the disadvantage of SPS as well as to obtain distinct coating structures not achievable in conventional SPS…
Initial Preparation and Characterization of Single Step Fabricated Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (IT-SOFC)
2013
In this study, facile tape casting process has been successfully carried out to fabricate an unit anode supported intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (IT-SOFC) with four different layers: a composite cathode which is a mix of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3 (LSCF48) and Gd0.1Ce0.9O1.9 (GDC10), GDC10 as thin electrolyte layer, NiO-GDC10 without pore former as thin anode functional layer (AFL), and anode support layer of NiO-GDC10 with carbon pore former. The multi-layer was sintered once to produce an unit planar cell. An OCV of 1.002 V at 500 °C, and maximum power density of 466 mW cm–2 at 648 °C are obtained. These results indicate negligible leakage of fuel through electrolyte. Furtherm…
Electric Mobility in Portugal: Current Situation and Forecasts for Fuel Cell Vehicles
2021
In recent years, the growing concern for air quality has led to the development of sustainable vehicles to replace conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Currently, the most widespread technology in Europe and Portugal is that of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) or plug‐in HEV (PHEV) electric cars, but hydrogen‐based transport has also shown significant growth in the commercialization of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV) and in the development of new infrastructural schemes. In the current panorama of EV, particular attention should be paid to hydrogen technology, i.e., FCEVs, which is potentially a valid alternative to BEVs and can also be hybrid (FCHEV) and plug‐in hybrid…
Cs0.86(NH41.14SO4Te(OH)6 in porous anodic alumina for micro fuel cell applications.
2011
Abstract Cs0.86(NH4)1.14SO4Te(OH)6 supported by anodic alumina membranes (AAMs) has been characterized for the first time in H2/O2 fuel cell. The fabricated membrane electrode assemblies are able to produce peak power densities in the range 15–30 mW cm−2 under mild conditions (room temperature, low humidity and low Pt loading) and show an increased durability with cycling with respect to previous results obtained with AAM-based fuel cell. The physico-chemical characterization of the electrolytes has been carried out through X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy and micro-raman analysis. An estimation of the composite membranes conductance under fuel cell operation has been carr…
Nanoporous alumina membranes filled with solid acid for thin film fuel cells at intermediate temperatures
2004
Thin film fuel cells have been fabricated by impregnation of inorganic porous membranes with inorganic proton conductor. Anodic alumina membranes (50 μm thick and pore diameter of 200 nm), filled with CsHSO4 salt have been used as protonic conductor in a hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell working between 423 and 443 K in dry atmosphere. Polarization curves at 433 K showing ohmic control with open circuit values near 0.8 V and short circuit current around 8 mA cm−2 have been obtained. Possible causes of degradation as well as alternative routes to overcome some of the problems encountered with this approach will be reported. Keywords: Solid acid, Anodic alumina membranes, Pore filling, Thin film fuel…
Crosslinked chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol)-based polyelectrolytes for proton exchange membranes
2019
[EN] The preparation polyelectrolytes based on crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and chitosan (CS) was considered as a feasible alternative to develop highly functionalised, cost-effective and eco-friendly membranes for proton exchange fuel cell technologies. CS/PVA-based membranes were combined with sulfosuccinic acid (SSA) as crosslinking and sulfonating agent, and glycerol (GL) to promote flexibility and favour their manageability. The chemical structure, the thermo-oxidative behaviour, the ethanol uptake, the electric, the proton conductivity, and the performance in direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) were assessed. In general, all the CS/PVA-based polyelectrolytes showed a synergetic i…