Acoustic emission as a function of polarisation: Diagnosis of polymer electrolyte fuel cell hydration state

Acoustic emission as a function of polarisation: Diagnosis of polymer electrolyte fuel cell hydration state

Understanding water management is a crucial aspect in the development of improved polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). Separating the performance degradation due to dehydration, water flooding and reactant starvation in PEFCs is a major challenge. In this study, acoustic emission (AE) analysis, a...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: V.S. Bethapudi, M. Maier, G. Hinds, P.R. Shearing, D.J.L. Brett, M.-O. Coppens
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2019-12-01
Series:Electrochemistry Communications
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1388248119302450
id doaj-019514345efb4857bef18d573e59fbe0
record_format Article
spelling doaj-019514345efb4857bef18d573e59fbe02020-11-25T01:53:41ZengElsevierElectrochemistry Communications1388-24812019-12-01109Acoustic emission as a function of polarisation: Diagnosis of polymer electrolyte fuel cell hydration stateV.S. Bethapudi0M. Maier1G. Hinds2P.R. Shearing3D.J.L. Brett4M.-O. Coppens5EPSRC “Frontier Engineering” Centre for Nature Inspired Engineering & Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, United Kingdom; Electrochemical Innovation Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, United KingdomElectrochemical Innovation Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, United KingdomNational Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 0LW, United KingdomElectrochemical Innovation Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, United KingdomElectrochemical Innovation Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, United Kingdom; Corresponding authors at: Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, United Kingdom.EPSRC “Frontier Engineering” Centre for Nature Inspired Engineering & Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, United Kingdom; Corresponding authors at: Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, United Kingdom.Understanding water management is a crucial aspect in the development of improved polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). Separating the performance degradation due to dehydration, water flooding and reactant starvation in PEFCs is a major challenge. In this study, acoustic emission (AE) analysis, a non-invasive and non-destructive diagnostic tool, is utilised to probe water formation and removal inside an operating fuel cell. In the acoustic emission as a function of polarisation (AEfP) method, AE activity from the PEFC is measured in terms of cumulative absolute AE energy (CAEE) hits during operation at discrete points on the polarisation curve. AEfP can identify the presence of liquid water in flow channels and correlate its formation and removal with the level of cell polarisation, and consequent internal temperature. Correlation between acoustic activity and water generation, supply and removal is achieved by varying current (polarisation), cathode air feed relative humidity (RH) and cell temperature, respectively. Features such as initial membrane hydration, liquid water formation, ‘flushing’ and the transition from ‘wet-channel’ to ‘dry-channel’ operation are identified using AE analysis, thereby providing a powerful and easy to implement diagnostic for PEFCs. Keywords: Acoustic emission, Flushing, Start-up, In-operando, Flooding, Water managementhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1388248119302450
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author V.S. Bethapudi
M. Maier
G. Hinds
P.R. Shearing
D.J.L. Brett
M.-O. Coppens
spellingShingle V.S. Bethapudi
M. Maier
G. Hinds
P.R. Shearing
D.J.L. Brett
M.-O. Coppens
Acoustic emission as a function of polarisation: Diagnosis of polymer electrolyte fuel cell hydration state
Electrochemistry Communications
author_facet V.S. Bethapudi
M. Maier
G. Hinds
P.R. Shearing
D.J.L. Brett
M.-O. Coppens
author_sort V.S. Bethapudi
title Acoustic emission as a function of polarisation: Diagnosis of polymer electrolyte fuel cell hydration state
title_short Acoustic emission as a function of polarisation: Diagnosis of polymer electrolyte fuel cell hydration state
title_full Acoustic emission as a function of polarisation: Diagnosis of polymer electrolyte fuel cell hydration state
title_fullStr Acoustic emission as a function of polarisation: Diagnosis of polymer electrolyte fuel cell hydration state
title_full_unstemmed Acoustic emission as a function of polarisation: Diagnosis of polymer electrolyte fuel cell hydration state
title_sort acoustic emission as a function of polarisation: diagnosis of polymer electrolyte fuel cell hydration state
publisher Elsevier
series Electrochemistry Communications
issn 1388-2481
publishDate 2019-12-01
description Understanding water management is a crucial aspect in the development of improved polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). Separating the performance degradation due to dehydration, water flooding and reactant starvation in PEFCs is a major challenge. In this study, acoustic emission (AE) analysis, a non-invasive and non-destructive diagnostic tool, is utilised to probe water formation and removal inside an operating fuel cell. In the acoustic emission as a function of polarisation (AEfP) method, AE activity from the PEFC is measured in terms of cumulative absolute AE energy (CAEE) hits during operation at discrete points on the polarisation curve. AEfP can identify the presence of liquid water in flow channels and correlate its formation and removal with the level of cell polarisation, and consequent internal temperature. Correlation between acoustic activity and water generation, supply and removal is achieved by varying current (polarisation), cathode air feed relative humidity (RH) and cell temperature, respectively. Features such as initial membrane hydration, liquid water formation, ‘flushing’ and the transition from ‘wet-channel’ to ‘dry-channel’ operation are identified using AE analysis, thereby providing a powerful and easy to implement diagnostic for PEFCs. Keywords: Acoustic emission, Flushing, Start-up, In-operando, Flooding, Water management
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1388248119302450
work_keys_str_mv AT vsbethapudi acousticemissionasafunctionofpolarisationdiagnosisofpolymerelectrolytefuelcellhydrationstate
AT mmaier acousticemissionasafunctionofpolarisationdiagnosisofpolymerelectrolytefuelcellhydrationstate
AT ghinds acousticemissionasafunctionofpolarisationdiagnosisofpolymerelectrolytefuelcellhydrationstate
AT prshearing acousticemissionasafunctionofpolarisationdiagnosisofpolymerelectrolytefuelcellhydrationstate
AT djlbrett acousticemissionasafunctionofpolarisationdiagnosisofpolymerelectrolytefuelcellhydrationstate
AT mocoppens acousticemissionasafunctionofpolarisationdiagnosisofpolymerelectrolytefuelcellhydrationstate
_version_ 1724989704864006144

Similar Items