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Improving the Energy Efficiency of Direct Formate Fuel Cells with a Pd/C-CeO2 Anode Catalyst and Anion Exchange Ionomer in the Catalyst Layer
- Source :
- Energies (Basel) 11 (2018). doi:10.3390/en11020369, info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Hamish Andrew Miller, Jacopo Ruggeri, Andrea Marchionni, Marco Bellini, Maria Vincenza Pagliaro, Carlo Bartoli, Andrea Pucci, Elisa Passaglia and Francesco Vizza/titolo:Improving the Energy Efficiency of Direct Formate Fuel Cells with a Pd%2FC-CeO2 Anode Catalyst and Anion Exchange Ionomer in the Catalyst Layer./doi:10.3390%2Fen11020369/rivista:Energies (Basel)/anno:2018/pagina_da:/pagina_a:/intervallo_pagine:/volume:11, Energies; Volume 11; Issue 2; Pages: 369, Energies, Vol 11, Iss 2, p 369 (2018)
- Publication Year :
- 2018
- Publisher :
- MDPI AG, 2018.
-
Abstract
- This article describes the development of a high power density Direct Formate Fuel Cell (DFFC) fed with potassium formate (KCOOH). The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) contains no platinum metal. The cathode catalyst is FeCo/C combined with a commercial anion exchange membrane (AEM). To enhance the power output and energy efficiency we have employed a nanostructured Pd/C-CeO2 anode catalyst. The activity for the formate oxidation reaction (FOR) is enhanced when compared to a Pd/C catalyst with the same Pd loading. Fuel cell tests at 60 °C show a peak power density of almost 250 mW cm−2. The discharge energy (14 kJ), faradic efficiency (89%) and energy efficiency (46%) were determined for a single fuel charge (30 mL of 4 M KCOOH and 4 M KOH). Energy analysis demonstrates that removal of the expensive KOH electrolyte is essential for the future development of these devices. To compensate we apply for the first time a polymeric ionomer in the catalyst layer of the anode electrode. A homopolymer is synthesized by the radical polymerization of vinyl benzene chloride followed by amination with 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO). The energy delivered, energy efficiency and fuel consumption efficiency of DFFCs fed with 4 M KCOOH are doubled with the use of the ionomer.
- Subjects :
- Control and Optimization
Materials science
ionomer
Inorganic chemistry
Energy Engineering and Power Technology
02 engineering and technology
Electrolyte
010402 general chemistry
lcsh:Technology
01 natural sciences
Formate oxidation
Catalysis
chemistry.chemical_compound
direct alcohol fuel cells
formate
alkaline membrane
palladium
ceria
energy efficiency
Formate
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Engineering (miscellaneous)
Power density
lcsh:T
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Membrane electrode assembly
021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology
0104 chemical sciences
Potassium formate
Anode
chemistry
0210 nano-technology
Energy (miscellaneous)
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 19961073
- Volume :
- 11
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Energies
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....c7a917157a906b197cc7e323e9a5b496