%0 Journal Article %@ 0013-4686 %A Meyer, Q %A Ashton, S %A Torija, S %A Gurney, C %A Boillat, P %A Cochet, M %A Engebretsen, E %A Finegan, DP %A Adcock, P %A Shearing, PR %A Brett, DJL %D 2016 %F discovery:1498675 %J Electrochimica Acta %K Dead-ended anode; bypass effect; neutron imaging; nitrogen blanketing; current and temperature mapping %P 198-205 %T Nitrogen Blanketing and Hydrogen Starvation in Dead-Ended-Anode Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells Revealed by Hydro-Electro-Thermal Analysis %U https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1498675/ %V 203 %X Dead-ended anode operation has a number of practical advantages that simplify system complexity and lower cost for polymer electrolyte fuel cells. However, dead-ended mode leads to performance loss over time which can only be reversed by performing intermittent purge events. This work applies a combined hydro-electro-thermal analysis to an air-cooled open-cathode fuel cell, presenting experimental functional maps of water distribution, current density and temperature. This approach has allowed the identification of a 'nitrogen blanketing' effect due to nitrogen cross-over from the cathode and a 'bypass' effect where a peripheral gap between the gasket and the GDL offers a hydrogen flow 'short circuit' to the border of the electrode. A consequence of high local current density at the margin of the electrode, and resulting high temperatures, may impact the lifetime of the cell in dead-end mode. %Z Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/