%P 198-205
%J Electrochimica Acta
%V 203
%L discovery1498675
%K Dead-ended anode; bypass effect; neutron imaging; nitrogen blanketing; current and temperature mapping
%D 2016
%O 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/
%T Nitrogen Blanketing and Hydrogen Starvation in Dead-Ended-Anode Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells Revealed by Hydro-Electro-Thermal Analysis
%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.
%A Q Meyer
%A S Ashton
%A S Torija
%A C Gurney
%A P Boillat
%A M Cochet
%A E Engebretsen
%A DP Finegan
%A P Adcock
%A PR Shearing
%A DJL Brett