Hydrogen Peroxide Formation Rates in a PEMFC Anode and Cathode Effect of Humidity and Temperature

By V. Sethuraman, J. Weidner, A. Haug, S. Motupally, L. Protsailo. 2020

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Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) formation rates in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) anode and cathode were estimated as a function of humidity and temperature by studying the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on a rotating ring disk electrode. Fuel cell conditions were replicated by depositing a film of Pt/Vulcan XC-72 catalyst onto the disk and by varying the temperature, dissolved O 2 concentration, and the acidity levels in hydrochloric acid (HClO 4 ). The HClO 4 acidity was correlated to ionomer water activity and hence fuel cell humidity. The H 2 O 2 formation rates showed a linear dependence on oxygen concentration and square dependence on water activity. The H 2 O 2 selectivity in ORR was independent of oxygen concentration but increased with the decrease in water activity (i.e., decreased humidity). Potential dependent activation energy for the H 2 O 2 formation reaction was estimated from data obtained at different temperatures.

Subfields: Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/86e12f284b235b347a8ed87a1e991ff5b4270cdf