Experiment 03

Fuel Cell Performance Measurement

By Professor Wei-Hsiang Lai

I. Introduction
In the recent years, the green energy becomes important because of the shortage
of fossil fuels and global warming problem. The co-generation power system is not
possiblt to move to the green energy. Many countries have dedicated to explore the
cutting-edge technology about using renewable sources as their main energy during
these decades. Just as we know, for the conservation of energy, the development of the
clean, renewable energy technologies, such as wind power, solar energy and fuel cell.
Especially,the fuel cell have now become the focal point of our society.

II. Purpose and methods

This experiment is designed to allow students,
1. Understand the principle of the fuel cell
2. Understand the performance testing of the fuel cell
There are now six types of fuel cell as viable system which can be roughly
catagolized by temperature as follows
(1) Low temperature(80200oC)
(a) Proton exchange membrane fuel cell, PEMFC
(b) Alkaline fuel cell, AFC
(c) Phosphoric acid fuel cell, PAFC
(2) Medium and High temperature(5001000oC)
(a) Molten carbonate fuel cell, MCFC
(b) Solid oxide fuel cell, SOFC
Besides, direct methanol fuel cell(DMFC) is also operated at low temperature.
DMFC is used the polyelectrolyte as membrane, it is same as the PEMFC, thus,
PEMFC and DMFC can be called polymer electrolyte fuel cell(PEFC). We believe
that PEMFC, DMFC, SOFC are the promising ssytems. Except above-mentioned
points, PEFC can apply to portable electronic devices such as notebook, PDAetc.
The integration of the SOFC and the turbine engine is the most suitable for the heavyduty generator. PEMFC is very applicable to electric vehicle, electric locomotive and
so on. In this experiment, we use the PEMFC to understand its performance by
utilizing the bulb as load to test the voltage and current.

III. Basic Principles of Hydrogen Fuel Cells

1. Anodes
At the anode of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell, the hydrogen releases H +
ions and electrons.
2. Proton exchange membrane
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H+ ions pass though the prton exchange membrane to the cathode.

3. Cathode
At the cathode oxygen reacts with electrons in the electrode, and H+ ions from the
electrolyte, to form water.
4. External circuit
For both these reactions to proceed continuously, electrons produced at the anode
must pass through an electrical circuit to the cathode. As both the electrodes connect
to the external circuit, a current flow is produced.
5. Chemical reaction

Anodes

H 2 catalyst
2 H 2e

(1)

Cathode

2 H 1 O2 2e catalyst
H 2O
2

(2)

H 2 1 O2 H 2 O
2

(3)

Overall reaction

Fig. 1 Electrode reactions and charge flow for a proton exchange membrane
fuel cell.
Electrodes will emerge a series of physycal and chemecial process when fuel
cell generate the current such as diffusion, dissoultion, adsorption, desorbing,
separating. Every procedure have exist the energy barrier to overcome. To process
the reaction continuously have to expend the own energy to pass the resistance.
Thus, electrode potential will diverge the original idel potential, and it is called
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polarization.
Fuel cell performance has traditionally been characterized by the voltage
drop across the external load expressed as a function of the current through the
electrical load. By sweeping out a range of external loads, a polarization curve can
be obtained. The polarization curve is helpful in explaining the chemistry and
physics associated with fuel cell operation. The current is the rate of chemical
reaction in the fuel cell. The voltage is the driving force for the reaction.
Different operating regimes of the fuel cell are identified with the help of the
polarization curve. At open circuit (infinite external load resistance), no current
flows; chemical reaction equilibrium prevails at the electrodes and the voltage is a
direct measurement of the difference in chemical activity of hydrogen at the anode
and cathode. With a finite load resistance, current flows between the anode and
the cathode; an electron current goes through the external circuit, which is
balanced by an ion current going through the electrolyte. At large load resistance,
the voltage drops rapidly with increasing current; the steep initial decrease is
attributed to the barrier for the electron transfer reactions occurring at the
electrodes. This is referred to as the activation polarization region. As the load
resistance is decreased further, there is a range of load resistances where the
voltage decreases almost linearly with the current. This is referred to as the ohmic
polarization region, where the current is limited by the internal resistance of the
electrolyte to ion flow. The ohmic polarization region is the desirable operating
regime for a fuel cell. As the external resistance is decreased further, the current
reaches a limiting value where the mass transfer of reactants to the
electrode/electrolyte interface limits the reaction. This is known as the
concentration, or mass transfer, polarization region.
(a) Activation polarization
These are cused by slowness of the reactions taking place on the surface of
the electrodes. A proportion of the voltage generated is lost in driving the
chemical reaction that transfers the electrons into or from the electrode.
(b) Ohmic polarization
This voltage drop is the straightforward resistance to the flow of electrons
through the material of the electrodes and various interconnections, as well as the
restance to the flow of ions through the electrolyte.
(c) Concentration polarization
The result from the change in concentration of the reactants at the surface of
the electrodes as the fuel is used. The reduction in concentration is the result of
the failure to transport sufficient reactant to the electrode surface.
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Fig. 2 Fuel cell polarization curve

IV. Experiment Setup

The experimental setup is showed as follows:

Fig. 3 Schematic of Experimental Setup

There are several parts or devices included:
1. Fuel cell and its peripherals (BOP, )
2. Hydgren Sypply; including Pure hydrogen(99.999%) bottle * 1,
Three-way valve, and Regulator * 1, supply valve, purging valve.
3. Loads: including, 10W bulb * 5, 20W bulb * 5, 50W bulb * 5,
100W bulb * 5, and Load lamp stand *1
4. Instrumentations including, Multimeter * 2,
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V. Operational Procedure (**) - Safety Precautions (please read)

1. Prohibited flane near the test system (hydrogen is easy to kindle)
2. Please follow the operation procedure to test the fuel cell
3. Hydrogen pressure must lower than 10psig,please control the prssure
carefully.
4. Fuel cell system can not touch any mental material in case of short
circuit
5. Fuel cell potential can not lower than safety peotection voltage during
operation.
6. If you have any question please dont hesitate to contant the T.A.
(1) Before experiment
(a) Open the hydrogen
(b) Check the gas pipeline in case of gas leakage
(c) Turn the regulator to 8psig
(d) Check the load lamp loop is correct.(positive is red, negative is
black)
(e) Check the potential senese line is parallel with the electrode.
(positive is red, negative is black)
(f) Check the potential senese line is series with the electrode.
(positive is red, negative is black)
(g) Chcek the laod lamp stand without any bulb
(h) Do not put anything can be conducted on the acrylic sheet, and use
the bulb to perform the fuel cell for 2 mins.
(2) Experiment procedure
(a) Start the fuel cell
(b) Record the OCV
(c) Use the bulb to perform the fuel cell for 2 mins.
(d) Record the potential and current tested by multimeter
(e) Drawing the polarization curve
(3) Shut-down procedure
(a) Remove all bulbs
(b) Turn off the fuel cell
(c) Close the hydrogen
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(d) Turn the three-way valve to the ambience

(e) Release the regulator
(f) Remove all the circuit

VI.Results and Discussion

(1) Records
Power(W)

1
0

20 40 60 80

10
0

15
0

20
0

30
0

40
0

500

Voltage(V)
Current(A)
Power density
2
(mW/ cm )
Current density
2
(mA/ cm )

(2) The max power of the fuel cell is 300W. The reaction area is 50 cm 2
with 12 cells(a)calculate the max power density (b)calculate the
percentage error between experiment and theoretic.
power density power (mW )

total reaction area (cm ) )

(power density
(3) By observe experiment 1 and 2, does the fuel cell potential will
increasing or decreasing under the constant voltage mode?Why?

(4) Please draw the polarization curve that was tested by experiment 3(Xaxis is current ; Y-axis is potential), and indicate the activation
polarization, Ohmic polarization and concentration polarization as
shown in the Fig 4.
(5) By the experiment, it could be affected when the fuel cell is
discharge,please lists the posible factor.
(6) Nowadays, PEMFC is mostly applicable on car, motor, busand so
on. After the experiemt, please discuss the difficulties in the
application on the car.

Fig. 4 The example of the fuel cell polarization curve