Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell High Temperature Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional polymer electrolyte fuel cells with proton conductive polymers exhibit insufficient power generation characteristics under high temperature and low or no humidity conditions, requiring operation at lower temperatures and higher humidity, which complicates system design and increases costs by necessitating larger humidifiers and radiators.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cell system with a polymer electrolyte fuel cell using a proton conductive polymer (H) that includes repeating units based on perfluoromonomers with an alicyclic structure and ion exchange groups, allowing operation within a temperature range of 90 to 140°C and controlling humidity to maintain optimal performance without humidification, thus downsizing humidifiers and radiators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If conventional polymer electrolyte fuel cells operate under high temperature and low or no humidity conditions, then system complexity is reduced and cost is lowered, but power generation characteristics become insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the proton conductive polymer by introducing alicyclic structures and specific side chain configurations. This allows the fuel cell to operate at high temperatures (90-140°C) with low humidity while maintaining excellent power generation characteristics, resolving the contradiction between simplified system design and adequate performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite polymer structures combining alicyclic rings with specific side chains containing ion exchange groups. This composite molecular structure provides both thermal stability for high-temperature operation and sufficient proton conductivity under low humidity conditions, enabling simplified system design without sacrificing power generation performance
2Reliability
If conventional polymer electrolyte fuel cells operate at low temperature (about 80°C) and high humidity conditions, then power generation characteristics are maintained, but humidifier size and radiator size increase
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the operating temperature parameter to 90-140°C and using the specialized alicyclic polymer structure, the fuel cell maintains excellent power generation characteristics under low humidity conditions. This eliminates or significantly reduces the need for large humidifiers, resolving the contradiction between maintaining performance and reducing component size
3Reliability
If conventional polymer electrolyte fuel cells operate at low temperature (about 80°C) and high humidity conditions, then power generation characteristics are maintained, but radiator size increases
Solution Approach 1:
By operating at higher temperatures (90-140°C) with the alicyclic polymer structure, the fuel cell achieves better water management and maintains power generation characteristics under low humidity conditions. This reduces the heat rejection burden and allows for smaller radiator size, resolving the contradiction between performance maintenance and radiator downsizing
4Temperature
If conventional polymer electrolyte fuel cells operate under high temperature conditions, then hot water recovery temperature increases, but power generation characteristics become insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the polymer chemical structure to include alicyclic structures with specific side chains, enabling the fuel cell to operate at high temperatures (90-140°C) while maintaining excellent power generation characteristics. This simultaneously achieves high-temperature operation for improved hot water recovery and sustained power generation performance
Solution Approach 2:
The composite molecular structure with alicyclic rings and ion exchange side chains provides both thermal stability for high-temperature operation and sufficient proton conductivity, enabling the fuel cell to generate power effectively at high temperatures while recovering hot water, resolving the contradiction between temperature increase and performance maintenance
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves excellent power generation characteristics at high temperatures and low humidity, enabling the downsizing of humidifiers and radiators, and allows for wider application of recovered hot water in stationary use, simplifying the fuel cell system and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
a proton conductive polymer contained in a catalyst layer of a membrane/electrode assembly for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell
Implementation Method 2
polymer electrolyte fuel cell having the following membrane/electrode assembly, a temperature controlling means for controlling temperature of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell
Implementation Method 3
a temperature controlling means for controlling temperature of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell
Data Source
AI summary
To provide a fuel cell system provided with a polymer electrolyte fuel cell which is excellent in the power generation characteristics under high temperature and low or no humidity conditions.A fuel cell system 20 comprising a polymer electrolyte fuel cell 22 having a membrane/electrode assembly 10 having a catalyst layer containing a polymer (H) which has repeating units based on a perfluoromonomer having an alicyclic structure and has ion exchange groups, a temperature controlling means for controlling temperature of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell 22, a temperature sensor 38 for detecting temperature of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell 22, and a controlling device 40 for controlling the temperature controlling means based on temperature information from the temperature sensor 38 so that the maximum temperature of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell 22 becomes within the range of from 90 to 140° C.