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Design of a reference electrode for high-temperature PEM fuel cells

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Abstract

In this work, we present the design of an external reference electrode for high-temperature PEM fuel cells. The connection between the reference electrode with one of the fuel cell electrodes is realized by an ionic connector. Using the same material for the ionic connection as for the fuel cell membrane gives us the advantage to reach temperatures above 100 °C without destroying the reference electrode. This configuration allows for the separation of the anode and cathode overpotential in a working fuel cell system. In addition to the electrode overpotentials in normal hydrogen/air operation, the influence of CO and CO + H2O in the anode feed on the fuel cell potentials was investigated. When CO poisons the anode catalyst, not only the anode potential increased, but also the cathode overpotential, due to fewer protons reaching the cathode. By the use of synthetic reformate containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide and water on the anode, fuel cell voltage oscillations were observed at high constant current densities. The reference electrode measurements showed that the fuel cell oscillations were only related to reactions on the anode side influencing the anode overpotential. The cathode potential, in contrast, was only negligibly affected by the oscillations under the applied conditions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Maria Daletou from Advent (Greece) and Dr. Tomáš Klicpera from Fumatech (Germany) for the preparation of the MEAs. Dr. Dietmar Gerteisen (Fraunhofer ISE, Freiburg, Germany) is gratefully acknowledged for the helpful discussions as well as Sebastian Lang (TU Darmstadt) for his experienced PBI production. Financial support for this effort was provided by the EU project DEMMEA, Seventh Framework Programme.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Renewable Energies Group, Institute for Materials Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Petersenstr. 23, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany

    Sebastian Kaserer & Christina Roth

  2. Institute of Energy and Climate Research, Institute for Energy Research, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany

    Christoph Rakousky

  3. Institute for Applied Materials, Karlsruher Institute of Technology, 76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany

    Julia Melke

  4. Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195, Berlin, Germany

    Christina Roth

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  1. Sebastian Kaserer
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  2. Christoph Rakousky
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  4. Christina Roth
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Correspondence to Christina Roth.

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Kaserer, S., Rakousky, C., Melke, J. et al. Design of a reference electrode for high-temperature PEM fuel cells. J Appl Electrochem 43, 1069–1078 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-013-0567-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-013-0567-9

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