Figure 1. (top) Schematic diagram of a serially connected flexible tubular polymer electrolyte membrane substance cells (t-PEMFC), and (bottom) (a-h) illustration of the elemental fabrication process. (a) chopped stainless-steel mesh, (b) is rolled into a conical signifier and welded with a welding machine, (c) the anode state diffusion furniture (GDL) and catalyst-coated membrane (CCM) are rolled connected the anode portion of the cone, (d) vigor is applied to enslaved the CCM, (e, f) the cathode GDL rolled onto the assembly, (g) the cathode electrode is inserted into the cell, and (h) vigor is applied to seal the CCM junctions. Credit: Institute for Basic Science
The miniaturization of electronics has resulted successful an ever-increasing planetary marketplace for portable devices. Correspondingly, it has go indispensable to make smaller and much lightweight powerfulness sources to run these devices. In particular, determination has been a increasing involvement successful implementing flexibility into the powerfulness sources themselves, which would beryllium utile for imaginable applications successful wearable and roll-up devices.
Fuel cells person a fig of advantages implicit accepted batteries, specified arsenic having overmuch higher vigor density and reduced biology impact. Until now, the manufacturing polymer electrolyte membrane substance cells (PEMFCs) that are small, light, and susceptible of mechanical question has been challenging utilizing accepted methods. PEMFCs are composed of extremity plates, bipolar plates, gaskets, membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs), and different assembly parts, of which the extremity plates and bipolar plates inhabit 80 percent of the full weight. These plates are heavy, rigid, and inevitably screen a ample volume, which increases the value of the system. This means that simplifying and reshaping these components would greatly trim the weight, successful summation to paving the mode towards the improvement of flexible PEMFCs.
Led by prof SUNG Yung-Eun, researchers astatine the Center for Nanoparticle Research wrong the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) successful Seoul, South Korea reported the improvement of a lightweight and flexible passive air-breathing PEMFC. These caller substance cells, termed tubular PEMFC (t-PEMFC), are not lone lightweight and of miniaturized signifier origin but are besides flexible successful design.
Figure 2. (a-d) Photographs of the t-PEMFC: (a) two-cell stacked t-PEMFC, (b) assembly modules, (c) five-cell stacked t-PEMFC, and (d) t-PEMFC measurement setup. (e-h) Performance of the idiosyncratic and serially connected t-PEMFC: (e) two-cell stacked t-PEMFC, (f) examination of mean show of two-cell stack and single-cell module, (g) five-cell stacked t-PEMFC, and (h) examination of mean show of five-cell stack and single-cell module. Nafion 211 membrane was utilized successful (e-f), portion Nafion 212 membrane was utilized successful (g-h). Credit: Institute for Basic Science
The basal portion of the t-PEMFC has a conical shape. The caller conical plan allowed for simplification of the components and to facilitate easier assembly by allowing the parts to beryllium rolled up and stacked similar insubstantial cups. This greatly reduces the fig of parts indispensable for assembly, specified arsenic clamps and bolts, arsenic good arsenic removing the bulky extremity plates that are utilized successful accepted substance cells. As the wrong of the conduit itself tin relation arsenic a channel, it besides eliminates the request for a travel tract plate. In addition, the bipolar sheet is lightweight and compact owed to being composed of stainless-steel mesh. As a result, the full value of the parts excluding the membrane electrode assembly was reduced to little than 60 percent.
Another cardinal diagnostic of the caller substance compartment is its flexible 3D operation based connected the rule of origami. The conical reverse truss plan allows the PEMFC to beryllium easy folded and bent. The folding could trim the measurement by astir 50 percent and 90 degrees bending is possible. It was confirmed that determination was astir nary degradation successful show aft folding, and up to 90 percent of the archetypal show was retained adjacent erstwhile the compartment was bent by 90 degrees.
Figure 3. (a) Schematic diagram of the conical reverse truss origami plan for the flexible t-PEMFC and (b) 1 constituent of the design. (c-e) Photographs of the flexible t-PEMFC: (c) 50%-folded, (d) 100%-folded, and (e) 45°-bent. (f-g) Polarization curve of flexible t-PEMFC according to (f) grade of folding and (g) crook angle. Credit: Institute for Basic Science
Lastly, it is besides imaginable to augment the full powerfulness output of these substance cells by connecting aggregate t-PEMFC modules successful series. The idiosyncratic units tin beryllium connected by simply inserting the tubular parts 1 aft the other. The substance compartment successful which 2 cells are connected successful bid was precise compact with a measurement of 0.565 cm3 and airy with a value of 0.22 g. A two-cell stack was capable to execute performances of 198 mW successful powerfulness output and 897.7 W·kg-1specific powerfulness density erstwhile utilizing humidified H2as a substance source. The polarization curve measurement showed that the cells maintained the aforesaid show adjacent aft much than 100 cycles. The unchangeable cognition of the compartment was besides imaginable utilizing liquid methanol arsenic fuel.
It is believed that the IBS team's caller innovative plan volition importantly beforehand the tract of fuel cell development. It is expected that the flexible t-PEMFC tin person a wide scope of applications successful devices that necessitate mechanical movements, specified arsenic drones, robots, electrical wires, and tiny pipelines that necessitate mobility. It is expected that this exertion tin besides beryllium applied successful electrochemical devices based connected polymer membrane electrodes, which are utilized successful assorted processes including h2o electrolysis and CO2 conversion.
More information: Wonchan Hwang et al, Origami-Based Flexible and Simple Tubular Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Stack, ACS Energy Letters (2021). DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.1c01460
Citation: Flexible origami-based tubular polymer electrolyte membrane substance compartment (2021, September 8) retrieved 8 September 2021 from https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-flexible-origami-based-tubular-polymer-electrolyte.html
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