Abstract
Ohmic losses in fuel cells contain both ionic (mainly protonic) and electronic contributions. In this work, we developed a method to distinguish the resistance contributions from individual components. Proton transport resistance of proton exchange membranes (PEMs) in the through-plane direction, the major proton transport direction in in situ fuel cells, was measured using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy combined with compression-controlled fuel cell hardware. Membrane resistance was obtained by subtracting the nonmembrane contributions from the total resistance. Proton conductivities of PEMs with different equivalent weights, calculated from through-plane resistance measurements at various relative humidity conditions, were compared with good agreement to the in-plane measurements. Fuel cell electronic resistance and membrane-electrode interfacial resistance were also evaluated using both ex situ and in situ methods. The membrane-electrode interface resistance was nearly constant over a range of relative humidity conditions. The effects of test procedure and cell build strategy were investigated and had a significant impact on the membrane resistance measurements.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
