Ion Transfer Across Fuel Cell MembranesChaffin RossWhitefish High SchoolIndependent Study

Interest

● Earth Science Energy Unit

● Chemistry

● Space Station

Background

● What is a hydrogen fuel cell?

● How does a fuel cell work?

● What is the membranes function in a fuel cell?

Proton Exchange Membrane

● Chemical Energy = Electrical Energy

● H2 2H+ + 2e-

● Protons permeate through

● Electrons travel along load circuit

Question/ Hypothesis

● How does temperature affect the ion transfer across fuel cell membranes?

● Lower at 32-40 degrees

● Higher at temperatures 90-95 degrees

Procedure

● Independent Variable: Temperature

● Dependent Variable: Ion Transfer (Conductance in µS/cm)

● Controls: Membrane, Solutions

Ion Size

Data: Trial 1 (0.5 M NaCl)

Data: Trial 2 (0.5 M NaCl)

Data: Trial 3 (1 M NaCl)

Data: Trial 4 (0.5 M KCL)

Data: Trial 5 (1 M KCL)

Data: Trial 6 (0.5 M ZnCl2)

Data: Trial 7 (1 M ZnCl2)

Implications

● High Temperature Usage

● Low Temperature Usage

● Membrane Durability

Improvements

● Steady/same temperature

● Use different membranes

● Different Solutions

Acknowledgements

● Paula Kosted

● Derek Tarrant

● ViZn Energy

● Todd Spangler

Resources● Son, D. N., and H. Kasai. "Proton Transport through Aqueous Nafion Membrane." The

European Physical Journal E 29.4 (2009): 351-61. Print.

● Liu, Wen, Kathy Ruth, and Greg Rusch. "Membrane Durability in PEM Fuel Cells." Journal of New Materials for Materials for Electrochemical Systems 4 (n.d.): n. pag. Print.

● Faulk, Michael. "An Infrared Study of Water in Perfluorosulfonate (Nafion) Membranes."Atlantic Regional Laboratory. N.p.: n.p., 1974. 1495-501. Print.