Materials science for fuel cells

Abstract

The words on fuel cells, especially joined with hydrogen, take more and more rooms in discussions on security, energy and ecology. The paper addresses questions concerning the structural optimization of electrolytes and electrodes applying both zirconia and proton exchange membrane. The final, optimized, chemical composition and structure of entire fuel cells would be tuned by considering the structural altering occurring during both production and long-term operation. The paper evidences undeniably that the structure of fuel cells, ceramic and polymeric ones, direct and reversible, require a deep detailed comparative study in states after both production and different time of operation. Respectively, a structural optimization of fuel cells to be related to all the complex of their properties that finally has to result in an improvement both properties themselves and their stabilization for a long term of usage is required. It is clear that up-to-date fuel cells cannot be considered more as some just chemical devices producing electricity. They have to be sointricately designed that each their atom is attached to each of its neighbors in such an optimal way in order to ensure the properties of whole the fuel cell as adevice, which produces useful energy in the best possible manner during rather long period of time. It means that from materials science point of view the structure of fuel cell must be optimized to meet a wide spectrum of requirements to cell as high temperature electrochemical device of a long-term of operation. Now, materials science concerning fuel cells is a study not only such the obvious topics as ionic or electronic conductivities, structure of dense electrolyte and both three phase porous electrodes, mechanical behavior of entire fuel cell device etc. The study of an influence of loading and gases delivery to their interaction sites on properties of entire energy system is obvious also. In general, the fuel cell technologies are rather mature already and they might be put into commercial production. Nevertheless, the opportunities for development are endless. 3D printing is imminent.

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