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2 kW Modular PEM fuel cell stack for space applications: Development and test for operation under relevant conditions

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  • Giacoppo, Giosuè
  • Hovland, Scott
  • Barbera, Orazio

Abstract

A polymer electrolyte fuel cell stack of 2 kW of peak power has been designed, manufactured and tested. Such a fuel cell stack has been envisaged to be applied for manned lunar exploration missions, as secondary energy source for both mobile vehicles and fixed power plants. The stack has been bread-boarded in order to test and demonstrate the technology. The following constraints have been considered during the study: (i) operation with pure hydrogen and oxygen (ii) low humidification levels (iii) use of commercial Membrane Electrode Assemblies. The breadboard has been made consisting of two modules, each of 500 W of nominal power. Specific tests have been conducted to prove the effect of gravity on the breadboard performance and verify its ability to follow variable load profiles over time, representative of different lunar surface exploration missions. The bread-board has shown a good performance during the test campaign, even if some failures of the Membrane Electrode Assemblies have been observed. The study has demonstrated the high performance of the developed stack and the potential of fuel cell technology for use in future human lunar exploration missions. At the same time, it has highlighted serious criticalities related to the reliability and robustness of the commercially available Membrane Electrode Assemblies, which need to be investigated further, before the use of this technology in a real space exploration mission can be possible.

Suggested Citation

  • Giacoppo, Giosuè & Hovland, Scott & Barbera, Orazio, 2019. "2 kW Modular PEM fuel cell stack for space applications: Development and test for operation under relevant conditions," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 242(C), pages 1683-1696.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:242:y:2019:i:c:p:1683-1696
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.03.188
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    3. Mircea Raceanu & Nicu Bizon & Mihai Varlam, 2022. "Experimental Results for an Off-Road Vehicle Powered by a Modular Fuel Cell Systems Using an Innovative Startup Sequence," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-23, November.
    4. Yan, Xiaohui & Lin, Chen & Zheng, Zhifeng & Chen, Junren & Wei, Guanghua & Zhang, Junliang, 2020. "Effect of clamping pressure on liquid-cooled PEMFC stack performance considering inhomogeneous gas diffusion layer compression," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    5. Oh, Taek Hyun, 2021. "Effect of cathode conditions on performance of direct borohydride–hydrogen peroxide fuel cell system for space exploration," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 1156-1164.
    6. Abdul Ghani Olabi & Tabbi Wilberforce & Abdulrahman Alanazi & Parag Vichare & Enas Taha Sayed & Hussein M. Maghrabie & Khaled Elsaid & Mohammad Ali Abdelkareem, 2022. "Novel Trends in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-35, July.
    7. Uwe Reimer & Ekaterina Nikitsina & Holger Janßen & Martin Müller & Dieter Froning & Steven B. Beale & Werner Lehnert, 2021. "Design and Modeling of Metallic Bipolar Plates for a Fuel Cell Range Extender," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-26, September.
    8. Meng, Kai & Zhou, Haoran & Chen, Ben & Tu, Zhengkai, 2021. "Dynamic current cycles effect on the degradation characteristic of a H2/O2 proton exchange membrane fuel cell," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 224(C).
    9. Oh, Taek Hyun, 2021. "Gold-based bimetallic electrocatalysts supported on multiwalled carbon nanotubes for direct borohydride–hydrogen peroxide fuel cell," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 930-938.
    10. Liu, Yang & Zhao, Junjie & Tu, Zhengkai, 2024. "Detecting performance degradation in a dead-ended hydrogen-oxygen proton exchange membrane fuel cell used for an unmanned underwater vehicle," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    11. Pu, Zonghua & Zhang, Gaixia & Hassanpour, Amir & Zheng, Dewen & Wang, Shanyu & Liao, Shijun & Chen, Zhangxin & Sun, Shuhui, 2021. "Regenerative fuel cells: Recent progress, challenges, perspectives and their applications for space energy system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
    12. Xing, Shuang & Zhao, Chen & Liu, Wei & Zou, Jiexin & Chen, Ming & Wang, Haijiang, 2021. "Effects of bolt torque and gasket geometric parameters on open-cathode polymer electrolyte fuel cells," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 303(C).

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