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Fuel cell membranes – Pros and cons

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  • Ogungbemi, Emmanuel
  • Ijaodola, Oluwatosin
  • Khatib, F.N.
  • Wilberforce, Tabbi
  • El Hassan, Zaki
  • Thompson, James
  • Ramadan, Mohamad
  • Olabi, A.G.

Abstract

This investigation provides a critical analysis of the development of PEM fuel cells and related research with specific focus on the membrane material. The catalytic membrane is the most important component of the PEMFC giving rise to the need for the use of efficient, durable and cheap material to reduce the overall cost of the fuel cell. In this work, the need for materials other than Nafion to be used as PEM membranes is established and a case for the use of composite membranes material in fuel cells is made. Composite membranes increase the cell voltage by up to 11% even at high cell operating temperature of 95 °C. They also increase the overall performance of the cell by up to 17% when dry hydrogen is utilised.

Suggested Citation

  • Ogungbemi, Emmanuel & Ijaodola, Oluwatosin & Khatib, F.N. & Wilberforce, Tabbi & El Hassan, Zaki & Thompson, James & Ramadan, Mohamad & Olabi, A.G., 2019. "Fuel cell membranes – Pros and cons," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 155-172.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:172:y:2019:i:c:p:155-172
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2019.01.034
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    5. Moshito Lethabo Mothupi & Phumlani Fortune Msomi, 2023. "Quaternized Polyethersulfone (QPES) Membrane with Imidazole Functionalized Graphene Oxide (ImGO) for Alkaline Anion Exchange Fuel Cell Application," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-18, January.
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    7. Tabbi Wilberforce & Abdul Ghani Olabi, 2020. "Performance Prediction of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) Using Adaptive Neuro Inference System (ANFIS)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-16, June.
    8. Mojgan Fayyazi & Paramjotsingh Sardar & Sumit Infent Thomas & Roonak Daghigh & Ali Jamali & Thomas Esch & Hans Kemper & Reza Langari & Hamid Khayyam, 2023. "Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning in Energy Management Systems, Control, and Optimization of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-38, March.
    9. A.G. Olabi & Tabbi Wilberforce & Enas Taha Sayed & Khaled Elsaid & Mohammad Ali Abdelkareem, 2020. "Prospects of Fuel Cell Combined Heat and Power Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-20, August.
    10. Abed Alaswad & Abdelnasir Omran & Jose Ricardo Sodre & Tabbi Wilberforce & Gianmichelle Pignatelli & Michele Dassisti & Ahmad Baroutaji & Abdul Ghani Olabi, 2020. "Technical and Commercial Challenges of Proton-Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cells," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-21, December.
    11. Lei Yuan & Zunlong Jin & Penghui Yang & Youchen Yang & Dingbiao Wang & Xiaotang Chen, 2021. "Numerical Analysis of the Influence of Different Flow Patterns on Power and Reactant Transmission in Tubular-Shaped PEMFC," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-16, April.
    12. Yuzer, B. & Selcuk, H. & Chehade, G. & Demir, M.E. & Dincer, I., 2020. "Evaluation of hydrogen production via electrolysis with ion exchange membranes," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    13. Beltrán-Gastélum, M. & Salazar-Gastélum, M.I. & Flores-Hernández, J.R. & Botte, G.G. & Pérez-Sicairos, S. & Romero-Castañon, T. & Reynoso-Soto, E. & Félix-Navarro, R.M., 2019. "Pt-Au nanoparticles on graphene for oxygen reduction reaction: Stability and performance on proton exchange membrane fuel cell," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 1225-1234.
    14. Kang, Yun Sik & Won, Phillip & Ko, Seung Hwan & Park, Taehyun & Yoo, Sung Jong, 2019. "Bending-durable membrane-electrode assembly using metal nanowires for bendable polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 874-880.
    15. 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.
    16. Pourzare, K. & Mansourpanah, Y. & Farhadi, S. & Sadrabadi, M.M. Hasani & Ulbricht, M., 2022. "Improvement of proton conductivity of magnetically aligned phosphotungstic acid-decorated cobalt oxide embedded Nafion membrane," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PA).
    17. Ahmed Mohmed Dafalla & Lin Wei & Bereket Tsegai Habte & Jian Guo & Fangming Jiang, 2022. "Membrane Electrode Assembly Degradation Modeling of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-26, December.
    18. Teixeira, Fátima C. & Teixeira, António P.S. & Rangel, C.M., 2022. "New proton conductive membranes of indazole- and condensed pyrazolebisphosphonic acid-Nafion membranes for PEMFC," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 1187-1196.
    19. Olabi, A.G. & Wilberforce, Tabbi & Abdelkareem, Mohammad Ali, 2021. "Fuel cell application in the automotive industry and future perspective," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 214(C).
    20. Wang, Chenfang & Li, Qingshan & Wang, Chunmei & Zhang, Yangjun & Zhuge, Weilin, 2021. "Thermodynamic analysis of a hydrogen fuel cell waste heat recovery system based on a zeotropic organic Rankine cycle," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    21. A. G. Olabi & Tabbi Wilberforce & Khaled Elsaid & Tareq Salameh & Enas Taha Sayed & Khaled Saleh Husain & Mohammad Ali Abdelkareem, 2021. "Selection Guidelines for Wind Energy Technologies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-34, June.
    22. Maria H. de Sá & Catarina S. Moreira & Alexandra M. F. R. Pinto & Vânia B. Oliveira, 2022. "Recent Advances in the Development of Nanocatalysts for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-47, August.
    23. Bhosale, Amit C. & Ghosh, Prakash C. & Assaud, Loïc, 2020. "Preparation methods of membrane electrode assemblies for proton exchange membrane fuel cells and unitized regenerative fuel cells: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    24. Tong Liu, 2022. "Glucose Fuel Cells and Membranes: A Brief Overview and Literature Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-17, July.
    25. Yusra Muazzam & Muhammad Yousaf & Muhammad Zaman & Ali Elkamel & Asif Mahmood & Muhammad Rizwan & Muhammad Adnan, 2022. "Thermo-Economic Analysis of Integrated Hydrogen, Methanol and Dimethyl Ether Production Using Water Electrolyzed Hydrogen," Resources, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-27, September.

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