THE LATEST RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT NEWS IN MANUFACTURING AND TECHNOLOGYTECH FRONT Big Fuel Cell Breakthrough is at the Nano Level t A
development in the real-time observation of fuel cell catalyst degradation could be the breakthrough that leads to the creation of more effi cient and durable fuel
cell stacks. Toyota Motor Corp. (Toyota City, Japan) and the the Japan Fine Ceramics Center (JFCC; Nagoya, Japan) have developed a new technique that allows monitoring of the behavior of nanometer-sized particles of platinum during chemical reactions in fuel cells. This allows the processes leading to reduced catalytic reactivity to be observed.
cell can have more than one cell which generates electricity through the chemical reaction between each oxygen cathode and hydrogen anode, with water produced as a byproduct. During the chemical reaction, hydrogen molecules are sepa- rated into electrons and hydrogen ions at the hydrogen anode, where the platinum catalyst strips away the electrons from the hydrogen molecule. The electrons travel to the oxygen cath- ode, generating electricity to power the motor. Meanwhile, the hydrogen ions cross a polymer membrane to reach the oxygen cathode, where water is produced as a byproduct of hydrogen
Photo sequence shows how platinum nanoparticle increase in size over time while catalyzing. Platinum is an essential catalyst by which the chemical
reactions between hydrogen and oxygen produce electricity in fuel cell stacks. Reduced reactivity results when platinum nanoparticles increase in size and decrease in surface area. Up until now, however, it has not been possible to observe the processes leading to this coarsening effect, making it dif- fi cult to analyze the root causes.
It is believed that this new observation method will enable discovery of the points on the carbon carrier where platinum coarsens, as well as helping determine the level of voltage output during the coarsening process. The method is also ex- pected to help determine the different characteristics of various types of carrier materials. All of these analytical tools should pro- vide direction to research aimed at improving the performance and durability of the platinum catalyst, and of the fuel cell stack. Fuel cells generate electricity through the chemical reac- tion of onboard hydrogen gas with airborne oxygen. A fuel
ions and electrons being exposed to airborne oxygen. Platinum also functions as the catalyst for this reaction. Platinum, a rare precious metal, is essential for electricity generation in fuel cells, playing a vital role in increasing fuel cell electricity generation effi ciency.
UGA Researchers Develop New Way to Manufacture Nanofi bers
R
esearchers at the University of Georgia (UGA; Athens) have developed an inexpensive way to manufacture
extraordinarily thin polymer strings commonly known as nanofi bers. The method—dubbed “magnetospinning” by the researchers—is said to provide a simple, scalable and safe means for producing very large quantities of nanofi bers that can be embedded with a multitude of materials, including live cells and drugs.
July 2015 |
AdvancedManufacturing.org 35
Image courtesy Toyota Motor Corp.
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