The effects of chemical pressurization on screen electrode fuel cells
Name
191680289-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
2.73 MB
Format
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Checksum (MD5)
647fb53d9c73b11ac3c9a5c5cae93cc1
Author(s)
Ahmed, Ali, S.B. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Advisor(s)
Ernest G. Cravalho.
Date Issued
2007
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
A large amount of fuel cell research focuses on porous gas diffusion (PGD) fuel cells which currently produce the best power density. However, this sect of fuel cell technology has many obstacles to overcome before becoming a viable large scale source or power. Nevertheless, alternatives to PGD fuel cells exist. Fluidized bed electrodes (FBE), packed bed electrodes, and packed screen electrodes are discussed and analyzed in this thesis. Fluidization provides a number of benefits, but also presents a different set of obstacles. One of the largest benefits of fluidization is the possibility of using chemical pressurization to increase the reactant concentration. Perfluorocarbons (PFC), currently being used in biomedical applications as oxygen carriers in plasma, can be used to effectively raise the cathode oxygen concentration. This thesis will propose a model of perfluorocarbon emulsions as applied to an oxygen half cell. The model is first developed for the simple case of a rotating disk electrode (RDE). The predictions of this model are then compared with data obtained from a RDE experiment with and without the use of PFC's. The model is then extended to the use of packed screen electrodes.
(cont.) The key findings of the model include the relationships between bed length, power output, oxygen concentration, and volumetric flow rate. Finally, the thesis is concluded with a description of the setup created to test the predictions of the model and proposals for future extensions of this research.
Description
Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2007.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 29-30).
Subjects
Mechanical Engineering.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
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