TY - JOUR A1 - Rost, Ulrich A1 - Mutascu, Cristian A1 - Roth, Jeffrey A1 - Sagewka, Christoph A1 - Brodmann, Michael T1 - Proof of Concept of a Novel PEM Fuel Cell Stack Design with Hydraulic Compression JF - Journal of Energy and Power Engineering N2 - In this study, a novel design concept for PEMFC (polymer electrolytemembrane fuel cell) stacks is presented with singlecells inserted in pockets surrounded by a hydraulic medium. Thehydraulic pressure introduces necessary compression forces to themembrane electrode assembly of each cell within a stack. Moreover, homogeneous cell cooling is achieved by this medium. First,prototypes presented in this work indicate that, upscaling of cells for the novelstack design is possible without significantperformancelosses. Due to its modularity and scalability, this stackdesign meets the requirements for large PEMFC units. KW - modular stack design KW - Polymer-Elektrolytmembran-Brennstoffzelle KW - hydraulic compression KW - Homogene Kühlung Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.17265/1934-8975/2015.09.003 VL - 9 IS - 9 SP - 775 EP - 783 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Rigou, Veronica A1 - Rost, Ulrich A1 - Marginean, Gabriela A1 - Brodmann, Michael A1 - Brandl, Waltraut T1 - Oxygen Plasma Activated Carbon Nanotubes as Electrode Material for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells T2 - Konferenz: "2nd International Conference on Materials for Energy", 12.-16. Mai 2013 in Karlsruhe N2 - Since the 1980’s, against the backdrop of global warming and the decline of conventional energy resources, low emission and renewable energy systems have gotten into the focus of politics as well as research and development. In order to decrease the emission of greenhouse gases Germany intents to generate 80% of its electrical energy from renewable and low emission sources by 2050. For low emission electricity generation hydrogen operated fuel cells are a potential solution. However, although fuel cell technology has been well known since the 19th century cost effective materials are needed to achieve a breakthrough in the market. Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells with Carbon Nanotubes as Electrode Material At the Westphalian Energy Institute of the Wesphalian University of Applied Sciences one main focus is on the research of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). PEMFC membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) consist of a polymer membrane with electrolytic properties covered on both sides by a catalyst layer (CL) as well as a porous and electrical conductive gas diffusion layer (GDL). For PEMFC carbon nanotubes (CNT) have ideal properties as electrode material concerning electrical conductivity, oxidation resistance and media transport. CNTs are suitable for the use as catalyst support material within the CL due to their large surface in comparison to conventional carbon supports. Furthermore, oxygen plasma treated CNTs show electrochemical activity referred to hydrogen adsorption and desorption, which has been shown by cyclic voltammetry in 0.5 M sulfuric acid solution. According to the PEMFCs anode a GDL coated with oxygen plasma activated CNTs has promising properties to significantly reduce catalyst content (e.g. platinum) of the anodic CL. KW - Polymer-Elektrolytmembran-Brennstoffzelle KW - Kohlenstoff-Nanoröhre KW - Erneuerbare Energien Y1 - 2013 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:1010-opus4-7123 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rost, Ulrich A1 - Brodmann, Michael A1 - Şerban, Viorel-Aurel A1 - Mutascu, Cristian A1 - Roth, Jeffrey A1 - Zekorn, Bruno T1 - State of the Art of PEM Fuel Cells with a Focus on a Modular Fuel Cell Stack with Hydraulic Compression JF - Scientific bulletin of the "politehnica" university of Timisoara, Romania. Transactions on mechanics N2 - This report gives a brief overview to the state of the art of PEM fuel cell technology and a description of a newly developed fuel cell stack concept. One main research activity at the Westphalian Energy Institute of the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences is the development of PEM fuel cells, for which a range of different materials have been investigated for fuel cell pole plate construction. Whereas graphite is a material which has suitable properties concerning conductivity as well as manufacturing e.g. for milling, stainless steel foils are suitable for economical hydroforming processes. However, with steel coating is necessary to increase corrosion resistance as well as electrical conductivity. A new fuel cell stack design is currently under development using separated single fuel cells with hydraulic cell compression. The advantages of this stack concept are modularity, effective heat exchanging and constant, uniform cell compression which are further described in this work. KW - PEM fuel cell KW - modular stack design KW - hydraulic compression KW - Polymer-Elektrolytmembran-Brennstoffzelle KW - Stack Y1 - 2012 VL - 57 (71) IS - 2 SP - 1 EP - 6 ER -