Event Details

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) are electrochemical devices at the forefront of clean energy production for portable, transportation and, to a lesser extent, stationary applications.

Adequate water management is critical for satisfactory PEMFC operation: Nafion electrolyte membranes require hydration to achieve good proton conduction and avoid material damage and, at the same time, water is a by-product of the cathode half-reaction and thus must be removed promptly to prevent cell flooding and fuel starvation at catalytic active sites. Current water visualisation techniques e.g. NMR, neutron, x-ray, optics, fluorescence, infrared are expensive and not readily available. Terahertz (THz) radiation are electromagnetic waves in the spectral region between 100 GHz and 10 THz. The high sensitivity of THz radiation to liquid water compared to polymeric structures enables contrast to be observed for inspecting water build-up in Nafion electrolyte membranes. In this project, we investigate the feasibility of a simple and compact THz transmission imaging system for qualitative inspection of flooding in a specially designed THz transparent PEMFC as well as qualitative and quantitative investigation of the hydration level in several industry-relevant Nafion membranes.