Affiliation:
1. Kyoto Institute of Technology
2. Plumtec Co., Ltd.
3. Research Institute for Humanity and Nature
Abstract
The dehydration of electrolyte membranes in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) operating under low-humidity conditions is a critical issue for achieving their high efficiency and high power density. To reduce the membrane dryout, it’s necessary to investigate and control the water transport within working fuel cells. This study developed a single-ended fiber-optic sensor based on tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) and applied it to the real-time monitoring of the water vapor concentration in the narrow flow channel of a PEFC. The newly proposed wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) technique enabled to quantify the mole fraction of water in the channel over the wide concentration range with high accuracy. The in-situ TDLAS measurement in the PEFC during a low-humidity and load-change operation revealed that the dynamic change of cell voltage is strongly correlated to the dry-wet transition in the anode channel.
Funder
JKA and its promotion funds from KEIRIN RACE
Subject
Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics