Research on fuel cells, energy conversion devices that generate electrical energy from chemical energy, has surged. These devices can operate continuously, assuming there is a steady supply of fuel (e.g hydrogen, methanol or carbon monoxide), providing a clean source of electricity for a range of applications from electric vehicles to backup power generation.
There are various fuel cell technologies that are commercially available, though research to improve efficiency, safety and performance is ongoing. Some examples include proton exchange membrane (PEM), phosphoric acid, direct methanol and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFCs). There are also emerging technologies under development, such as microbial fuel cells. Regardless of the chemistry involved, all fuel cells include an anode, cathode and electrolyte.
The research in this area often begins with selecting the ideal anode or cathode and catalyst design, which typically involves the use of a rotating disk electrode (RDE) or rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) to evaluate the kinetics and mechanism of the fuel conversion reaction. Other considerations include electrolyte/fuel composition and purity, cell geometry, membrane design, operating temperature and more.
Once a fuel cell has been designed, it is typical to characterize its performance by DC polarization experiments using a low current galvanodynamic scan as the signal, measuring the voltage response, and by high current pulse experiments, again measuring the voltage response. In addition to DC techniques, fuel cells and fuel cell stacks are often characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. These results can provide information about diffusion and the total cell impedance at different DC currents.
Princeton Applied Research and Solartron Analytical provide potentiostat/galvanostats with the accuracy, frequency range and accessories, including temperature control systems, required throughout the development of a fuel cell or fuel cell stack. The PARSTAT 3000A-DX bipotentiostat/galvanostat combined with the 636A Rotator and RDE0018 analytical cell kit, offers a complete solution for electrocatalyst evaluation. The PARSTAT 4000A's wide dynamic current range makes it ideal for anode/cathode development and complete fuel cell characterization. The ModuLab XM ECS can be combined into one product for both materials analysis and complete fuel cell evaluation.