• Advances in Energy Research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.35-52
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• 2013

A model for DMFC anode performance is developed. The model takes into account potential--independent methanol adsorption on the catalyst surface, finite rate of proton transport through the anode catalyst layer (ACL), and a potential loss due to methanol transport in the anode backing layer. An approximate analytical half--cell polarization curve is derived and equations for the anode limiting current density are obtained. The polarization curve is fitted to the curves measured by Nordlund and Lindbergh and parameters resulted from the fitting are discussed.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.254-256
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• 2009

The performances of proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis depend on many factors such as materials, geometries, fabrication methods, operating conditions, and so forth. The fabrication method is concerned, membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) are a most important part to show different performances by different fabrication methods. The performance change of PEM water electrolysis was experimentally measured according to the fabrication differences of the anode electrodes. One point of view is the catalyst intrusion rate to the anode gas diffusion layer (GDL), and the other point of view is the catalyst loading distribution in depth of the anode GDL. Results show that the performances of MEA with deep intrusion of the catalysts are better in the range of low current densities but worse at higher current densities. The catalyst loading distribution does not affect significantly to the performance of PEM water electrolyser.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.75-78
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• 2009

The performances of proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis depend on many factors such as materials, geometries, fabrication methods, operating conditions, and so forth. The fabrication method is concerned, membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) are a most important part to show different performances by different fabrication methods. The performance change of PEM water electrolysis was experimentally measured according to the fabrication differences of the anode electrodes. One point of view is the catalyst intrusion rate to the anode gas diffusion layer (GDL), and the other point of view is the catalyst loading distribution in depth of the anode GDL. Results show that the performances of MEA with deep intrusion of the catalysts are better in the range of low current densities but worse at higher current densities. The catalyst loading distribution does not affect significantly to the performance of PEM water electrolyser.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.188-190
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• 2007

The MEA with the catalyst layer containing PtRu black and 60 wt. %Pt/C as their anode and cathode catalysts. For find to effect of carbon support, the MEA with platinum black for cathode catalyst was fabricated. The performance of the MEA with the catalyst layer containing (PtRu black:60 wt.% Pt/C) as their anode and cathode catalyst has shown competitively higher value than the performance of the MEA with the catalyst layer containing (PtRu black:Pt black) as their anode and cathode catalyst.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.413-416
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• 2006

PtRu catalyst is most widely used as anode catalyst for a direct methanol fuel cell(DMFC). To promote the efficiency of the catalysts, it Is important to increase the triple phase boundary. In this study, we have tried to increase the triple phase boundaries in preparing electrocatalysts of the fuel cells, based on the process of grafting a proton-conducting agent onto the catalyst This grafted proton-conducting agent can act as an ionomer like Nafion, currently widely used ionomer. First, we have prepared the 80wt% PtRu/Ketjen Black electrocatalyst by an improved colloidal method. And, we have grafted methylsulfonate groups $(-CH_2SO_3H)$ into the catalyst as proton-conducting agents. As results of cyclic voltammety and single cell test of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), we can conclude that the activity of the grafted electrocatalysts is superior to that of conventional ones, in performance of DMFCs. For our further study, we will investigate the optimum ratio of catalyst/grafted proton conduct Ing agent with maximum performance of a DMFC.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.467-473
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• 2008

This study is to investigate the influence of catalyst loading quantity on the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) performance. In this paper, Pt-Ru and Pt-black loading as the catalyst were varied from 1 to $4mg/cm^2$ at the anode and cathode, respectively. The experiment was conducted with single fuel cell consisted of $5cm^2$ effective electrode area, serpentine type flow pattern and Nafion 117 membrane. Also, AC impedance and methanol crossover current were measured to investigate the performance loss precisely. As a result, the performance of fuel cell was significantly increased with the increase of cathode catalyst loading. However, the performance did not increase further above a certain Pt-Ru catalyst loading as the increase of anode catalyst loading.

• Carbon letters
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.336-342
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• 2010

Different oxidation treatments on CNTs using diluted 4.0 M $H_2SO_4$ solution at room temperature and or at $90^{\circ}C$ reflux conditions were investigated to elucidate the physical and chemical changes occurring on the treated CNTs, which might have significant effects on their performance as catalyst supports in PEM fuel cells. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope analyses were made for the acid treated CNTs to determine the particle size and distribution of the CNT-supported Pt-Ru nanoparticles. These CNT-supported Pt-based nanoparticles were then employed as anode catalysts in PEMFC to investigate their catalytic activity and single-cell performance towards $H_2$ oxidation. Based on PEMFC performance results, refluxed Pt-Ru/CNT catalysts prepared using CNTs treated at $90^{\circ}C$ for 0.5 h as anode have shown better catalytic activity and PEMFC polarization performance than those of the commercially available Pt-Ru/C catalyst from ETEK and other Pt-Ru/CNT catalysts developed using raw CNT, thus demonstrating the importance of acid treatment in improving and optimizing the surface properties of catalyst support.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.18-22
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• 2003

Single cell performance has been investigated and characterized with variables in the fabrication of DMFC anode. The performance was checked as a function of ionomer content which affects ion conductivity in the catalyst layer, and catalyst slurry solvent which determines structure of agglomerates consisting of an ionomer and a catalyst. Anode with total ionomer to catalyst ratio of 0.6 showed the best performance and the lowest polarization resistance. Also, electrochemically effective surface area increased with ionomer content. As solubility of the ionomer decreases with decreasing solvent polarity, the size of agglomerates consisting of a catalyst and an ionomer became larger in the less polar solvent. The anode using DPK $(\varepsilon=12.60)$ as a solvent, which is less polar than generally-used water or alcohol species, showed the maximum performance and the lowest polarization resistance.

• 한국전기화학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.07a
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• pp.43-48
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• 2002

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 1998

Electrodes using for the anode electrode of direct methanol fuel cell with Pt/C and Pt/Ru/C catalyst were prepared and characterized by SEM, TEM, thermal analysis and electrochemical analysis. The half cell tests were carried out with 1 M $H_2SO_4$ electrolyte and 1 M $CH_3OH$ in order to evaluate the electrode performance. The employed electrochemical methods were cyclic vol-tammetry and potentiodynamic polarization experiments. It was found that 20 w% polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) content in catalyst showed the best performance due to the best platinum utilization on PTFE-containing catalyst layer. It was found that Pt/Ru/C binary catalyst inhibited the poisoning of anode electrode showing improved performance compared to the Pt/C catalyst by the adsorption of oxygen containing species on the electrode surface at same time. The apparent activation energy for methanol oxidation on the Pt/Ru/C and Pt/C catalyst layer was 11.60 kJ/mol and 26.85 kJ/mol, respectively.