Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Weiqing Yan, Yifan Zhang, Lin Chen, Jun Luo, Pan Pang, Xu Zhang, Bin Liao, Minju Ying
Summary: In this study, a-C: H/TiC films were deposited on titanium bipolar plates used in PEMFCs using HiPIMS technology, improving the performance of the films through graphitization and increased conductivity, while enhancing the hydrophobicity and corrosion resistance of the films.
DIAMOND AND RELATED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Qianyun Tan, Yanli Wang
Summary: This study developed Ti4O7 doped polypyrrole coatings on metallic bipolar plates using electrodeposition technique, which showed high chemical stability and good electrical conductivity.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gaoyang Liu, Faguo Hou, Xindong Wang, Baizeng Fang
Summary: Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is a green hydrogen production technology with great potential. Metal-based bipolar plates (BPs), such as stainless steel and titanium, have received significant attention due to their high corrosion resistance and low resistivity. However, these BPs still face challenges like oxidation and hydrogen embrittlement, affecting the performance of PEMWE. Surface modifications, including silane treatment, conductive polymers (e.g., polyaniline and polypyrrole), and nanoparticles-promoted polymer hybrid coatings, have been extensively studied to address these issues. Nanoparticle-promoted polymer hybrid coatings, in particular, offer enhanced corrosion resistance, durability, and conductivity, making them a promising choice for extending the service life of PEMWE.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Wei Li, Lin-Tao Liu, Zheng-Xian Li, Yan-Feng Wang, Hong-Zhan Li, Jia-Jun Lei
Summary: This study experimentally analyzed the corrosion resistance of metal bipolar plates and the performance of surface-treated carbon films at different voltages, revealing variations in corrosion resistance under different voltage conditions.
DIAMOND AND RELATED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yifei Huang
Summary: In this study, a TiN/amorphous carbon double-layer coating was prepared on 316L stainless steel using magnetron sputtering. The structure of the amorphous carbon was controlled by varying the carbon target current. The results showed that the coating with a carbon target current of 5 A exhibited low contact resistance and high corrosion resistance.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Xian-Zong Wang, Meng-Meng Zhang, Qian Hu, Shuo Su, Hong-Qiang Fan, Haifeng Wang, Jing-Li Luo
Summary: Developing a conductive and corrosion-resistant coating on metal bipolar plates is crucial for mitigating degradation in proton exchange membrane fuel cells caused by high cathodic transient potentials. In this study, a multilayer nanoscale C/Ti coating was prepared on SS316L and achieved an outstanding ICR of 1.59 m ohm cm2 and corrosion rate of 2 x 10-8 A/cm2. Analysis of the coating's microstructure and composition revealed that the significantly enhanced corrosion resistance is attributed to diffusional interfaces which optimize potential distribution across the coating and improve the transpassive potential of C/Ti/SS.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jie Jin, Yi Tao, Xianli Kou, Xu Tian, Huifeng Yang, Yuanhao Mi, Xiaokang Xu
Summary: NiCrCN coatings were deposited on SS316L substrates using CFUMSIP to improve the corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity of PEMFC bipolar plates. The results showed the existence of various phases in the coatings, and increasing the content of Cr7C3 can reduce the interfacial contact resistance. Additionally, the coating exhibited the most intensive cross-sectional growth pattern at a Cr target current of 4A, and the current density after prolonged polarization was significantly lower than that of SS316L.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hao Li, Yang Xin, Keiji Komatsu, Peng Guo, Guanshui Ma, Peiling Ke, Kwang-Ryeol Lee, Hidetoshi Saito, Aiying Wang
Summary: In this study, the relationship among the plasma state, microstructure, and performance of amorphous carbon-coated 316L stainless steel in proton exchange-membrane fuel cells was studied by adjusting the working pressure. Results showed that high ionization degree of the plasma resulted in high compactness and large sp(2) cluster size, leading to the best performance. On the other hand, low ionization degree caused loose structure and serious interface damage.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Chien-Ju Hung, Wei-Jen Chen, Chao-An Lin, Huan-Ruei Shiu, Bin-Hao Chen
Summary: This study examines the effects of compression, deformation, and contact area in the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and considers the electrical impedance of fuel cell stacks due to the assembly of metallic bipolar plates. It suggests that an increase in compression force can improve contact resistance, but excessive compression may lead to extra contact resistance and damage to the MEA structure. By proposing different fillet radii metallic bipolar plates, the study found that an appropriate fillet radius can reduce contact resistance by 13% and prevent the accumulation of compression, thus maintaining contact resistance at adequate levels. The current design offers a simple and effective method to minimize dimension tolerance of single fuel cell units and support sufficient compression.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jie Jin, Xianli Kou, Xu Tian, Yi Tao, Xiaokang Xu, Huifeng Yang, Yuanhao Mi
Summary: In order to improve the performance of metal bipolar plates, CrAlCN coating with high corrosion resistance and conductivity was deposited on SS316L substrate using CFUMSIP technique, and cost-effective acetylene gas (C2H2) was utilized as a carbon source. XRD and XPS results showed that the proportion of carbides in the coating increased with increasing carbon contents. Electrochemical measurements demonstrated that the C-doped coating significantly enhanced the corrosion resistance of SS316L bipolar plates. The C doping improved the conductivity of the CrAlN coating, and the C-doped sample achieved the lowest ICR value (2.94 m Ωcm2, before corrosion), which was well below the DOE target (≤10 m Ωcm2). The excellent conductivity and hydrophobicity of the C-doped coating increased the power density of a single cell. This study highlights the great application prospects of CrAlCN coatings in the field of bipolar plates.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Kirsten Bobzin, Christian Kalscheuer, Parisa Hassanzadegan Aghdam
Summary: The research shows that applying pulse technique in power supply of PVD technologies can increase the durability and lifetime of tools and components. HS-PVD technology uses gas flow sputtering to eliminate the line-of-sight characteristic of conventional PVD. Using pulse DC supply can enhance coating hardness, with the lowest imprint depth and degree of failures observed in this case.
ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Huanming Li, Feifei Bi, Liang Dong, Zhutian Xu, Xiaobo Li, Fei Zhou, Chenyao Fan, Weiyu Shi, Linfa Peng, Xinmin Lai
Summary: Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are considered promising energy devices for transportation due to their efficiency and cleanliness. However, metallic bipolar plates (BPPs) face a durability problem. Currently, the lack of scientific, efficient, and low-cost evaluation methods limits the development of metallic BPPs. We propose a novel ex-situ accelerated durability evaluation method based on quantitative analysis of voltage loss and metal ions released from metallic BPPs. The method's availability and accuracy were verified through comparison of microstructures after in-situ and ex-situ testing. This method is of great significance for developing metallic BPPs with higher durability.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ling Xu Yang, Rui Jia Liu, Ying Wang, Hui Jun Liu, Chao Liu Zeng, Chao Fu
Summary: This study demonstrates the preparation of a nanocrystalline β-Nb2N coating on 430 ferritic stainless steel, which significantly enhances the corrosion resistance of the steel alloy with acceptable contact resistance.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lei Yu, Lunlin Shang, Guangan Zhang, Xia Li, Qian Meng
Summary: Arc ion plating technique was used to rapidly deposit high-quality a-C films on the surface of titanium foil, and large-sized coated BPPs suitable for industrial applications were successfully prepared. The experimental results showed that the a-C coated BPP exhibited a decreased internal resistance of 1.125 mU cm(2) and a corrosion current density of approximately 3.37 x 10(-9) A cm(-2) at a pressure of 1.4 MPa. This study provides important reference for the industrial preparation of low-cost a-C film coated metal BPPs for PEMFCs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Nima Shaigan, Xiao-Zi Yuan, Francois Girard, Khalid Fatih, Mark Robertson
Summary: The goal of the article is to establish standard specifications and test methods for quality control of bipolar plates in PEM fuel cells. By identifying and classifying important bipolar plate properties and reviewing current and past test methods, the article aims to close the gaps and provide a common ground for defining and measuring bipolar plate properties.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tianyu Chen, Zhibin Lu, Guangjin Zeng, Yongmin Xie, Jie Xiao, Zhifeng Xu
Summary: The study introduces a high-performance LSGM electrolyte-supported tubular DC-SOFC stack for portable applications, which shows great potential in developing into high-performing, efficient, and environmentally friendly portable power sources for distributed applications.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Wenbin Tong, Yili Chen, Shijie Gong, Shaokun Zhu, Jie Tian, Jiaqian Qin, Wenyong Chen, Shuanghong Chen
Summary: In this study, a three-dimensional porous NiO interface layer with enhanced anode dynamics is fabricated, forming a Schottky contact with the zinc substrate, allowing rapid and uniform zinc plating both inside and below the interface layer. The resulting NiO@Zn exhibits exceptional stability and high capacity retention.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yafeng Bai, Kaidi Li, Liying Wang, Yang Gao, Xuesong Li, Xijia Yang, Wei Lu
Summary: In this study, a flexible zinc ion supercapacitor with gel electrolytes, porous alpha-MnO2@reduced graphene oxide cathode, and activated carbon/carbon cloth anode was developed. The device exhibits excellent electrochemical performance and stability, even at low temperatures, with a high cycle retention rate after 5000 cycles.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Anmol Jnawali, Matt D. R. Kok, Francesco Iacoviello, Daniel J. L. Brett, Paul R. Shearing
Summary: This article presents the results of a systematic study on the electrochemical performance and mechanical changes in two types of commercial batteries with different anode chemistry. The study reveals that the swelling of anode layers in batteries with silicon-based components causes deformations in the jelly roll structure, but the presence of a small percentage of silicon does not significantly impact the cycling performance of the cells within the relevant state-of-health range for electric vehicles (EVs). The research suggests that there is room for improving the cell capacities by increasing the silicon loading in composite anodes to meet the increasing demands on EVs.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yohandys A. Zulueta, My Phuong Pham-Ho, Minh Tho Nguyen
Summary: Advanced atomistic simulations were used to study ion transport in the Na- and K-doped lithium disilicate Li2Si2O5. The results showed that Na and K doping significantly enhanced Li ion diffusion and conduction in the material.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zongying Han, Hui Dong, Yanru Yang, Hao Yu, Zhibin Yang
Summary: An efficient phase inversion-impregnation approach is developed to fabricate BaO-decorated Ni8 mol% YSZ anode-supported tubular solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) with anti-coking properties. BaO nanoislands are successfully introduced inside the Ni-YSZ anode, leading to higher peak power densities and improved stability in methane fuel. Density functional theory calculations suggest that the loading of BaO nanoislands facilitates carbon elimination by capturing and dissociating H2O molecules to generate OH.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Suresh Mamidi, Dan Na, Baeksang Yoon, Henu Sharma, Anil D. Pathak, Kisor Kumar Sahu, Dae Young Lee, Cheul-Ro Lee, Inseok Seo
Summary: Li-CO2 batteries, which utilize CO2 and have a high energy density, are hindered in practical applications due to slow kinetics and safety hazards. This study introduces a stable and highly conductive ceramic-based solid electrolyte and a metal-organic framework catalyst to improve the safety and performance of Li-CO2 batteries. The optimized Li-CO2 cell shows outstanding specific capacity and cycle life, and the post-cycling analysis reveals the degradation mechanism of the electrodes. First-principles calculations based on density functional theory are also performed to understand the interactions between the catalyst and the host electrode. This research demonstrates the potential of MOF cathode catalyst for stable operation in Li-CO2 batteries.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ganghua Xiang, Zhihuan Qiu, Huilong Fei, Zhigang Liu, Shuangfeng Yin, Yuen Wu
Summary: In this study, a CeFeOx-supported Pt single atoms and subnanometric clusters catalyst was developed, which exhibits enhanced catalytic activity and stability for the preferential oxidation of CO in H2-rich stream through synergistic effect.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Dimitrios Chatzogiannakis, Marcus Fehse, Maria Angeles Cabanero, Natalia Romano, Ashley Black, Damien Saurel, M. Rosa Palacin, Montse Casas-Cabanas
Summary: By coupling electrochemical testing to operando synchrotron based X-ray absorption and powder diffraction experiments, blended positive electrodes consisting of LiMn2O4 spinel (LMO) and layered LiNi0.5Mn0.3Co0.2O2 (NMC) were studied to understand their redox mechanism. It was found that blending NMC with LMO can enhance energy density at high rates, with the blend containing 25% LMO showing the best performance. Testing with a special electrochemical setup revealed that the effective current load on each blend component can vary significantly from the nominal rate and also changes with SoC. Operando studies allowed monitoring of the oxidation state evolution and changes in crystal structure, in line with the expected behavior of individual components considering their electrochemical current loads.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Chiara Cementon, Daniel Dewar, Thrinathreddy Ramireddy, Michael Brennan, Alexey M. Glushenkov
Summary: This Perspective discusses the specific power and power density of lithium-ion capacitors, highlighting the fact that their power characteristics are often underestimated. Through analysis, it is found that lithium-ion capacitors can usually achieve power densities superior to electrochemical supercapacitors, making them excellent alternatives to supercapacitors.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Weihao Wang, Hao Yu, Li Ma, Youquan Zhang, Yuejiao Chen, Libao Chen, Guichao Kuang, Liangjun Zhou, Weifeng Wei
Summary: This study achieved an improved electrolyte with excellent low-temperature and high-voltage performance by regulating the Li+ solvation structure and highly concentrating it. The electrolyte exhibited outstanding oxidation potential and high ionic conductivity under low temperature and high voltage conditions, providing a promising approach for the practical application of high-voltage LIBs.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Martin Bures, Dan Gotz, Jiri Charvat, Milos Svoboda, Jaromir Pocedic, Juraj Kosek, Alexandr Zubov, Petr Mazur
Summary: Vanadium redox flow battery is a promising energy storage solution with long-term durability, non-flammability, and high overall efficiency. Researchers have developed a mathematical model to simulate the charge-discharge cycling of the battery, and found that hydraulic connection of electrolyte tanks is the most effective strategy to reduce capacity losses, achieving a 69% reduction.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
M. Rodriguez-Gomez, J. Campo, A. Orera, F. de La Fuente, J. Valenciano, H. Fricke, D. S. Hussey, Y. Chen, D. Yu, K. An, A. Larrea
Summary: In this study, we analysed the operando performance of industrial lead cells using neutron diffraction experiments. The experiments revealed the evolution of different phases in the positive electrode, showed significant inhomogeneity of phase distribution inside the electrode, and estimated the energy efficiency of the cells.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jiawei Liu, Chenpeng Wang, Yue Yao, Hao Ye, Yinglong Liu, Yingli Liu, Xiaoru Xu, Zhicong Chen, Huazheng Yang, Gang Wu, Libin Lei, Chao Wang, Bo Liang
Summary: The study focuses on utilizing double conductive Ni-pads as anode collectors in micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cells. The simulation results show excellent performance and stability of DCNPs, and also highlight the potential applications in various fields.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yang Wang, Kangjie Zhou, Lang Cui, Jiabing Mei, Shengnan Li, Le Li, Wei Fan, Longsheng Zhang, Tianxi Liu
Summary: This study presents a polyimide sandwiched separator (s-PIF) for improving the cycling stability of Li-metal batteries. The s-PIF separator exhibits superior mechanical property, electrolyte adsorption/retention and ion conductivity, and enables dendrite-free Li plating/stripping process.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2024)