Eventos Anais de eventos
COBEM 2023
27th International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
Comparative Analysis of Proton Exchange Membranes and Anion Exchange Membranes for Low-Temperature Fuel Cells
Submission Author:
Fábio Furtado , PR
Co-Authors:
Fábio Furtado, Matheus Ben-Hur Ramirez Sapucaia, Beatriz Jacob Furlan, Rodrigo César Raimundo, JOSÉ VIRIATO COELHO VARGAS, Thais Helena Sydenstricker Flores-Sahagun
Presenter: Fábio Furtado
doi://10.26678/ABCM.COBEM2023.COB2023-1828
Abstract
In the context of increasing global energy consumption demand, it is necessary to search for alternative sources of energy that are clean, and renewable, and mitigate negative environmental impacts, particularly in relation to the emissions of greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide. In this context appear the fuel cells that use hydrogen as the main fuel and have only energy and water as a product of their chemical reaction. This study aims to provide a theoretical overview of the main differences between proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) and anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFC), as they are the most promising for multiple applications. Fuel cells can be applied in stationary or portable equipment, such as electric vehicles, and can be one of the solutions for replacing combustion engines. This literature review aims to compare the main characteristics employed in each type of fuel cell, both proton exchange membrane and anion exchange membrane, in order to compare their operations, preparation methods, chemical and physical characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, applications, and limitations. The membranes, whether proton exchange or anion exchange, are seen as essential components for the fabrication of fuel cells, as they directly influence the redox reaction by allowing the passage of protons or anions from one electrode to another, thus generating electric energy as product. However, contamination or drying that often occurs in these types of membranes affects their efficiency and performance. To improve proton or anion conductivity, alternative polymeric materials to Nafion are often doped with phosphoric acid, but this reduces their mechanical strength. To solve this problem, researchers propose using reinforcements such as particles, nanoparticles, fibers, nanofibers, and others. However, anion exchange membranes using KOH suffer from carbon dioxide contamination. Therefore, it is important to understand the operating mechanisms of these two mentioned fuel cell types and analyze their future prospects for improvement in research and development.
Keywords
Polymeric membranes, chemical modification, reinforcements, proton conductivity, anion conductivity
