What is the effect of self-healing diaphragm on high fuel cell life?

According to the scientific daily report, researchers at the University of Delaware have developed a self-healing film material for hydrogen fuel cells that can repair cracks and small holes in the battery separator. This finding is important for extending the life of fuel cells and reducing the cost of full life.

Fuel cells are an efficient and clean source of energy, but one of the main challenges in the commercialization of fuel cell technology is that its key component, the perfluorosulfonic acid (Nafion) polymer separator, is not durable. During the operation of the battery, the diaphragm is chemically and mechanically degraded, and cracks and small holes are prone to occur, thereby reducing the life of the battery.

To solve this problem, three researchers at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Delaware, Ajay Prasad, LiangWang, and Suresh Advani, developed A microcapsule pre-filled with a perfluorosulfonic acid solution can repair the defects of the separator by itself. The research results have been published as a paper in the journal Electrochemical Society, and related patent applications have also been submitted.

“When the diaphragm breaks, the microcapsules will release the perfluorosulfonic acid solution, filling the place where the defect occurs,” explains Wang Liang. This improved film has passed the durability test, confirming that the self-healing ability can significantly extend the life of the fuel cell.

“It is impossible to detect and repair diaphragm defects when working on fuel cells,” says Advani. “The only solution currently is to replace the membrane electrode assembly as a whole, so the price is very expensive. The healing polymer material fills the cracks and small holes in the diaphragm, which not only prolongs the battery life, improves system safety, but also hopes to reduce the cost of the battery life cycle."

Prasad, director of the Fuel Cell Research Center at the University of Delaware, said the discovery is a major breakthrough in the development of hydrogen fuel cell polymer membrane technology, demonstrating the potential of fuel cell replacement for automotive internal combustion engines, and future in fixed or mobile platforms has a wide range of application prospects.

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