2021 Virtual Undergraduate Research Symposium
2021 Virtual Undergraduate Research Symposium
Roughness Analysis of Fuel Cell Catalyst Layers
Roughness Analysis of Fuel Cell Catalyst Layers
PROJECT NUMBER: 21 | AUTHOR: Olivia Bird, Chemistry
MENTOR: Svitlana Pylypenko, Chemistry
ABSTRACT
Fuel cells produce electrical power from stored chemical energy via a redox reaction. High efficiency and lack of carbon emissions motivate the development of fuel cells, and particularly those using hydrogen as fuel, for the transportation sector. The commercialization of this technology motivates the development of efficient catalysts and their integration into membrane electrode assembly using scalable manufacturing routes. This study examined how one manufacturing parameter – mixing time of the catalyst ink – affected the morphology, and ultimately performance, of the catalyst layer fabricated using the roll-to-roll coating method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to obtain high-resolution images of the catalyst layer, upon which image analysis was performed in order to determine parameters that can be then correlated to performance. It was found that electrode roughness and degree of cracking in the catalyst layer increased with mixing time. Additionally, this work developed a methodology which used machine learning in order to isolate or remove certain features, such as cracks, from catalyst layer images. The developed methodology can be applied to study a wider variety of processing and fabrication parameters to develop structure-processing-performance correlations and optimally improve electrode quality and performance.
PRESENTATION
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Olivia Bird is a senior at the Colorado School of Mines. She is majoring in chemistry and minoring in energy. She has been working with the Pylypenko research group since her freshman year, studying energy materials such as fuel cells and batteries. She is expected to graduate in May 2021 and has accepted an offer to study physical chemistry as part of CU Boulder’s PHD program.
Excellent presentation! Of all the different applications of this what is is that you are most excited about?