The influence of membrane electrode assembly water content on the performance of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell as investigated by 1H NMR microscopy

The relation between the performance of a self-humidifying H(2)/O(2) polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell and the amount and distribution of water as observed using (1)H NMR microscopy was investigated. The integrated (1)H NMR image signal intensity (proportional to water content) from the region of the polymer electrolyte membrane between the catalyst layers was found to correlate well with the power output of the fuel cell. Several examples are provided which demonstrate the sensitivity of the (1)H NMR image intensity to the operating conditions of the fuel cell. Changes in the O(2)(g) flow rate cause predictable trends in both the power density and the image intensity. Higher power densities, achieved by decreasing the resistance of the external circuit, were found to increase the water in the PEM. An observed plateau of both the power density and the integrated (1)H NMR image signal intensity from the membrane electrode assembly and subsequent decline of the power density is postulated to result from the accumulation of H(2)O(l) in the gas diffusion layer and cathode flow field. The potential of using (1)H NMR microscopy to obtain the absolute water content of the polymer electrolyte membrane is discussed and several recommendations for future research are provided.     

Estimation of Mean and Covariance Operator for Banach Space Valued Autoregressive Processes with Dependent Innovations

In this paper we study autoregressive processes of order 1 with values in a separable Banach space it B. Such ARB(1)-processes are defined by the recursion equation

Insights into the distribution of water in a self-humidifying H2/O2 proton-exchange membrane fuel cell using 1H NMR microscopy

Proton ((1)H) NMR microscopy is used to investigate in-situ the distribution of water throughout a self-humidifying proton-exchange membrane fuel cell, PEMFC, operating at ambient temperature and pressure on dry H(2)(g) and O(2)(g). The results provide the first experimental images of the in-plane distribution of water within the PEM of a membrane electrode assembly in an operating fuel cell. The effect of gas flow configuration on the distribution of water in the PEM and cathode flow field is investigated, revealing that the counter-flow configurations yield a more uniform distribution of water throughout the PEM. The maximum power output from the PEMFC, while operating under conditions of constant external load, occurs when H(2)O(l) is first visible in the (1)H NMR image of the cathode flow field, and subsequently declines as this H(2)O(l) continues to accumulate. The (1)H NMR microscopy experiments are in qualitative agreement with predictions from several theoretical modeling studies (e.g., Pasaogullari, U.; Wang, C. Y. J. Electrochem. Soc. 2005, 152, A380-A390), suggesting that combined theoretical and experimental approaches will constitute a powerful tool for PEMFC design, diagnosis, and optimization.     

Equivalent moduli of continuity, Bloch’s theorem for pluriharmonic mappings in \mathbb{B}{\kern-8pt}\mathbb{B}^{\boldsymbol n}

In this paper, we first establish a Schwarz?CPick type theorem for pluriharmonic mappings and then we apply it to discuss the equivalent norms on Lipschitz-type spaces. Finally, we obtain several Landau??s and Bloch??s type theorems for pluriharmonic mappings.     

A green and simple method for the synthesis of 2,4,5-trisubstituted-1H-imidazole derivatives using acidic ionic liquid as an effective and recyclable catalyst under ultrasound

Research on Chemical Intermediates - In the current work, an acidic ionic liquid ([{(IMC)-4-OMBH}BIM][HSO4]3) has been utilized as an effective and recyclable catalyst for the synthesis of...     

Eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of discontinuous Sturm--Liouville problems with eigenparameter-dependent boundary conditions

We extend some fundamental spectral properties of classic regular Sturm--Liouville problems to discontinuous boundary-value problems with eigenvalue-dependent boundary conditions. We suggest a new approach for investigation of such type discontinuous problems.     

Effect of Al mole fraction on structural and electrical properties of AlxGa1−xN/GaN heterostructures grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

The effect of Al mole fractions on the structural and electrical properties of Al_xGa_1−xN/GaN thin films grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PA-MBE) on Si (1 1 1) substrates has been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and current-voltage (I-V) measurements. X-ray results revealed that the AlGaN/GaN/AlN was epitaxially grown on Si substrate. By applying Vegard's law, the Al mole fractions of Al_xGa_1−xN samples were found to be 0.11, 0.24, 0.30 and 0.43, respectively. The structural and morphology results indicated that there is a relatively larger tensile strain for the sample with the smallest Al mole fraction; while a smaller compressive strain and larger grain size appear with Al mole fraction equal to 0.30. The strain gets relaxed with the highest Al mole fraction sample. Finally, the linear relationship between the barrier height and Al mole fraction was obtained.