Development of an Electrochemical Hydrogen Contaminant Detector. Issue 14 (5th November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mukundan, Rangachary; Brosha, Eric L.; Romero, Christopher J.; Poppe, Daniel; Rockward, Tommy
• Is Part Of: Journal of the Electrochemical Society. Volume 167:Issue 14(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-11-05
• Subjects: Hydrogen Contaminant Detector -- Fuel Cells -- Sensors -- Hydrogen fuel quality; Electrochemistry -- Periodicals; 541.3705
• DOI: 10.1149/1945-7111/abc43a
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-4651

Abstract

Abstract : Hydrogen refueling stations (HRSs) that dispense hydrogen to fuel cell vehicles need to ensure the quality of hydrogen to avoid contamination of the vehicle's expensive fuel cell stacks. Currently, stations verify their fuel quality only periodically to ensure that they meet the strict fuel quality standards specified by either International Organization for Standards (ISO) or Society for Automotive Engineers (SAE). The development of hydrogen contaminant detectors (HCDs) that can provide low cost continuous monitoring at the HRS can be an invaluable asset in protecting fuel cell vehicles from any fuel contamination in-between infrequent expensive analysis of hydrogen fuel quality. An HCD capable of detecting < 200 ppb of CO in hydrogen is presented in this paper. The HCD is based on an electrochemical hydrogen pumping cell whose ultra-low loaded working electrode is poisoned by the contaminant, thus reducing its hydrogen oxidation reaction rate. The hydrogen pumping cell consists of a Nafion® membrane, a sputtered Pt working electrode, a Pt/Ru counter/pseudo-reference electrode and an internal water wicking system that provides humidification to the membrane and electrodes. When this HCD is operated in a pulsed voltammetry mode, it can provide stable CO response for thousands of hours in a HRS.