Large area high resolution neutron imaging detector for fuel cell research

Neutron radiography is increasingly being considered a powerful diagnostic tool in fuel cell research. Analyzing the water distribution for entire cells requires large and flexible fields of view and high spatial resolution at the same time. The combination of these requirements is a great technical challenge for neutron detectors: While conventional detectors could provide large fields of view, the accuracy of water mapping has so far been limited by their low spatial resolution. On the other hand, the applicability of sophisticated high-resolution detectors in fuel cell research is limited by their small and invariable fields of view. We present a novel detector system designed to meet the specific demands of fuel cell research. High spatial resolution of at the best 25 mu m was achieved by an optimized gadox scintillator, while a large and flexible field of view, e.g. 61.4 mm x 61.4 mm at a scale factor of 1:1 is provided by a 4096 x 4097 pixel(2) CCD-camera. The set up ensures great adaptivity to fuel cells of various sizes along with the best possible spatial resolution. Studies on the water transport in a DMFC and PEMFC are presented to demonstrate the capacity of the detector system. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.