Over-potentials Analysis in Solid Acid Fuel Cell using CsH2PO4 as Anhydrous Membrane

A study concerned to overpotentials analysis has been performed in fuel cell based on solid acid electrolyte to investigate the losses produced namely activation, concentration and ohmic losses. The used equations are the semi-empirical equations (exchange current density) or the mathematical and material balance equations. The cesium dihydrogen phosphate, CsH2PO4, was used as the electrolyte membrane and its proton conductivity was calculated based on the Arrhenius law at 230 degrees C temperature. The combination of semi-empirical equations, mathematical and Nernst equations were also used to represent one model for the formulation of voltage versus current density in order to indicate overpotential losses. The utilization of the power differentiation to current density, a non-linear equation was obtained in order to determine the optimum current or voltage, via Matlab's F-solve nonlinear program. Two main factors electrocatalyst layer and pressure are influence in limiting current density and resulting increase of solid acid fuel cell performance.