Teuku Husaini

Effects of flow field design on water management and reactant distribution in PEMFC: a review

The performance of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack is affected by many factors, including the operating conditions, flow field and manifold design, and membrane performance. To achieve the desired PEMFC performance, the reactant must be uniformly distributed and effectively diffused into the catalyst layer for the electrochemical reaction. Water management and reactant distribution in fuel cells are crucial because they affect the distribution and diffusion rate of the reactant. This paper reviews the important research results reported in recent years related to the effects of water and reactant distribution on the performance and life span of PEMFC stacks.

Effects of Die Configuration on the Electrical Conductivity of Polypropylene Reinforced Milled Carbon Fibers: An Application on a Bipolar Plate

Die configurations, filler orientations, electrical conductivity, and mechanical properties of polypropylene reinforced milled carbon fibers were studied as functions of their manufacturing processes. Series of manufacturing processes often deteriorate the material properties, hence, finding a suitable process aid is key to improving the electrical and mechanical properties of composite materials. Compared with the conventional manufacturing process, extrusion is a key process in the production of a highly conductive composite. A twin-screw extruder was used at a temperature of 230 °C and a rotational speed of 50 rpm before the compression molding process was carried out at 200 °C and 13 kPa. This research examined different die configurations, namely rod and sheet dies. The results indicated that the rod dies showed better mechanical properties and electrical conductivity with 25 MPa and 5 S/cm compared to the sheet dies. Moreover, rod dies are able to orientate to 86° and obtain longest filler length with 55 μm compared to the sheet dies. The alteration of the filler orientation in the produced material at a high shear rate further enhanced the electrical conductivity of the material.

Temperature Effects on Stainless Steel 316L Corrosion in the Environment of Sulphuric Acid (H2SO4)

In its application, metal is always in contact with its environment whether air, vapor, water, and other chemicals. During contact, chemical interactions emerge between metals and their respective environments such that the metal surface corrodes. This study aims to determine the corrosion rate of 316L stainless steel sulphuric acid environment (H2SO4) with weight loss and electrochemical methods. The corrosion rate (CR) is value of 316L stainless steel by weight loss method with sulfuric acid (H2SO4) with concentration of 0.5 M. The result obtained in conjunction with the increase of temperature the rate of erosion obtained appears to be larger, with a consecutive 3 hour the temperature of 50°C is 0.27 mg/cm2h, temperature 70°C 0.38 mg/cm2h, and temperature 90 °C 0.52 mg/cm2h. With the electrochemical method, the current value increases by using a C350 potentiostal tool. The higher the current, the longer the time the corrosion rate increases, where the current is at 90 °C with a 10-minute treatment time of 0.0014736 A. The 316L stainless steel in surface metal morphology is shown by using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).