Polymer Electrolyte Membrane/Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells operate utilizing electrochemical reactions which take place on a surface. This work sets out to test the hypothesis, that increasing area due to greater roughness will increase the power output density. Nafion membranes were molded using heated aluminum dies, which were ground and machined to produce a variety of surface textures . The textures of the each Nafion membrane were measured using an OlympusLEXT 3100 scanning laser microscope. Area-scale analysis and scale-based correlation testing were used to determine the extent of correlations between the textures and the power density of the fuel cell and the scale ranges over which correlations exist.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Hesler, Gregory Paul

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-043009-165524

Advisor

• Brown, Christopher A.

Year

• 2009

Date created

• 2009-04-30

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Mechanical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright